A performance at the contest. (Photo: VNA)

Don ca tai tu (southern amateur music) Contest is being held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, aiming to promote the value of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The contest, which will last until April 11, is co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the municipal People’s Committee with the participation of 21 troupes from localities in the southern region.

Nguyen Cong Trung, deputy director of the Department of Grassroots Culture under the ministry, said the contest which is held every three years has become a traditional event that contributes to the preservation of this kind of folk music.

It offers an opportunity for southern amateur music singers and talented musicians to share their passion and exchange experience, he said.

Art troupes perform at the opening of the contest. (Photo: VNA)

Considered one of the country’s main music genres, don ca tai tu originated from Hue court music and folk music of the southern region. It came into being in the 19th century, thrived in the early 20th century and remains an important part of the country’s traditional culture today.

The music is typically performed at festivals, commemoration rituals and celebrations by farmer-performers. Instrumentalists and singers express their feelings by improvising based on 20 principal and 72 classical songs.

The art was listed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)./.