To learn more about the performances, we arrived at Quan De Temple to attend a Ca tru performance one Friday evening where we met some foreign tourists from the UK, Brazil, France and RoK. At first listening, Vietnam’s traditional music forms can stretch the less agile tonal repertoire of the average western ear. Ca tru’s vocal gymnastics can be an especially challenging experience. But if anyone enjoys exploring world music and traditional music, don’t miss a performance of Ca tru.
 Foreign tourists register to watch Ca tru performances at Quan De Temple (28 Hang Buom Street, Hanoi). Photo: Tat Son/VNP |
Before each show, Ca tru singers tell the history of the art and introduce the audiences to musical instruments used in the performance. While enjoying the chanting lyrics of Ca tru songs, tourists often put bamboo sticks in a small bronze pot placed in front of the stage to show their satisfaction and encourage the Ca tru singers and musicians. Tourists are also invited to try their hand at the instruments with the guidance of the performers.
Paul, a tourist from the UK, said, “I heard Ca tru singing on TV before, but it is the first time I have seen it live and I really enjoyed the tunes and lyrics of this genre of music as well as trying to play these musical instruments.”
 Ponna Mat Kunsuk, a Thai visitor, is guided to use clappers by a female singer. Photo: Tat Son/VNP |
Ca tru is native to north Vietnam and dates back more than 1,000 years to the Ly Dynasty. It was especially popular with the royal court and feudal elites and has been passed down through the centuries orally. The art was recognised as an “intangible cultural heritage” in need of preservation by UNESCO in 2009.
