Preserving and passing on folk art to the young generation of Co Ho

According to the survey data of 53 ethnic minorities published in 2019, the Co Ho ethnic group has 200,800 people, residing mainly in the provinces of Lam Dong, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Dak Lak and Dong Nai. The Co Ho ethnic group has a very rich and unique folk performing arts heritage, mainly passed down orally and practiced in the community from generation to generation.

An artisan teaches students how to play the gong of the Co Ho ethnic group in Dong Giang commune, Ham Thuan Bac district, Binh Thuan.

Heritage source

Folk songs, folk dances, and folk music of the Co Ho people are unique forms of folk performing arts, indispensable spiritual food in religious life and daily activities, associated with rituals, festivals, community activities, clans, families... such as Buffalo stabbing festival, New Rice Festival, ancestor worship ceremony, during Tet or weddings, engagements, in production work on the fields... The Co Ho people consider folk performing arts as a means, a bridge between people and people, between people and gods, creating a relationship that connects the community and is constantly created and nurtured through each generation to create a unique cultural identity.

According to the stories of the Co Ho ethnic artisans in Dong Giang and La Da communes, Ham Thuan Bac district, Binh Thuan province, in the new rice offering ceremony of the ethnic group, there is a song called "Cung lua moi" with a slow rhythm, carrying spiritual elements. When the rituals end, the Co Ho people often perform folk dance movements to thank the gods. In community activities, family and clan celebrations during Tet, weddings, engagements and production work, they sing the tunes "To tinh", "O me loi", "Doi dap"... to instruct, teach, and advise their children to do good things; talk about the difficult life in the past and other daily issues.

In the past, the musical instruments of the Co Ho people were very rich, but now only gongs, cymbals, Sagor drums, trumpets, and rattles remain. These instruments are often performed with melodies in family and clan ceremonies and festivals and happy days of the community.

In particular, gong musical instruments accompany the Co Ho people throughout their entire life - from the moment they cry at birth, until they close their eyes and return to the Gods. In agricultural rituals, gongs resonate, in sad and happy events, in community activities of the people, gongs are always present. “The sounds of small gongs, big gongs, baby gongs, mother gongs blend together like rain and wind, sometimes as light as flowing water, sometimes as calm as the afternoon breeze, sometimes as rumbling waterfalls, like the thunder of August, like the rain of October. Played loudly, the sound of gongs penetrates deep forests, creeps up high mountains; played slowly, the sound of gongs creeps up to grasslands, wild animals forget to eat, forget to drink, raise their heads to listen to the sound of gongs”.

In Lam Ha district, Lam Dong province, the Co Ho people play gongs with a set of 6 gongs, M'puot flutes, and Ching Yu (double gong fighting). During the festival, when the wine has soaked into each person, it is also the time for the boys to test their gong-playing skills to win the hearts of the girls. Ching Yu is a form of gong fighting of the Co Ho people as an elegant game. In this game, the boys will use their gong-playing skills to force the opponent to not be able to play the gong, drown out the sound of the opponent's gong, make the opponent lose rhythm, and win. The prize for the winner is a jar of wine, the eyes and sweet smiles of the girls.

Young people are the next generation to preserve and promote the cultural values ​​of the Co Ho ethnic group.

Pass it on to the next generation

In the flow of modern life, the Co Ho people today still preserve their traditional folk songs, dances, and music, but the number of people who know how to sing, dance, and use traditional musical instruments is decreasing, especially among the younger generation, very few people know how to perform. Some older artisans who are passionate and dedicated to ethnic culture have tried to preserve, conserve, and find ways to pass on their ancestors' cultural heritage to the younger generation. Especially when Project 6 of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021-2030, Phase I: 2021-2025 has brought a "new wind" for artisans to have the conditions to preserve, teach, and promote cultural heritage through practical work.

For example, in Binh Thuan province, in November 2023, Binh Thuan Provincial Museum coordinated with the People's Committee of Dong Giang commune, Ham Thuan Bac district, to organize a class to teach folk performing arts (folk songs, folk dances, folk music) of the Co Ho people to 20 students. During 10 days, the artisans instructed and taught the techniques of singing folk songs, folk dances and playing traditional musical instruments such as trumpets, rattles, gongs, drums, etc. to the younger generation. The artisans K'Van Phiep, Huynh Van Dep, K"Van Bun, K" Thi Hau (Dong Giang commune) were invited to teach the class and were all very enthusiastic about teaching. They were very happy and believed that from now on, the unique cultural features of the ethnic group will be passed down in the community, no longer afraid of being lost or forgotten.

"Children gong team" in the stilt house of Meritorious Artisan K'Bes' family, Lam Ha district, Lam Dong

Or in Lam Dong, the preservation and promotion of the value of folk performing arts of the Co Ho ethnic group has also received special attention from the locality. Since August 2023, the Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong province has presided over and coordinated with the People's Committee of Lam Ha district, the Department of Culture - Information of the district and Tan Van commune to deploy a gong teaching class for 2 "child" gong teams of the Co Ho ethnic group (Co Ho Sre group). 2 Distinguished Artists K'Chung and K'Bes, along with artist K'Ken, are responsible for teaching basic gong lessons to 14 members of the male and female gong teams.

According to Meritorious Artisan K'Bes, up to now, the artisans have taught the male "Young Gong Team" 2 basic gong pieces. The female "Young Gong Team" has taught 4 pieces. Although he has taught gong to many different classes and subjects, these are the 2 gong teams that he likes and is most satisfied with.

In addition to teaching the folk songs and dances of the Co Ho people to the young generation, Lam Dong province has also paid attention to and created conditions for the establishment of Co Ho folk song and dance clubs to create a cultural and artistic playground for the people, preserving traditional culture associated with the cultural identity of the Co Ho people associated with tourism development. For example, the establishment of the Co Ho folk song and dance club in Dong Do village, Tan Nghia commune, Di Linh district, Lam Dong province with 35 dedicated members. The club has been popularized and promoted by experts, researchers and artisans on the content of building a grassroots cultural life to effectively implement Project 6 on "Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development"; Practicing performance skills, choreography, staging some folk songs and dances typical of the Co Ho ethnic group... Thereby, raising awareness and responsibility of the people and community in building a healthy, progressive and civilized cultural environment. Promoting the role of cultural subjects and artisans in preserving and promoting national cultural values ​​associated with tourism development.

It can be affirmed that preserving and promoting the value of folk performing arts of the Co Ho ethnic group will enrich local culture, enhance the ability to practice traditional culture of the ethnic community, and contribute to promoting and introducing the land and people where the Co Ho people live to friends and tourists.

Ngoc Anh (Ethnicity and Development Newspaper)

Source: https://baophutho.vn/gin-giu-trao-truyen-nghe-thuat-dan-gian-cho-the-he-tre-co-ho-218236.htm