Sli singing preservation requires long-term roadmap

(LSO) – Sli is an enticing traditional folk singing of the Nung ethnic minority in Lang Son province. On August 27, 2019, the singing was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage following the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Decision No 2966/QD-BVHTTDL.

 According to the Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province is home to about 50 Sli singing clubs and groups with nearly 1,000 artists across 11 districts and cities, with the highest number of such groups recorded in Van Quan district. Hoang Huy Am, deputy head of the provincial Association for Folk Singing Preservation, said: “Since our association was established in 2010, Sli singing has received increasing support from organisations and individuals. We hope there will be more fans of the folk singing coming to us.”

Sli, which means poem in the Nung language, is a type of duet singing, with men and women taking turns to voice their verses. There are three basic ways to perform – reading, chanting, and singing.

Nung artists perform Sli singing at the Hang Pinh festival in Lang Son city in 2018.

Lang Son houses four main groups of Nung people, each having their own traditional singing practices – the Nung Chao with Sli Slinh Lang singing; Nung Phan Slinh with Sli Sloong Hau singing; Nung Inh with Sli Inh singing; and Nung An with Heo singing.

The Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has frequently carried out research on the singing and collected relevant documents, while working with the Association for Folk Singing Preservation to stage Sli performances at festivals, gatherings and competitions, such as the Ky Cung – Ta Phu and Hang Ping festivals, among others. At the upcoming ‘Traversing the Viet Bac cultural heritage region’ programme, the department will honour the singing and receive a certificate accrediting it as national intangible cultural heritage.

Emeritus Artist Mai Ven, a Nung Chao ethnic in Thuy Hung commune, Cao Loc district, who has been practicing the singing for years, said: “I think it is necessary for public agencies to preserve Sli singing. One way for doing the job better is to universalize the Nung language, particularly among young generations, because the essence of Sli singing is the Nung language, you cannot sing when you cannot speak and understand the language.”

However, preservation work is facing several obstacles including shrinking number of people who know and practice Sli and difficulties in teaching the next generations. The question now is how to revive the original space for Sli performances without distortions.

Phan Van Hoa, deputy head of the Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said after Sli was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage,  the department will launched a series of preservation measures such as organising training courses, considering incentives for artists and clubs, and bringing Sli performances to traditional markets across districts. A conservation project will be developed during 2020-2021 to be submitted to the provincial Peoples’ Committee.