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The Hanoi Ca Trù Thai Ha Ensemble

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Hanoi Ca Trù Thai Ha Ensemble plays ca trù, a traditional Vietnamese chamber music from the north of the country. Little is known with certainty about the ensemble itself, and the available source dealt with Vietnamese music in general. This text is therefore mainly about the music the group plays. It comes from a long tradition of artistic songs performed by female singers, with a small accompanying group.

Music and breakthrough

In ca trù the voice is central. The singer beats the rhythm with a small bamboo percussion instrument, the phách. A long, three-stringed lute, the đàn đáy, accompanies her with loose, sharp tones. A connoisseur of the music plays a small drum and comments on the singing with short strikes. The lyrics are poems, such as the hát nói, a verse form with a free structure. The voice often moves in long, ornamented lines with subtle vibrato. The whole sounds restrained and sober, and it is all about the refinement of every small detail.

Influence

Ca trù was long threatened with disappearance and is now actively protected. In School of Rock the ensemble represents the literary chamber music of Vietnam, far from the country's popular music.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Muou, Hát Nói. Notice the voice moving slowly and ornamentally through the poem, and the short, sharp tones of the lute and the percussion instrument.
Categories: ArtistsCa trù