Hát bả trạo (“firmly grasping the paddle” singing), which was composed by fishermen in Central Việt Nam’s provinces, is actually a mix of folk singing and dancing at worshipping rituals to pray for fishing successes at seas. The singing’s contents praise the whale for saving people at sea and pray for the whale god and ancestors’ blessings in fishing trips.

It is also one of the national intangible cultural heritages recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in February 2013.  

The members of a typical bả trạo troupe include Tổng Mũi (the captain), Tổng Khoang (the caretaker of all things on the boat), Tổng Lái (the main boatman), and 10 to 16 other boatmen, depending upon the arrangements of each province, though the number has to be even.

The musical instruments accompanying the bả trạo singing are đàn nhị (Vietnamese two-chord fiddle), a drum, trumpet and sênh (an instrument combining clapper, rasp, and jingle made from three pieces of wood). Languages used in the singing are originated from ancient Vietnamese scripts and local dialects, but still remain the unique and spiritual meaning of each province.  

In the past, this type of traditional singing is very popular. As more people have chosen big cities for their livelihood and the modern life has often kept people tied up, Ba trao singing takes place mainly at theaters for serving tourists or preservation purposes nowadays.

At present, Ba trao singing is often included in whale worshipping rituals right after the Lunar New Year and cultural festivals in Quang Nam and other coastal regions of Vietnam Central. This is a practical way for preserving original features of the traditional singing at the whale worshipping practices.

 PTT