Anchoring the sounds

(Baonghean) - Passing the winding road running along the fields that had just finished harvesting, I visited him - the artisan Quan Vi Cau in the midday sun of the changing seasons. Following the sound of the flute, I came to the house nestled beside the Nam Ang River...

I knew and admired his talent in using traditional musical instruments, especially bamboo flutes, about 20 years ago. At that time, my "youngest brother" was me, along with him and other artists in Quy Hop such as Sam Quang Ly, Truong Thanh Hai, Pham Hung Thanh, participating in the Sen Village Singing Festival and the Cua Lo River Festival in 1996 and then many other provincial-level performances... Now, after a moment of chatting that seemed to touch a hidden vein of reminiscence, he told me about the fate that for nearly 50 years he has always had a heavy heart for the sounds of traditional musical instruments...

Artist Quan Vi Cau.

Born and raised in Ang village, Chau Quang commune (Quy Hop) - the cradle of Thai ethnic culture in the ancient Khun Tinh region; from a young age, the boy Quan Vi Cau had an innate talent and a strong passion for the rich folk music of his ancestors. When he followed his parents to attend the happy days of the village, his eyes were always fixed on musical instruments such as pi and flute; he followed behind people who were talented in playing leaf trumpets and mouth trumpets. When he grew up a little, when he knew how to herd buffaloes to help his family, his path to and from herding buffaloes was always longer than that of the children in the village, because he intentionally herded buffaloes around the house of Mr. Hun Vi Luyen to listen to the flute of this extremely talented artist. Fascinated by those enchanting sounds, countless times, he insisted on his parents learning to play the flute and trumpet. Loving their child, his parents indulged him, but on the condition that they both study. With the initiation ceremony of a bunch of green tea cut from his home garden, the boy Quan Vi Cau began to "seek a master to learn the way", the master he sought was none other than Mr. Hun Vi Luyen.

In 1975, Quan Vi Cau joined the army, not forgetting to bring his flute. Along the march, the flute, the flute, the leaf trumpet, and the mouth trumpet of the son from Muong Khun Tinh during the stops greatly encouraged his comrades. Recognizing his talent, the unit nominated the young soldier to undertake tasks in the Propaganda Department, the Political Department, and the Division's Performing Arts Team. In the military environment, his cultural and artistic talents were developed with 2 years of studying music theory and the clarinet. Notably, during this time, Quan Vi Cau met and learned more flute playing skills from the famous bamboo flute artist from the same hometown, artist Dinh Thin. His talent gradually matured, the flute, the trumpet, and especially the bamboo flute of Quan Vi Cau resonated in many performances serving officers, soldiers, and all-army festivals.

In 1984, leaving the army and returning to his village, Quan Vi Cau has been involved in the local mass arts movement since then. He has been a member of the Chau Quang commune team participating in district-level competitions, and has also joined the Quy Hop district Mass Arts Team to participate in provincial competitions. Recently, at the 3rd Nghe An Province Ethnic Minority Arts Festival held in Vinh City, artist Quan Vi Cau contributed his flute to most of the performances. In particular, in the performance Lullaby (a folk song of the Tho ethnic group), artist Quan Vi Cau's flute contributed to the success, conquering the audience and the judges to bring the Quy Hop troupe first prize.

Every afternoon, his flute sounds again, stirring the space of Ang village. And, perhaps, there are few people like him who lull their grandchildren to sleep with the sound of a flute. The conversation between him and me revolved around flutes, pis, and trumpets. It seemed that when talking about traditional folk music, he devoted himself as if to pass on the fire. Even the matter of blowing a leaf flute in the right tune seemed not simple, many types of leaves such as cassava leaves, longan leaves, lychee leaves... can all be used to make leaf flutes. But to make the flute sound in the right tone, with a clear melody, it must be made from cardamom leaves. Both are pis, but pi nhuon has a longer body than pi xuoi. Each type of flute has its own tone, so you have to know how to use it appropriately. For example, to accompany poetry recitation, it must be a low-pitched flute, usually a flat si flute; to accompany revolutionary songs and youth music, it is usually a C major flute... To accompany xuoi and nhuon, you also have to choose the appropriate flute depending on the singer's tone of voice.

With a heavy heart for preserving the sounds, artisan Quan Vi Cau is always concerned because nowadays the young generation is busy following the electronic music trend and is indifferent to traditional musical instruments. The whole Chau Quang commune is so large, but there are not many people who know how to play the leaf trumpet, the mouth organ; those who know how to play the pi and flute can be counted on the fingers. He wishes to open a class to teach traditional musical instruments to pass on the experience and skills accumulated over many years to the young generation. Only then can the rich folk music of our ancestors be less worried about being lost.

Article and photos:Cao Duy Thai