Exploring Da Nang? Don't miss out on the mesmerizing boat singing!

On luminous moonlit nights, coastal fishermen are taught to dance and sing by the venerable elders right on the tranquil sandy shores. The enchanting boat singing of Da Nang has evolved into a cultural cornerstone of the central coastal city!

Visiting Da Nang? It's a must to immerse yourself in the captivating boat singing!

After Tet Nguyen Dan, coastal fishermen often organize the Fishing Festival to pray for favorable weather, featuring boat singing, a long-standing traditional folk art form. Boat singing, also known as oar boat singing, spirit summoning chants, or spirit-guiding chants…

Boat singing is accompanied by graceful dance movements. 'Bả' means firm grasp, 'trạo' refers to the boat's roof. Boat singing during the Fishing Festival is a way for fishermen to pray for calm skies, tranquil seas, and abundant shrimp and fish. Thus, boat singing is not only a form of pure entertainment but also a cultural and religious practice of fishermen.

The lyrics and rhythm of the songs convey optimism, love for the profession, love for life, and the desire to tame nature. Boat songs are crafted in the appropriate melody for each situation, rhyming with folk verses, six-eight poems, always soaked in the essence of folk poetry.

The verses of boat singing are truly impeccable as they encapsulate the romance and euphoria of the 'fishermen artists' in the face of the mystical, vast beauty of the open sea. The cultural richness within the lines of boat singing is an invaluable treasure for future generations.

Boat singing demands that learners be bold and diligent to meticulously memorize the lyrics, dance moves, and melodies. As this is a performative art form with sacred, ceremonial significance, it does not tolerate mistakes.

The boat singing team comprises the head (the boat leader) holding a pair of drumsticks to direct the boat singing team; the warehouse master (the trade leader) standing in the boat's hold, when the boat docks, they stand guard, holding a fishing rod and a water scoop; the helmsman (the rear leader) standing at the stern of the boat, gripping the steering oar to guide the boat in the right direction.

Before 1975, the attire of the three leaders was very simple, black ao dai, white trousers, and wearing socks. Later, to make the performances more vibrant, the costumes became more colorful.

The head wears a green ao dai, purple trousers, a bamboo hat on his head, wraps his legs with a scarf, and wears cloth shoes. The warehouse master wears a short blue shirt with a white and blue collar, blue trousers, wraps his legs with a scarf, wears cloth shoes, and wears a conical hat. The helmsman wears a bamboo hat, light purple ao dai, a blue sea belt, purple long trousers, wraps his legs with a scarf, and wears cloth shoes.

The boat team consists of 12 to 16 people. Before 1975, the boat team was usually young men, aged 17 to 20, unmarried. Nowadays, the boat team consists of girls, aged 13 to 15. The boat team wears green attire, conical hats, wears scarves on their legs, holds red and yellow painted oars, and paddles.

During the performance, the Head uses a pair of sênh sticks to command the entire team. Following the cues, the boat singers coordinate smoothly, swaying in postures resembling rowing, singing and dancing as if rowing a boat. The instrumental ensemble includes drums, gongs, horns, dan co, and sênh.

It takes a lot of effort and time to practice, but boat singing cannot enrich the singers, even burdening them with heavier livelihoods. Therefore, nowadays there are very few remaining boat singers, mostly elderly. Today's youth are no longer interested in this old-fashioned folk performance. Boat singing in Da Nang is therefore at risk of fading away, with no successors to develop it.

An explanation for the decline of this art form could be that boat singing originates from the lives of fishermen, depicting life through songs and music. Therefore, boat singers must simultaneously be seasoned fishermen, enduring the elements to truly love and understand the sea.

However, the fishing profession today is very different from before, fishermen often own boats and hire others to go to sea instead of going themselves. The younger generation does not continue the tradition of going to sea, so they do not understand the cultural value in the rhythm of boat singing.

I believe that only when living by the sea, intimately connected with it, facing the dangers amidst the vast expanse of the sea, can one truly feel and appreciate the profound, rich, and vibrant meaning of the songs and dances of boat singing.

According to Mytour