It is an antiphonal Vietnamese folk music style, where alternating female and male groups issue challenges and replies.
First described in the 13th century, quan ho is associated with the spring festivals that follow Tet (the Vietnamese New Year) and originated in Bac Ninh Province. Some say Quan Ho Bac Ninh Folk Songs originated from the exchange of songs between two mandarin families. Gradually, they spread and became popular with the northern people. Some groups were formed just to sing, and many marriages resulted from these gatherings. After centuries, this type of Vietnamese folk song has become the most significant.
Many villages in northern Viet Nam's Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces are twinned, reinforcing their relationship through traditional cultural practices, such as the Quan họ Bắc Ninh folk songs. The songs are sung by a pair of female singers are singing one of the known challenge phrases (câu ra) from the song, followed by a pair of male singers singing a matching phrase (câu doi) which repeats the melody of the challenge phrase. Once they are finished singing this, the order is reversed and the men sing their own challenge phrase with a different melody. There are circular hats and scarves worn by the women, and turbans, umbrellas, and tunics worn by the men. More than 400 songs sung with 213 different melody variations convey the longing and sadness of separation and the joy of meeting lovers, yet the custom forbids people from marrying a singer.
Quan ho singing is often associated with rituals, festivals, contests, and informal gatherings, where singers perform a variety of verses before saying farewell to their hosts. The four different singing styles of Quan ho include restrained, resonant, ringing, and staccato. Younger musicians, of both sexes, will practice at parties organized around singing. This music expresses the spirit, philosophy, and local identity of communities in this region and builds social bonds within and between villages that share a deeply cherished cultural practice.
Historically, the singing began on the pre-festival evening, however, today it is more common for the singing to take place on the main festival day. In the past, Vietnamese singers sang without instruments, but today they are often accompanied by instruments, such as traditional Vietnamese instruments and modern keyboards. Trong quân singing is a simpler form of response song that allows spoken responses and is sung at village festivals by members community.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/quan-h-bc-ninh-folk-songs-00183) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quan_h%E1%BB%8D) (https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/english/index.php/items/8701) |Subject=Music |Country=Vietnam |Region=Bắc Ninh |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}