The National Ca Tru Festival 2018 will take place in the central city of Ha Tinh from November 1st to 5th with the participation of artisans and artists from Ca tru clubs in 15 provinces and cities.
The event will be held by the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the Viet Nam National Academy of Music and Ha Tinh provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
It is an opportunity for artisans, artists, actors and audiences to meet and exchange experiences; carry out the commitment of the Vietnamese Government with UNESCO on the protection of the world cultural heritage, the preservation and promotion of Ca tru intangible cultural heritage, thus make plans for Ca tru activities in the near future and bring it into the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Ca tru was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in October 2009. It is an ancient type of music featuring female vocalists. It is a complex form of poetry found in the north of Viet Nam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese poetic forms. Ca tru singing appeared in the north around the 15th century and thrived until the early 20th century. Since then, it has lost popularity to imports of modern recreational forms and cultural activities.
This kind of singing is now practised in 15 provinces and cities across Viet Nam.