AN OVERVIEW OF KHO MU ETHNIC FOLK SONGS AND THEIR TRANSMISSION IN NORTHERN VIETNAM

Abstract

The Kho Mu ethnic group is one of the ethnic minorities living long-standing in Vietnam. In the course of cohabitation and interaction with neighboring ethnic groups, the Kho Mu community has developed and preserved unique cultural traditions, most notably a system of folk songs that both bear distinctive characteristics of their own and share common features with those of other ethnic groups in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. However, to date, there has been no comprehensive work dedicated to the collection and study of Kho Mu folk songs. The purpose of this article is to review the current status of collecting and transmitting Kho Mu folk songs, to carry out data collection and classification, and to highlight some distinctive features of the Kho Mu folk songs in Northern Vietnam. Based on a review of some published works combined with fieldwork involving the collection, transcription, and audio recording of folk songs currently transmitted within the community provided by several artisans in Northern provinces of Vietnam, this study have gathered a considerable amount of material. From this, this study have outlined a basic profile of Kho Mu folk songs, clarified the main contents and themes reflected therein, and identified certain limitations and challenges in the collection and transmission efforts of this genre. These research results form an important foundation for further exploration and promotion of the Kho Mu’s rich literary and cultural heritage, contributing to the preservation and development of the cultures of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities in general.