The event will be held from November 1 - 5 by the Vietnam National Academy ofMusic, the Department of Culture Heritage and the Department of Culture, Sportsand Tourism of Ha Tinh.
Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on October 24, Pham Minh Huong from theacademy said the festival is an opportunity to review all achievements inpreserving Ca tru, as well as the vitality of the art genre at present.
Theevent will contribute to affirming that Vietnam has fully implemented andachieved practical results as committed to UNESCO for the protection andpromotion of the value of Ca tru cultural heritage.
After the festival, Vietnam will compilethe dossier togain UNESCO recognition as an IntangibleCultural Heritage of Humanity instead of the current status of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, Huong said.
Troupes attending the event come from Hanoi, the northern localities of HaiDuong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, and Phu Tho, the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An,Ha Tinh and Quang Binh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The opening ceremony of the festival will take place on November 1, while the ceremonyto honour artists will be held in the evening of November 5.
Ca tru was recorgnised by UNESCO as a world Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguardingby UNESCO in 2009. It is one of the most uniquely Vietnamese genres of folkmusic in the Vietnamese treasury of traditional music.
Ca tru features a female singer accompanied by a small groupof musicians. The art genre appeared in the North around the 15th century andthrived until the early 20th century. Since then, it has decreased inpopularity due to the spread of modern recreational and cultural activities.
Today, this kind of singing is practised in 15 provinces andcities throughout Vietnam. The recent festival is part of the nationalprogramme to preserve and develop Ca tru.-VNA