Heritage of Future Past – Story Collection by British Council

H E R I T A G E O F

F U T U R E

P A S T

H E R I TA G E O F F U T U R E PA S T

This collection of heritage stories has been created

The ten stories within this publication are told

by Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth, a British

through the view of people and places involved in

Council programme taking place in Vietnam as well

the programme so far – to document, highlight and

as Colombia and Kenya.

share the value, beauty and opportunities cultural heritage can bring from a diverse range of

Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth is a pilot

perspectives. Each story holds its own identity,

initiative exploring the use of cultural heritage for

creativity and uniqueness, yet all are inspired by a

growth that benefits all levels of society. Cultural

common sense of purpose; to promote the

heritage in this context means many things, from

importance and relevance of cultural heritage in

the built environment through to cultural traditions

celebrating the past, further understanding our

such as music and language. Inclusive growth

present and creating a shared future.

means working with and for all levels of society to reconcile the divide between economic growth

When knitted together these stories both reveal

and rising inequality.

and raise awareness for the transformational power of cultural heritage and its ability to develop

I N T R O D U C T I O N

In Vietnam, the in-country Cultural Heritage for

cross-cultural understanding in today’s society. As

Inclusive Growth project – known as Heritage of

demonstrated through the lens of Vietnam’s rich

Future Past – works with communities, heritage

cultural heritage in this collection, it is uniquely

bearers and contemporary artists to safeguard and

positioned to do many things; from acting as a

promote music and film heritage which are

conduit for the exchange of ideas across genera-

under-represented or at high risk of disappearing.

tions to providing a pathway for building collective, sustainable livelihoods.

Music and film heritage – especially that of

under-represented groups - including ethnic

Our sincere thanks to the authors Barley Norton

minority groups located in remote, rural areas – are

from Goldsmiths, University of London, and Hoàng

becoming increasingly less visible in Vietnam’s

Văn Chung from Vietnam Academy of Social

contemporary culture and society, against the

Sciences, who travelled to many locations and

backdrop of rapid economic growth. Within this

interviewed many participants to make sure that

context, efforts in safeguarding valuable and at-risk

the stories really capture the essence of the

intangible cultural components have received very

people at the heart of the project and their worlds.

little attention and support. The situation affects

We believe these stories should be kept and

the capacity of communities surrounding said

shared for the benefit of people who tell their

components to develop their human capital and

stories, and those who will listen and share these

contribute to national development.

stories further.

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In his cramped flat on the outskirts of Hanoi, the

Bê recently graduated from the Hanoi

young musician Giàng A Bê is working until the

University of Culture but he was born and grew up

early hours of the morning. His eyes strain as he

in Yên Bái province in northern Vietnam. For the

edits video on his old, dusty computer. He cannot

project, the team made trips back to the

sleep as he is excited about finishing his first

mountainous northern regions where there are

documentary about Hmong music titled A

large populations of Hmong people. They went to

Folksong Journey (Hành trình Dân ca).

find elderly musicians and singers, so they could

The 30-minute film is the culmination of

record and document traditional melodies. On

a 9-month project called 'Our Music' (Âm nhạc của

their return, they translated lyrics from the Hmong

Chúng mình), which was carried out by Bê and a

language into Vietnamese and created new

group of his Hmong friends. Supported by the

arrangements of songs. Traditionally, Hmong

British Council’s 'Film, Archive and Music Lab' Fund

songs are often performed a cappella, without an

(FAMLAB), the project aimed to explore the

instrumental accompaniment, but the team

cultural practices of Hmong people that are in

experimented with combining traditional songs

danger of disappearing. Few Hmong under the

with contemporary pop music. "A Song to Choose

age of 30 know how to perform traditional music,

a Husband" is one of the melodies they arranged.

Bê said, so it is important to find new ways to

It is a much-loved song because of the beauty of

encourage young people to connect with their

the words and its cultural significance: the song

cultural heritage.

advises Hmong girls how to find a good fiancé. In

the modern remixed version, the solo female voice floats over a backing of electronic beats and the sounds of traditional instruments like the qeej mouthorgan and raj nplaim bamboo-reed flute. Bê is a leading member of the Hmong Action Group (AHD), a volunteer organisation set up by young Hmong. AHD strives to change negative attitudes towards ethnic minorities and raise awareness of the value of Hmong culture amongst the Vietnamese people as a whole. Bê's father was a master performer of traditional instruments like the qeej mouthorgan. But it wasn't until after his father's tragic death that Bê realised the value of Hmong music and began to study traditional instruments himself. The cultural break that Bê experienced as a result of his father's untimely death gave him a very personal motivation for becoming a cultural activist and embarking on the British Council project. On the 28th December 2019, the project team hosted a film screening and discussion in the theatre of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities in the centre of Hanoi. When the film A Folksong Journey was shown, it received an emotional reception from the Hmong community, including Bê's mother who travelled to the capital for the event. Members of the audience told Bê that the film's vivid portrayal of Hmong culture made them feel pride in their heritage. Bringing Hmong folksongs to downtown Hanoi was a major landmark in the lives of Bê and his friends. They hope that the folksongs featured in the film will inspire more people to enjoy and value Hmong culture.

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B A R L E Y

N O R T O N

Barley Norton is Reader in Ethnomusicology and

possession rituals, Songs for the Spirits

Director of the Asian Music Unit (AsMU) in the

(University of Illinois Press 2009), and two films

Music Department at Goldsmiths, University of

about contemporary music, Hanoi Eclipse - The

London. Since first visiting Vietnam in the 1990s,

Music of Dai Lam Linh (Documentary Educational

Barley has carried out extensive field research on

Resources 2010), and Make a Silence - Musical

Vietnamese music and cultural heritage. As well as

Dialogues in Asia (2019). He has also published

writing books and articles about Vietnamese

two coedited volumes: Music and Protest in 1968

music culture, he has shot and directed

(Cambridge University Press 2013), which won the

ethnographic films. Major publications include a

American Musicology Society’s 2014 Ruth A. Solie

book about the role of music during spirit

Award; and Music as Heritage (Routledge 2019).

H O À N G

V Ă N

C H U N G

It was a great pleasure for us to work on this

and its transformative potential. We would like to

Hoàng Văn Chung is a researcher in Sociology,

Religions and State's Response to Religious

project and we would like to send our heartfelt

sincerely thank Nguyễn Phương Thảo, Head of Arts

currently the Head of Department for Theories

Diversification in Contemporary Vietnam

thanks to everyone who shared their stories with

and Creative Industries, for her support and advice.

and policy on religion at the Institute for Religious

(Springer 2017), an edited book Major values and

us. Without the openness and generosity of the

At the British Council in Vietnam, special thanks

Studies (IRS), Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences

functions of Buddhism in contemporary Vietnam

many inspiring people who we met through this

also to Phạm Minh Hồng, Trần Duy Hưng, Phan Thu

(VASS). Since 1999, Chung has focused his

(Social Sciences publishing house 2019), and a

project, the creation of this collection of stories

Nga, Phan Thanh Ngọc and Trần Thị Thu Hằng.

investigation on new religious phenomena, folk

book chapter entitled "The double-layered

religion, Buddhism, and state-religion relationship

religious diversification in post-Renovation

in Vietnam and carried out a lot of ethnographic

Vietnam" in Religious Diversity in Asia (Brill 2019).

would not have been possible. We hope that this book and the corresponding short films online will

Barley Norton and Hoàng Văn Chung

raise awareness of the value of cultural heritage

fieldwork among diverse religious-ethnic communities. His major publications include New

H E R I TA G E O F F U T U R E PA S T

I M A G E

C R E D I T S

Cover page. Đinh Văn Khun playing a gong in front of the communal house of

27 (bottom) - An old vinyl record of cải lương music from Nguyễn Lê Hiếu's

Mơ H'ra village, Gia Lai province, January 2020. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

personal archive in Ho Chi Minh City. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

5. The children's gong ensemble of Mơ H'ra village performing in front of the

28. Tráng Hồng Vi performing a Hmong folk song in Hanoi, December 2019.

village communal house, Gia Lai province,January 2020.

Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

Image by Hoàng Văn Chung. 30-31. Giàng A Bê playing the Hmong flute in Sapa, Lào Cai province, 2019. 6. Đinh Thị Mến presenting Bahnar cultural heritage displayed at the

Image by Ly Chính.

communal house of Mơ H'ra village, Gia Lai province, January 2020. 32-33. Thắng learning to play the ginang drum with artist Sầm Tánh in Bỉnh

Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

Nghĩa village, Ninh Thuận province, January 2020. 7. The head of Mơ H'ra village Đinh H'mưnh playing the tube-zither (goong)

Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

inside the village communal house, Gia Lai province, January 2020. 34 (left) - Artist Sầm Tánh playing the paranung drum at his home in Bỉnh

Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

Nghĩa village, Ninh Thuận, January 2020. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung. 8-9. Trần Thu Hiền from the Vietnam Chèo Theatre (Nhà hát Chèo Việt Nam) playing the role of Suý Vân. Image by Nguyễn Hoàng.

34 (right) - Thắng learning to use a video camera, Ninh Thuận province, 2019. Image by British Council Vietnam.

10 (left) - Performance art by La Mai during an open workshop for the "Future of Tradition" project in 2019. Image c/o La Mai.

35. The group of young film makers who made the short documentary "Thắng – The Boy who learns to play the drum", Ninh Thuận province,

10 (right) - Trần Thu Hiền from the Vietnam Chèo Theatre playing the role of

January, 2020. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

Suý Vân. Image by Nguyễn Hoàng. 36-37. Artist A Jring Đeng playing the tube-zither (goong) in front of the large 11. The musician Nguyễn Xuân Sơn during an interview at Heritage Space in

communal house of Tân Lập village, Kon Tum province, January 2020.

Hanoi, December 2019. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

12-13. Performance at the Hanoi New Music Festival 2018 of "Hồ Nguyệt Cô

38. A pupil from Kon Rẫy Boarding School learning music from an artist,

hoá cáo" composed by Trần Thị Kim Ngọc. Still image from the film Make a

Kon Tum province, 2019. Image by British Council Vietnam.

Silence - Musical Dialogues in Asia (2019) by Barley Norton. 39. Pupils from Kon Rẫy Boarding school performing in a gong ensemble at a

Image c/o Barley Norton.

school graduation ceremony, Kon Tum province, 2019. 14. Portrait of Trần Thị Kim Ngọc. Image by Nguyễn Xuân Sơn.

Image by British Council Vietnam.

17. Portrait of Nguyễn Quốc Hoàng Anh, Hanoi, January 2020.

40-41.The live art performance "The Bolero Effect" created by Moi Tran in

Image by HoàngVăn Chung.

Hanoi, December 2019. Image by Trần Thảo Miên.

19. Nguyễn Quốc Hoàng Anh on his vintage motorbike in Hanoi, January

42. The live art performance "The Bolero Effect" created by Moi Tran in

2020. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

Hanoi, December 2019. Images by Trần Thảo Miên.

20-21. Still image of the actor Trần Quang and actress Thẩm Thúy Hằng from

43. The live art performance "The Bolero Effect" created by Moi Tran in

the pre-1975 film Nàng (Lady) directed by Lê Mộng Hoàng.

Hanoi, December 2019. Image by Trần Thảo Miên.

This publication is part of

Image c/o Lê Hồng Lâm. 22. Film critic Lê Hồng Lâm interviewing film actress Kiều Chinh in California,

24-25. Cải lương theatre director Nguyễn Hồng Dung at The House of

A Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth project undertaken by the British Council in Vietnam

Theatre Ancestors (Nhà tổ nghề sân khấu) in Ho Chi Minh City, January 2020. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung. 27 (top) - Nguyễn Lê Hiếu singing cải lương music theatre, Ho Chi Minh City, January 2020. Image by Hoàng Văn Chung.

2019. Image by Vũ Khánh Tùng.