The "kids" gong team in Tnung village

The young Ba Na artists in Tnung - Mang village (Ya Ma commune, Kong Chro district, Gia Lai) with their creative, pure and cheerful gong playing style have brought a new and exciting vitality to the Central Highlands gongs. This is also a testament to the pride in the national cultural identity of the owners of the heritage "Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space" with the strong inheritance and creativity of the Ba Na people in Kong Chro.

Kong Chro district's "kid" gong team participates in Gia Lai province's Ethnic Culture Festival in 2024

Young generation passionate about gong

Since kindergarten, Dinh Thi Le (born in 2010) could hum along to the rhythms of traditional musical instruments that adults in the village often played. Thanks to her talent and perseverance in practicing, she was soon able to perform many songs on these two instruments. At the age of 12, Le was selected by the commune to join the "young" gong team, regularly participating in competitions organized by all levels and sectors. Thanks to that, Le's experience and technique in playing traditional musical instruments have been increasingly improved.

The "young" gong team of Tnung - Mang village enthusiastically practices

In particular, being given specific instructions on how to play each type of music by her father, who is also a gong tuner in Tnung - Mang village, fueling her passion, Le became even more confident. She excitedly shared: “The stone instrument and the T'rung are two musical instruments with their own playing methods and techniques. Therefore, when approaching to learn two musical instruments at the same time, I found it difficult. However, because I often followed along to observe and listen to the songs performed by the artisans and after a period of practice, I was able to play many songs from these instruments. I dream of becoming an artisan who creates and performs traditional musical instruments so that I can later instruct the children in the village.”

In the young gong team of Tnung - Mang village, there is also Dinh Tuy (14 years old). With his smooth and pure gong playing, he was honored to join the gong team of Ya Ma commune to perform at the program "Weekend Gong - Enjoy and Experience" and the brocade fashion art program "Gia Lai oi" at Dai Doan Ket Square (Pleiku City). These are Tuy's two most meaningful and memorable trips.

Dinh Tuy (left) practices playing gongs with other children in the village.

“I learned to play gongs when I was 10 years old. Up to now, I have been able to perform some basic gong pieces and also play bamboo gongs proficiently. Since learning gongs, I have participated in many programs in the district. Especially the two most recent trips to Pleiku City made me feel proud to wear the traditional costumes of my people. I tried to perform the best gong pieces for everyone to enjoy and received a lot of applause from everyone,” Tuy excitedly shared.

During festivals and village festivals, the “young” gong troupe received positive responses from the villagers and were given special performance positions. During the performances, the children were very active and enthusiastic in performing gongs and drums; performing traditional musical instruments with clear, innocent, smooth, and resonant sounds.

Extending the cultural source

In 2009, the “young” gong team in Tnung - Mang village was established, with 40 members, including 30 members of the gong team and 10 members of the xoang dance team. As a gong tuner and instrument maker in Tnung - Mang village, artisan Dinh Hlich spends his time opening classes to teach the children in the village.

To serve this work, from the money he saved, a few months ago, he bought a set of 16 gongs worth 35 million VND. The "young" gong team also became more and more passionate about playing gongs and became better and more numerous. Up to now, many "young" artists have grown up, the "young" gong team still attracts young generations to continue practicing, maintaining with 40 members.

“Seeing the children in the village passionate about playing gongs, our traditional musical instruments, makes me very happy. I am willing to guide and teach them how to play them properly and beautifully so that they can continue and not let the traditional culture fade away, so that the gong sounds of the Ba Na people will echo forever,” artisan Dinh Hlich shared.

Artisan Dinh Hlich teaches how to play musical instruments to the young gong troupe of Tnung - Mang village.

Thanks to their passion and diligence in practicing gongs, the "young" gong team of Tnung - Mang village, together with the artisans of the commune, participated in the 2nd Provincial Gong Festival for Youth - Children - 2015, winning the first prize for the whole group in the categories of folk singing, gong performance, and t'rung ensemble.

Recently, at the 5th Gong Festival, Folk Songs for Children and Traditional Exhibition of the Ba Na People, Kong Chro District - 2023, the "young" gong team of Ya Ma commune also won the first prize for the whole group. Among them, there was a contribution from the "young" gong team of Tnung - Mang village.

In order to create opportunities and nurture the passion and efforts of young artists, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ho, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ya Ma Commune, said: After its establishment, the "young" gong team was regularly taught by artists and sent to participate in competitions and festivals. Thanks to that, the children's skills in performing musical instruments have improved and achieved good results in competitions.

"Ya Ma Commune regularly organizes cultural, artistic and sports exchanges to preserve traditional culture for artisans; as well as the Tnung - Mang "young" gong team to exchange and perform. From this program, we select outstanding young people to join the local gong team to compete and perform at events organized by all levels," Ms. Ngoc Ho added.

Ngoc Thu (Ethnicity and Development Newspaper)

Source: https://baophutho.vn/doi-chieng-nhi-o-lang-tnung-mang-219086.htm