Preserving Cham dance music

Thanks to the connection between Gagaku and Cham dance music, the "soul" of Cham music is reflected in the quintessence of Japanese court music, reviving traditional Japanese music in the hearts of the Japanese people.

In Vietnam, Cham ethnic culture exists naturally, together with other ethnic groups, creating a unified, diverse, and co-developing Vietnamese culture.

The cultural value of Cham ethnic dance music is not only the pride of the Vietnamese people but also has a deep connection with Japanese Gagaku (elegant music). The presentation and performance of traditional Cham dance music organized by the Embassy of Japan on October 11 showed the uniqueness of Japanese elegant music inspired by Cham music and dance.

The presentation and performance of traditional Cham ethnic music and dance at the Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, on October 11, attracted many attendees.

Unique features of Cham ethnic dance music

According to Mr. Le Xuan Loi, Master of Ethnology, Director of the Cham Cultural Research Center: “When a nation still has people, its culture also exists. Therefore, the culture of ethnic groups in general and Cham culture in particular will exist forever. In Vietnam, Cham culture exists naturally and together with the cultures of other ethnic groups, it creates a unified, diverse, and co-developing Vietnamese culture. Cham music and dance also live forever in festivals, according to the customs, habits, and folk beliefs of the Cham people today.”

In the history of the nation, Cham music and dance appeared and developed brilliantly under the hands of the Cham people. The folk music and dance melodies are closely associated with the lives of the working people, so they have a strong folk form, reaching a high level of art thanks to the professionalism in the use of musical instruments and the style of organization and performance.

According to the Cham people, music has the ability to connect people with the spirit world, creating a spiritual bond and communicating with supernatural entities. Music is a sacred “language”, a way to express and convey emotions, ideas and religious meanings, and to attract attention and bestow blessings from the gods. In Cham religious ceremonies and festivals, music plays an important role. The melodies and songs performed in ceremonies can have religious meanings, evoking reverence and connection with the gods. Music is also used in prayer ceremonies, offerings and other religious activities.

Champa dance next to Cham tower. (Source: My Son World Cultural Heritage Information Page)

The Saranai trumpet, Baranăng drum and Ginăng drum are the “core” that creates the unique sound of Cham traditional music. The Cham people compare these three musical instruments to parts of the human body.

According to Dr. Shine Toshihiko, Cultural Attaché, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, from inheriting the quintessence of traditional Indian music, Cham dance music not only has extremely important historical and cultural values ​​but also spreads to many music styles of neighboring countries, including Japanese court music.

Preserving the "soul" of Cham dance music, reviving the sound of Japanese classical music

Japan has an invaluable treasure trove of art and culture, including a unique form of traditional music called Gagaku. Gagaku is said to have originated from Champa (Lâm Ấp) dance music, developed with the contribution of a Vietnamese musician.

The messenger who transmitted Lam Ap music and dance is said to be the monk Phat Triet (Buttetsu), a Vietnamese of Cham origin. Since childhood, monk Phat Triet studied Buddhism, so Lam Ap music bears the strong imprint of Buddhism and Hinduism of the Cham people in the composition of court music and Japanese temples and pagodas.

The Kangen Orchestra - a form of Gagaku, plays the world's oldest orchestral music. (Source: Wappuri - Colorful Japanese information site)

Both the Cham ethnic musical instruments in Vietnam and the musical instruments used in Nha Nhac in general and Lam Ap music in particular in Japan have similarities and origins from Northern India, Persia and Central Asia.

“The trumpet music in Cham music is very similar to the trumpet music of Hue royal court. The instruments used in Gagaku royal music include the zither, which in Hue royal court music has been transformed into a hand-beating drum, similar to Cham music. The music of the Central region is similar to Cham music. The Buddhist music of the Vietnamese and Japanese people have similarities,” said journalist Luong Hoang after the presentation and performance of traditional Cham ethnic dance music. In addition, he also hopes to have the opportunity to exchange between the three types of Vietnamese, Cham and Japanese music.

Mr. Uchikawa Shinya, representative of the NPO Manabiya Tsubasa International Volunteer Cooperation Organization, the preservation and development of Japanese culture and folk music faces many challenges due to political and social factors. Although traditional cultural values ​​are the quintessence of the nation, Japan is not a multi-ethnic country. Therefore, the promotion of unique cultures, including ceremonial music at the local level, has been lost. This is sad. Therefore, Japan encourages Vietnam to take this as a lesson to seriously consider the preservation and conservation of ethnic culture, an urgent factor for a country.

Artists Dat Quang Phieu (Kaphieu) and Dang Hong Chiem Nu (Suka) of the Kawom Khik Nam Krung Dance Orchestra performed during the explanation and performance of traditional Cham ethnic music and dance at the Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam.

Mr. Uchikawa Shinya, representative of the NPO Manabiya Tsubasa International Volunteer Cooperation Organization, shared, “We want to promote and develop ethnic minority cultures in Vietnam. This is partly a lesson from Japan. We have made some mistakes in the process of protecting and developing the culture of the Ainu people. Or, like the Okinawa region (Uchinā), the residents are Japanese (Yamato) but have a different government from Japan in the past. We have not been very successful in protecting and developing Okinawan culture. Therefore, Vietnam should learn from Japan's experience to promote the promotion of ethnic culture.”

It can be seen that, thanks to the connection between Gagaku and Cham dance music, the "soul" of Cham music is reflected in the quintessence of Japanese court music. This revives traditional Japanese music in the hearts of the Japanese people, helps promote the development of the unique national music of the Land of the Rising Sun, and at the same time opens up opportunities for Cham ethnic music to be widely known to the international public.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bao-ton-nhac-mua-cham-bai-hoc-kinh-nghiem-tu-nhat-ban-248802.html