08/09/2023 13:02
To contribute to preserving and promoting traditional musical instruments, the Xo Dang people in Dak To town (Dak To district) actively research, manufacture and preserve traditional musical instruments; at the same time, pass on their ethnic culture to the younger generation.
On a rainy afternoon, we went to Mr. A Tui’s house (in block 5, Dak To town) and saw him passionately playing the ting ning and singing along with the song, sometimes low, sometimes high. The sound of Mr. A Tui’s ting ning brought us many emotions, as if we were living in the space of a festival.
Seeing us approaching, Mr. A Tui stopped playing and happily introduced the traditional musical instruments that he had made. While showing them to us, he told us that since childhood, he had been passionate about the sounds of the instruments, the traditional musical instruments of the Xo Dang people. His childlike soul always flew to the melodious tunes of the instruments during the festival season. He was fortunate to be taught by the artisans in the village in the past, so at the age of 15, he had mastered the making of the ting ning and t'rung.
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“To make a beautiful instrument with standard sound is not simple. In the past, it took the elderly several months to make a t'rung instrument. Bamboo and rattan cut from the old forest had to be boiled and dried on the kitchen rack for 3-4 years before they could be used to make the instrument. Now, those steps are simpler, to make a t'rung or k'long put instrument, it only takes 2-3 weeks to complete,” said Mr. A Tui.
In block 3, Mr. A Bang also plays and makes traditional musical instruments that are famous throughout the region. While meticulously whittling bamboo sticks, Mr. A Bang shared: The artisan must always be meticulous about every detail of each musical instrument made, especially the stage of choosing bamboo and rattan materials. Each time he goes to cut bamboo and rattan, he travels nearly dozens of kilometers. The bamboo must be straight, 3 years old or older, the trunk is not wormy, not cracked, not too young, not too old. To make a lithophone, one must walk along streams to choose a stone with good resonance, then carve, chisel and grind it to achieve the most standard sound.
According to Mr. A Bang, when making a musical instrument, the bamboo tube must not be too old because it will be heavy, and if it is too young, the sound will be distorted. Especially, for the ting ning, the gourd must be a traditional gourd grown at home to have the right size and age and be allowed to dry naturally.
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Also in Block 3 (Dak To town), Mr. A Huyen is famous for being a young person who plays musical instruments well and creates many unique traditional musical instruments. During his childhood, Mr. Huyen listened to the elderly playing traditional musical instruments and became passionate without realizing it. The melodies of gongs, t'rung, and k'long put in festivals fascinated him. From that passion, Mr. Huyen majored in t'rung at the Military University of Culture and Arts (Hanoi). After graduating from university, Mr. Huyen chose to return to his hometown to pursue his passion for playing and creating musical instruments, with the desire to preserve and promote traditional cultural values.
“In 2014, I researched and successfully crafted a national t'rung. At that time, it was very difficult, it took me many months to find materials, then adjust the sound to get the most accurate. Besides, I also sought out musical instrument artisans in the district to learn, from there accumulating experience to complete my t'rung in more than 2 months" - Mr. A Huyen said.
Currently, Mr. A Huyen has successfully crafted a number of musical instruments such as the t'rung, lithophone, and k'long put. Every year, he makes dozens of musical instruments to sell to enthusiasts, museums, and events that need traditional musical instruments. Since the beginning of the year, he has crafted more than 10 t'rungs (traditional t'rungs and modern t'rungs). In addition, he also brings the musical instruments he made himself to perform at programs and competitions across the country.
To preserve traditional musical instruments and prevent them from being lost over time, Mr. A Huyen and Mr. A Bang have actively taught them to their children and grandchildren. Lessons on traditional musical instruments can take place in a cramped kitchen, in the hallway or on the porch, but this is where the love for traditional musical instruments is instilled in each child, with the hope that traditional culture will continue to be preserved and promoted.
Dinh Nhat Nam (in block 3, Dak To town) proudly said: “Thanks to Mr. A Bang and Mr. A Huyen's guidance, I have learned some basic skills of the t'rung and lithophone. At first, it was really difficult to use this instrument, but if I have passion and love, I think I can do it, thereby contributing to preserving the beautiful culture of the Xo Dang people.”
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