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A man in the highlands of Nghe An makes many types of traditional musical instruments himself.

Dinh Tuan • August 8, 2024 11:21

Mr. Kha Van Hung (born in 1964), in Quang Phuc village, Tam Dinh commune, Tuong Duong district, is famous for his passion for traditional musical instruments, always preserving, conserving and promoting the cultural values of his people. Not only that, he also makes many musical instruments himself, even though he has never attended any school.

Mr. Kha Van Hung's house is in Quang Phuc village, Tam Dinh commune. Before we could step into the house, we heard the clear, melodious sound of the two-stringed fiddle, as if inviting guests from the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, a fire was burning to cook sticky rice, and Mr. Hung was gently and skillfully playing his fingers on the two-stringed fiddle he had made himself. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Talking about his passion for learning to play musical instruments, Mr. Hung said: “At that time, I was so passionate about music that whenever I heard the sound of a musical instrument or flute somewhere, I forgot everything and went to learn. Thanks to that, at the age of 15-16, I already knew how to use many musical instruments such as flutes, panpipes, two-stringed fiddles, tung tinh, xixo, guitar... At that time, my family was very poor, we didn't have money to buy musical instruments, I had to find out and learn how to make them myself. Every time I saw adults in the village go into the forest to whittle bamboo, reed... to make musical instruments, I asked to follow, watch and imitate, gradually becoming familiar with the craft. In the photo: Mr. Hung is making two-string fiddles. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Since then, Mr. Hung has also become an excellent, sophisticated and unique musical instrument maker, especially the sounds emitted from the musical instruments he makes are very standard. Photo: Dinh Tuan

“I can make many traditional musical instruments of the Thai ethnic group, such as flutes, guitars, electric guitars... But I still find making the two-stringed fiddle the most elaborate and complicated. Because if it is not done properly, the sound produced when you play it will not be good. I use cassava wood to make the bow, the string shaft, and the two-string neck. The most difficult step in making the two-stringed fiddle is making the two-stringed fiddle tube. This is a resonance chamber that amplifies the sound of the instrument. I make the two-stringed fiddle tube from a plastic water pipe. I cover one end of the two-stringed fiddle tube with snake or toad skin,” Mr. Hung shared. In the photo: The two-stringed fiddle that Mr. Hung made himself. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Because he has done it many times, in the process of making some musical instruments from bamboo, Mr. Hung only uses his hands or a string to measure the hole position and the length and shortness of the bamboo tube without needing a ruler. The bamboo tube he chooses to make flutes is usually not too old because it will be heavy, while young bamboo will distort the sound... Having gotten used to it, he makes musical instruments very quickly. In the photo: Mr. Hung is making an electric guitar. Photo: Dinh Tuan

For Mr. Hung, the passion for playing music and making musical instruments is in his blood, whenever he has free time, he makes and plays music. In the photo: He introduces his collection of musical instruments he made himself. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Talking about preserving his traditional music, Mr. Hung always worries: "My biggest wish is for the young generation in the village to continue the tradition of their ancestors to preserve the cultural identity of their people. Currently, the youth in the village still do not have a real passion for traditional musical instruments of the nation. If there are people who want to learn, I am willing to teach them." It is known that with his passion for music, Mr. Hung founded a musical instrument team in the village, with himself as the team leader. The team was founded by him with the aim of spreading the unique traditional cultural features of the nation. Photo: Dinh Tuan

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A man in the highlands of Nghe An makes many types of traditional musical instruments himself.

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