07:16, 11/21/2023
Having been passionate about traditional Ede musical instruments since childhood, whenever there was a festival in Drah 2 village (Cu Ne commune, Krong Buk district), Mr. Y Moi Mlo (born in 1952) was always present, enthusiastically watching the gongs and musical instruments being played.
The sound of gongs and nights of flickering firelight next to a jar of rice wine listening to the village elders tell epic stories seeped into his blood and flesh, following Mr. Y Moi growing up day by day.
Artisan Y Moi shared: “Back then, in my free time, I often went to the houses of artisans and village elders to learn how to play gongs and musical instruments such as ding nam and ding tak ta. I listened to them so much that I remembered the melodies and then practiced at home. Gradually, I learned all the gong songs of the Ede people and knew how to use most of the musical instruments.”
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| Artisan Y Moi Mlo in Cu Ne commune (Krong Buk district) skillfully plays many Ede ethnic musical instruments. |
He also spent a lot of time researching musical instruments to make them, and then became a local master craftsman of ching kram. He could create precise, emotional sounds for each ching kram made of bamboo. Many people who knew of his talent came to his house to ask him to adjust the gong and order musical instruments. Thanks to that, Mr. Y Moi was busy and passionate about making them again.
According to artisan Y Moi, ching kram is a unique musical product that only the Ede ethnic group has. The ching kram set is arranged in odd numbers, usually 5, 7 or 9 pieces. When all of them sound together, they create a choir. To make ching kram, the artisan must go into the forest to choose old bamboo trees. The bamboo is split into pieces and then dried for about 2 months. Each ching kram has a different tone and melody, so the artisan must be a person who knows how to feel music and has skillful hands to detect the mixing and deviation of sounds. When the ching kram set is completed, it needs to be left for about 5 months for the sound of the bamboo to change. At that time, the artisan adjusts the sound of the ching kram by shortening the tube or trimming the mouth of the bamboo tube.
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| Artisan Y Moi Mlo (right) received many Certificates of Merit from various levels and sectors for his work in preserving traditional culture. |
In recent years, the village has become more and more beautiful, the people's lives have been significantly improved, but the joy is not complete because the youth do not love and are not passionate about traditional culture like Mr. Y Moi's generation at that time. Worried about the loss of traditional cultural values of his ancestors, artisan Y Moi strives to pass on the way of playing gongs and the technique of making musical instruments to the younger generation with all his heart and passion.
The joy of artisan Y Moi doubled when, for many years now, the Department of Culture and Information of Krong Buk district has invited him to teach gong playing to local students. If any student does not understand, plays the gong out of rhythm or lacks soul, he patiently explains, holds each student's hand to teach them how to play the gong correctly, until they are in tune. Thanks to the dedicated teaching of artisan Y Moi, many ethnic minority youths in the commune have learned to play the gong and love the sound of the gong....
Nhu Quynh
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