Folk song Sinh Ca of the San Chi

Sinh ca is the typical singing genre in culture of the San Chi ethnic group. The San Chi young boys and girls sing love songs and chants back and forth for.

The San Chi lives scattered in Vietnam’s northeastern provinces. They settle in hamlets in high mountains and depend on farming got their main income. They grow rice and fruit trees and raise animals as their main income source. During lulls, they make wood furniture, weave bamboo products, and forge farm tools for their family and the local community. The San Chi raise pigs and grow cinnamon, acacia, pine, cassava, maize, and peanuts.

The San Chi have developed a rich cultural tradition with various types of folk arts. Singing is the best way for the San Chi to express their feeling towards other people and their views of the surroundings.

A “Sinh ca” singing session may take place over 5 to 7 days, from 7 pm to the next morning. Young boys and girls are divided into 2 groups. Each group has a leader who sings well and knows many songs. During a session, they sing between 700 and 1,000 songs. “Sinh ca” is a love duet and only unmarried people who are not of the same blood can participate.

When spring comes, the cultural and sports festival of the San Chi ethnic minority group takes place in Tien Yen district, the northern province of Quang Ninh province. The festival also helped to improve ethnic people’s awareness of preserving traditional fine culture and enriching the national culture.

The San Chi love singing and they have many folk songs about their customs, lifestyle, and work. They sing at wedding ceremonies, celebrations of longevity or flirting, and all other celebrations. Singing is a tradition of the San Chi which brings them closer to each other.

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