Folk Short Songs\n\nMongolian folk songs are divided in three different categories, such as long songs, short songs and the authors’ songs. Folk songs are shorter than other forms of expressions with average durations of one to five minutes, but there is a high volume of them. Thus, restoring, categorising, and digitising folk songs were the most time-consuming tasks compared to others. Within the framework of the project, just under forty-eight hours of songs were restored and digitised.

Katta Ashula (a song performed with a plate) is specific to the Ferghana Valley of Uzbekistan. Usually, it is performed a cappella by two to five singers of the same vocal range who use a plate or tray to project their voices in different ways. In most cases, Katta Ashula is performed by singers with a high-pitched, wide-ranging voice, and these are some of the distinguishing features of the complex performance style. Katta Ashula developed from basic traditional events in history, from labour songs, and from different styles of ghazal verses. Usually, Katta Ashula is performed in big gatherings, festivities, and party celebrations.\n\nKatta Ashula songs were performed professionally and further developed by famous Khofizes such as Erkaqori Karimov, Turdiali Ergashev, Matbuva Sattorov, Jo'rakhon Sultonov, Mamurjon Uzoqov, Boltaboy Rajabov, Orif Alimakhsumov, Fattohkhon Mamadaliev, Jo' rakhon Yusupov, and Khamroqulqory To'raqulov. Today, Katta Ashula is masterfully performed by experienced singers with the highest skill, such as Khalima Nosirova, Munojot Yo'lchieva, Ismoil and Isroil Vakhobovs, and Mahmud Tojiboev.

EPICS 1\n\nThere were more than fifty epics performed by renowned epic tellers, including S. Choisuren, B. Avirmed, Sh. Buyan, M. Yadmaa, G. Khainzan, Ts. Zodov, G. Od, T. Purev, R. Lkhagva, Ch. Khartsaga, Dugersuren, Kh. Zambal, R. Duvchinsambuu, D. Bat-Ulzii, E. Namilan, B. Gombojav, B. Gurragchaa, and U. Bataa that cover over 136 hours of the restored and digitised recordings.

Odes\n\nAn ode is an expression of noble feelings of some events and it is linked to certain ceremonies. There are many common characteristics among benedictions and odes. People who recite odes can perform them to a very specific tune. Benedictions are rich in expressing future dreams and fantastical thinking. But odes express present events, as well as people’s pride, admiration, and enthusiasm. There were just over ten hours of restored and digitised odes.

Storytelling\n\nStorytelling is an oral expression that recalls phenomenal events that occurred in society or human lives. The stories, which are expressed artistically, have a certain level of interest and are unique. The storyteller is an individual who has seen that special event or has heard of the events from other person who knows the event very well. Besides storytelling, this category includes materials of local dialects, folk talks of traditional rituals and customs, and the remembrances. The category of storytelling covers over fifty hours of recordings.

Na iTukuni is a form of storytelling and a means for leisure and passing time. It is also a form through which oral history is passed inter-generationally. Storytellers are “gifted” individuals with vivid memories of the past, and, to reciprocate for their talent, they are gifted with food and traditional heirlooms. There are stories that tell of human triumph, trickery and jest between friends and foes, and clashes between humans and figures from the spiritual world, as well as stories that have history or some coded knowledge in them. Some stories are about characters from the spiritual realm and feats of ancestral heroes. \n\nOther stories tell of humor, tragedy, exile, unrequited romance, death, and even cheating death. Storytelling was the equivalent of today’s television and social media. It kept members of a clan entertained and enthralled when storytellers held court around an open fire before a starry-eyed audience, mimicking voices and gestures. Storytelling not only enhanced social cohesion, but served as a repository of a clan’s intangible heritage, particularly in a culture that was highly and predominantly oral and remains so even today.

Alla (lullaby) is an oral form of ICH sung by one person, usually a mother who is putting her baby to sleep. Alla is important in raising a child. That alla is a unique part of Turkic culture has been stated in many sources. Alla is highly emotive in that it allows a child to perceive not only motherly affection but also her spiritual sufferings. \n\nAlla creators and performers are mothers. The content and melody of all songs are derived from the spiritual state of a mother. The Spirit of the period is reflected in the song. Today, mothers perform all, enriching the songs with new content by signing and praising love for life, a happy life, and a bright future. The Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Folk Art under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO, organized an expedition to Ferghana Valley to research and classify intangible cultural heritage samples as well as to inventory and define the bearers of this heritage. The expedition team recorded samples of alla songs. Through these recordings, listeners can feel a high sense of motherly love as well as the utterance of a suffering human spirit. \n\nAlla\nI say alla my dear baby, \nListen to it. alla. \nListening to my sweet alla, \nEnjoy rest, alla. \nListen to my sweet alla, \nGo to sleep, alla, \nMay your future be prosperous. \nMy little soul, alla-yo.

The genre Ru tends to perform within the familial environment, with a hypnotising nature that tends to be use to lull children.\n\nNam Bộ (Southern Vietnam) is the area resides on the south side of Vietnam, including six provinces in the East and 13 provinces in the West. On a geographically level, the land of Nam Bộ is a stable region, in contrast to its cultural environment that is constantly changing and evolving.\n\nNam Bộ is home to various ethnic communities, such as the Việt people, the Kh'mer people, the Chăm people, the Hoa people, the Châu Ro people, the S'tiêng people, the Mạ people...And so, this has created a legacy to Nam Bộ folk performances and culture on this land. However, project "Phong hoa ca vịnh" only limits to the performance traditions of the Viet people, specifically the genres of ru, hò, and lý.\n\nFrom what was described about the early 20th centuries, it is evident how Nam Bộ art performance scene has rapidly transformed. No longer the time where lovers freely conversing their hearts by the rivers, all has sank into oblivion. Even the ru melodies have stopped lingering on the mother's lips, lost within the memories of her children. Culture and its nature of constantly evolving have opened up a contemporary cultural space that can response with today's society. The cyberspace, despite being "unreal", but it's meaningful enough to create an environment that filled with the poetry of ru, the melodies of lý, the bustling groove of hò - Where they have gathered a range of humanly emotions.\n\nLullabies (Hát ru/ Ru) was created on the basis of the native landspace. There's an evident link between the genre of ru with other folk music genders, but also deep within the layers of historical and cultural memories. The ru of Nam Bộ was formed and passed down via the cultural foundation of Nam Bộ. This natural ecosystem and culture have given birth to a distinctive genre, where it's expressed through the lyrics, melodies, and sonic possibilities.\n\nThis project is sponsored by the British Council under the program Heritage of Future Past- A 2018 project which aims to conserve and cultivate the archive of Vietnamese music and film, especially focusing on the untapped values of these mediums that are under the threat of being forgotten. You can learn more about the Heritage of Future Past program via this link: https://www.britishcouncil.vn/cac-chuong-trinh/nghe-thuat/di-san-ket-noi.\n\nResearch by Mr. Le Hai Dang\nTranslated by Ms. Ha Hoang Minh Trang

Tales & Legends\n\nTales are an important genre of the oral prose literature of the Mongolians. Tales typically begin with the phrase “Once upon a time, in such-and-such a place, in such-and-such a country.” Mongolian tales are symbolic. The most frequent ending is “and they lived happily ever after.” The legends are a popular genre of oral prose literature. The real-life legends are always complimentary expressions of historical events within folk literature. Historical facts are usually adorned with fanciful magic and metaphoric devices to later become historical legends. Among the restored and digitised data, the tales take up the most recording hours. Within the framework of the project, over two hundred hours of tales and almost fourteen hours of legends were restored and digitised.

Folk Long Songs\n\nMongolian folk songs are divided in three different categories, such as long songs, short songs and the authors’ songs. Folk songs are shorter than other forms of expressions with average durations of one to five minutes, but there is a high volume of them. Thus, restoring, categorising, and digitising folk songs were the most time-consuming tasks compared to others. Within the framework of the project, just under forty-eight hours of songs were restored and digitised.

CD6 CA TRÙ SINGING\nCa trù singing has other names such as hát ả đào, hát cửa đình, hát nhà tơ, hát nhà trò, or hát cô đầu. According to Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (The Complete Book on the History of Đại Việt), Ca trù appeared in the Lý dynasty (1010-1025) under the name Ả đào singing. Many Ả đào singing contests were held in the village communal houses. In that time, village notables often played the praised drum while enjoying the performers singing and threw reward cards to the singers who performed well. That card was call “trù”. Gradually, the way of rewarding the singers with cards became known as Ca trù. This name is found in the poem namely “Nghĩ hộ tám giáp làm giải thưởng cho cô đào hát” (“On Behalf of People from Eight Hamlets to Write the Rewarding Rule for Awarded Singers”) of Lê Đức Mao in 1500. Ca trù is a popular genre of traditional singing and dancing of the Kinh people in the northern and the central Vietnam. The key members of a Ca trù band include one đàn đáy (three-stringed lute instrumentalist) (the đàn đáy is the only musical instrument for accompanying Ca trù), one singer who both sings and plays the phách clappers, and one praise drummer (known as quan viên cầm chầu) player.\n\nCa trù can be performed in a wide variety of places. Ca trù was born to serve as worship singing. From serving as worship at the village communal houses and ancestor worship, Ca trù has changed into singing for entertainment at private houses, restaurants, or cabarets. In addition to these main performance environments, Ca trù was performed at the royal palace and the palaces of mandarins. At present, Ca trù is sung as traditional music. In each performance environment, Ca trù has some changes in terms of the repertoire, musical nature, or performance styles. The CD Ca trù singing (Hát Ca trù) introduces some songs that which were performed for worship and for entertainment. They were recorded in 1970 (tracks 5, 6, and 7), in 1982 (tracks 1 and 4), and in 1997 (tracks 2 and 3) and performed by the three most famous Ca trù folk artists.

Lapar performing arts, as an ancient folklore genre of people’s creation, has a rich history. Lapar songs are performed by famous artists during holidays, public festivities, and wedding parties as well as in a bride’s house in the evening during ‘Girls’ Evening’, ‘Girls’ Party’, and ‘Lapar Night’. Girls and boys perform Lapar songs composed of four-lined ghazals in two groups. Through Lapar songs, girls and boys express their love for each other, make decisions, and take oaths. They sing their heart’s grief with a certain melody but without any music. If both the girl and the boy who are singing Lapar fall in love with each other, they present gifts to one another. If the boys present flowers to girls, the girls present a kerchief, belt-kerchief, handkerchief, perfume, or some other gift.\n\nLapar songs are mainly composed of four-lined verses and are performed in the form of a dialogue between two parties. If they resemble o'lan songs from these features, they are distinguished by the ideas, literary references, descriptive objects, and the lifestyle that are sung in the lyrics- the level of thought is more highly developed by images. \n\nLapar songs were performed and became increasingly better known through the work of famous Lapar singers, such as Lutfikhonim Sarimsoqova, Tamarakhonim, Lizakhonim Petrosova, Gavkhar Rakhimova, Oykhon Yoqubova, Guishan Otaboyeva, To'khtakhon Nazarova, Qunduzkhon Egamberdiyeva, and others. To pay more attention to Lapar and o'lan songs, to collect them, to support the performers, and to publicise their creative work to the broader community, the Traditional Republican Festival of Lapar and O'lan performers is regularly conducted by the Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Folk Art under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.\n\n\n\n