“Nghe đam say tieng Don Ca Tai Tu. Nhat khoan cung bac tham tram. Ngot ngao than thiet, biet may yeu thuong…” (I passionately listen to Don Ca Tai Tu. Rising and falling tones alter regularly. So much sweetness, insistence and love are included in the songs…) Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An (living in An Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District) begins the meeting session performing Phong Ba Dinh melody in his song Can Tho Que toi (Can Tho – My Homeland) on the. The lyrics he has written is about attractive destinations of Can Tho expressing his own experiences and love for his homeland. Then clubs members performs other songs of various types like Tai Tu, Ca Co (songs for longing to the past), Cai luong (Vietnamese modern opera), which are echoing through the peaceful river in front of them. The rising breeze helps make their simple souls much more peaceful.

Ms. Vo Thi Hoai Thu, a retired teacher and head of the club, says that the club has been running for more than a year. From only some members at first, the club now has 14 regular members. Besides, around 24-27 participants come here every night. On schedule, from 7 to 10 pm on Mondays, club members get together at a frequently-visited café by the floating market to indulge their passion for Don Ca Tai Tu. “Since the club was established, we, the amateurs, have been able to share such great passion with one another,” says Ms. Thu.

In the club, most members are the middle-aged and the retired. Only some are youngsters.  As amateurs, we would prefer to “learn from one another” rather than compete with other members. Therefore, those meetings turn to be friendlier. Ms. Chau Kim Tuyet, Vice Head of the club, cannot help showing her excitement, “It is mostly funny. Since there was a place for singing like this, I have been much younger and healthier.” However, learning from one another has helped better their skills significantly. The club’s main musician is Mr. Vo Van Chanh from Long Tuyen - Binh Thuy, who has completed a Don Ca Tai Tu training course held by Can Tho City Cultural Center. Mr. Luu Phuoc Quang, a club member, has gained more confidence from regular practice singing here. Thanks to constructive comments from other members, he has won the consolation prize in Moc Quan-Nguyen Trong Quyen Singing Festival 2018 recently. In addition, the club cooperates with the Cultural and Sports Center of Ninh Kieu District to offer Don Ca Tai Tu performances on demand at Ninh Kieu Quay.

Don Ca Tai Tu Club of An Binh Ward is highly well-known among the fans from many places.  Here come new faces from both local and remote areas such as Thot Not, Binh Thuy (Can Tho), Vinh Long, Hau Giang. Though living far from the club, Mr. Cao Tri Thuan, from Thot Not District (40 kilometers from Cai Rang District), has hardly ever been absent from regular sessions. Being able to perform and listen to the singing of his soul mates is the happiest thing to him. The story about Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An – the session ice-breaking person – is fascinating. He has a great love for Don Ca Tai Tu, but his wife, Ms. Ta Thi Anh Thu, knows nothing about this art. He takes his wife to the club, helps her practice singing at home more harmoniously and systematically. Hence, she is an active club member now. Mr. An says, “Since we both participated in the club, we have become happier and merrier. A harmonious married couple can achieve pretty much anything!”

This is an ideal meeting place for Don Ca Tai Tu performance with the background of waterways, the floating market and the surroundings of an orchid garden full of color and fragrance. Although Mr. Le Dinh Phi, a retired official and also the owner of Vuon Lan Cho Noi Café, cannot sing this music at all, he cherishes all nostalgic values expressed from the songs. Therefore, he lets the club use his café as a meeting place and also provides it with audio equipment. Mr. Phi, with his hair turning grey, sits quietly in a corner of the café enjoying his fragrant tea and Don Ca Tai Tu performances. To him, this is an elegant joy.

Members of the Don Ca Tai Tu Club of An Binh Ward say that they are willing to welcome new soul-mates.