A family "preserving" the Mong flute

(Baonghean)In the recent "Learning the Law" contest for ethnic minorities in Nghe An province, everyone was impressed by the skillful performance of the Khen dance by three Mong ethnic children who are all brothers in the same family: Va Ba Chu (15 years old), Va Y Kho (12 years old), and Va Po Chua (11 years old) in Huoi Co village, Nhon Mai commune, Tuong Duong district.

Their father is Mr. Va Ba Dua - who has long been famous as the keeper of the Mong flute melody, won the A prize at the Nghe An Ethnic Minority Arts Festival in Quy Hop district in 2010 and many other awards at the commune, district, cluster levels...



Anh and Ba Dua fixed their daughter's hat before performing.

What is special is that in those performances, Mr. Dua did not stand on stage alone, but always played and danced the traditional panpipe with his wife and children. But this time, he only brought his children along, and let his three children perform on stage, while he "retreats" to the audience seats, to silently encourage and cheer. Seeing his children perform confidently and skillfully, he could not help but be happy, because their efforts and attempts had finally paid off.

Anh Va Ba Dua is continuing the work of his father, his ancestors, and the Mong people of the previous generations. He was born in 1971, passionate about the khene since the day he heard his grandfather, the village elder Va Tong Su, playing the khene and telling stories; since the day he followed his father down the mountain to attend the festival. Then when he grew up, at the age of 13, he started learning to play the khene from his talented father, learned from the elders in the village, and found more teachers and friends to make his khene sound more clear, more melodious, more profound. In turn, he sought to pass it on to the next generation, first of all his wife and children, not to mention his sons and daughters...

Chau Va Y Kho, who was traveling from the most remote and isolated village of a mountainous district to the city to perform for the first time, shyly shared: “At first, my father forced me to learn, but I didn’t like it at all. I didn’t want to learn because it was too difficult. But once I learned and knew, I really enjoyed it.”

Having someone who knows how to dance and play the Khen in the right rhythm and tempo, the soul of the Hmong Khen, is extremely precious. That person also has the awareness, responsibility and ability to teach it to others, which is even more precious. Hopefully, there will be more people like Mr. Va Ba Dua's family, so that in the future, the Hmong Khen will not be forgotten or disappear!

Lake Lai