Xẩm

Xẩm (

When the tram lines were abandoned in the 1980s, xẩm tàu điện disappeared and xẩm gradually fell into oblivion.[7] Facing the unstoppable decline of xẩm, researchers and devoted artists tried but failed to revitalize this art form.^[8] Nowadays, xẩm is considered an endangered form of Vietnamese traditional music because the number of experienced artists rapidly declines while the younger generation usually prefers modern types of music.^[2][9] The most famous recent artisan of this art form was Hà Thị Cầu (1917-2013), the so-called "last surviving artisan of xẩm."^[10] She was one of the few artisans who was honoured by the title Nghệ sĩ ưu tú (Outstanding Artist of Vietnam).^[11] There are several efforts to preserve and propagate xẩm, such as the introduction of xẩm performance in the Đồng Xuân night market, and encouraging young artists to learn xẩm from old artisans.^[7][8][9]

Performance elements

The melodies of xẩm are borrowed from different types of Vietnamese folk music such as

In singing xẩm, the artists often play đàn bầu or đàn nhị to self-accompany, and sometimes they form a band in which one artist sings while others play traditional instruments such as the drum or phách. Depending on the rhythm of the drum, xẩm is divided into two styles, xẩm chợ for a rapid rhythm and xẩm cô đào for a slow one.^[4][12]

References