Last night, I explored the Hoan Kiem Lake area, mingling with locals celebrating Vietnam’s National Independence holiday. The lake was cordoned off to eliminate hectic motorbikes and automobiles, creating a festive, mellow scene. Outside the lake area, streets were congested and intense, with the usual unrelenting onslaught of motorbikes, Hanoi’s most-popular transportation.
Xẩm Spiritual Folk Singing
Over the past several years Hat Xam – a.k.a blind buskers singing – has “revived and spread strongly in the spiritual lives of many Hanoians”. Xẩm performances began occurring on weekends in the walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake.
Ha thanh means the city of Hanoi, and the Xam Ha Thành and Đình Làng Việt groups are popular with Hanoians. Audiences of foreigners and locals “immerse themselves in the melodies of Xẩm songs, which are sometimes joyous, and other times painful”.
Artists performed around the Lake, and I got a unique introduction to Xẩm folk singing. Hanoi’s popular Xẩm singer Đào Bạch Linh was performing with folk musicians at Ngoc Son Temple.
Xẩm History
Xẩm is a special “Vietnamese genre of ancient folk music.” Historically, it was “considered beggar’s music played by blind people for centuries”.
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“Instead of working in theatres, a Xẩm singer’s stage is the street, the market, the foot of a banyan tree, the gate of a village, or a yard.” Jenna Duong Hanoi Times
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Xẩm performers use a “Dan nhi or two-string guitar and their enchanting voices”. Xẩm singers of yesteryear “conquered the hearts of villagers, and, much like Europe’s wandering minstrels, survived on the generosity of those who enjoyed their performances”.
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“Xam (blind wanderer music) is a centuries-old singing style of the Vietnamese people, which has long been recognised as an important piece of the nation’s cultural heritage.” vietnamplus.vn
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The evening was a unique and enjoyable experience!