(GLO)- During a recent business trip to Lo Pang commune (Mang Yang district, Gia Lai province), I had the opportunity to experience the unique culture of the Tay and Nung communities through the Then melodies and tunes performed by the local people.
Po Nang village has over 300 households with over 1,200 people, with 7 ethnic groups living together. Of which, the Tay and Nung people account for over 25% of the population. The Tay and Nung communities have been present in Po Nang village since around 2000, mainly coming from Cao Bang, Lang Son, and Bac Kan provinces.
Mr. Hoang Van Soan (born in 1969) shared: In 1990, he left his hometown Ba Be (Bac Kan) to start a business in Dak Lak. In 2005, he settled in Po Nang village. In the first days of setting foot on the new land, the Tinh lute helped him ease his homesickness.
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Then troupe of Po Nang village performs at the 2nd Provincial Ethnic Culture Festival 2023. Photo: L.D |
“For the Tay and Nung communities, Tinh lute and Then singing are indispensable spiritual food, the soul of cultural life. Because Then singing is not only a spring song praying for peace and luck, but also closely associated with religious activities,” said Mr. Soan. In order to not lose the unique cultural features of his people, in early 2020, Mr. Soan established the Po Nang village Then singing team with 7 members. Currently, the team has 32 members, operating on a self-managed, voluntary basis.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ben - the oldest member of the team - said: According to the Tay people's concept, then means "heaven". Then singing is a type of folk religious music performance, with content that recounts the journey of people to heaven to pray for good luck and a good life. Tay people's Then singing reflects stories from life, villages, to love, funerals, weddings... On the occasion of important events of the Tay people such as: praying for crops, praying for peace, and coming to power... people use the Tinh lute to speak their mind and express their feelings. When practicing the ritual, Then singers cannot lack instruments such as: Tinh lute, musical cymbals, fans, yin and yang cards, and swords.
The Tinh lute is a musical instrument imbued with national identity, a bridge between people and the spiritual world. Then singing originates from working life, so it is imbued with long-standing cultural values, with profound humanity. Besides, Then singing not only solves the problem of beliefs but also teaches people, praises good things, criticizes bad habits, expresses love between men and women or praises love for nature, country...
Ms. Mong Thi Tam - the youngest member of the team - shared: "Then singing was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2019. Therefore, I joined the team with the desire to learn Then lyrics and melodies to contribute to preserving and promoting the good traditional cultural values of the nation."
Not only exchanging and participating in internal activities, the Then team of Po Nang village also participates in local cultural and artistic events. Recently, the team also performed at the 2nd Gia Lai Province Ethnic Culture Festival - 2023. This is also a way for the Tay and Nung communities to bring the cultural and artistic features of their ethnic groups to friends near and far and enrich the cultural life of their second homeland.
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