The Cho Ro ethnic group has long lived in the low mountains of Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces. Due to living close to or intermingling with a number of other ethnic groups, many traditional cultural features of the Cho Ro have been lost. However, currently, a number of intangible cultural heritages, customs, practices, and traditional festivals have been restored by the Department of Culture, local authorities, and people, promoting them in the cultural and spiritual life of the people.
Heritage of the nation
According to Mr. Pham Diem, former Director of the Center for Culture and Arts of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, Head of the Project "Research, restoration and development of Cho Ro folk performing art", Cho Ro folk performing art plays a very important role in rituals, festivals, spiritual beliefs, weddings, funerals, folk performances... of families, clans and Cho Ro ethnic communities; especially in community activities. Cho Ro folk performing first of all must mention folk singing, including: Folk lyrical performing: Genres of folk songs, chants, songs, love songs, love songs (Inviting wine, Praying for rain, Going to the forest, Inviting each other to plant, Inviting each other to plant crops...); General folk performing such as: Op Yang Va Festival (Worshiping the Rice God) and Op Yang Vri Festival (Worshiping the Forest God); dance genres and forms: Religious dance: Dance of Mrs. Bong, Dance according to Mrs. Bong to go into a trance; Labor dance: Rice planting dance, Rice winnowing dance, Rice pounding dance, Gong dance, Moonlight dance; Daily dance...
Unlike the Ma ethnic folk songs, which are often cheerful and optimistic, the Cho Ro folk songs are narrative, like traditional Vietnamese music. Lullabies always contain teachings for children on how to live optimistically, be kind, and stay close to trees, mountains, and forests... Songs in daily life and work are messages, advice, news, stories, care, concern, and love between family members.
In addition to folk singing and dancing, the Cho Ro people have 7 types of musical instruments that are being preserved, kept and used in community activities such as: goong (gong), chinh (gong), goong cla (bamboo gong), cam vuot (gourd trumpet), goong choloq, senh, tuyn (flute) and toon (lip trumpet). Among them, gongs are considered the soul of the Cho Ro people. People believe that gongs are sacred because they are indispensable in ceremonies to worship the Rice God and the Forest God. Before playing the gong, there must be a ceremony to ask permission from grandparents and ancestors to take the gong. The gongs of the Cho Ro people are hung respectfully on the frame.
Restoration and preservation To preserve the folk culture of the Cho Ro ethnic group, in 2023, the Department of Science and Technology and the Center for Culture and Arts of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province developed a scientific project "Research, restoration and development of Cho Ro folk performing arts, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province". Thereby, conducting surveys, collecting and supplementing sources of documents on dances, songs and rituals in folklore to restore and preserve the original performing arts of the Sayangva Festival - Celebrating the New Rice, one of the biggest festivals of the Cho Ro people.
In addition, localities with a large population of Cho Ro people also regularly organize annual traditional festivals at community cultural houses such as in Chau Duc district or in Bau Lam and Tan Lam communes, Xuyen Moc district; Long Tan commune, Dat Do district...
In Dong Nai, the Cho Ro people still regularly organize the two most important festivals of the year: the Rice God Worship Ceremony (in Cho Ro language, Op YanYang) and the Forest God Worship Ceremony (Op Yang Vri). In addition, the people also organize the Rain Praying Ceremony, the pole-raising ceremony, and other rituals in the life cycle.
In 2022, Dong Nai Province's Cultural - Cinema Center organized gong practice, reenacting traditional rituals in the Sayangva Festival (New Rice Celebration) of the Cho Ro people in Tuc Trung commune, Dinh Quan district to participate in the 3rd Cultural Folk Performance Festival of Ethnic Groups in the Truong Son - Tay Nguyen region in 2022 in Kon Tum.
In 2024, Dong Nai province will prepare a dossier to propose the inclusion of the Sayangva Festival (worshiping the Rice God) of the Cho Ro people in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Mr. Dang Thanh Hieu, Head of the Ethnic Minority Department of Long Khanh City, said: Implementing Project 6 "Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development" under the National Target Program 1719, from the beginning of 2024 to present, Long Khanh City, Dong Nai Province has opened 4 gong classes for the Cho Ro ethnic group in the communes of Bao Quang, Hang Gon, Bau Tram and Bao Vinh ward, with a total of 80 students attending the class.
The city has provided funding to support teachers and students, and to purchase costumes with a total amount of nearly 300 million VND. The purpose is to help people maintain and preserve the cultural values of their ethnic gong and teach young people to understand ethnic culture.
According to Ethnic and Development Newspaper
Source: https://baophutho.vn/bao-ton-lan-toa-van-hoa-cho-ro-220974.htm
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