• Nghe An Newspaper:
  • Nghe An Television:
Society

A man from the highlands of Nghe An province crafts many types of traditional musical instruments himself.

Dinh Tuan • August 8, 2024 11:21

Mr. Kha Van Hung (born in 1964), residing in Quang Phuc village, Tam Dinh commune, Tuong Duong district, is renowned for his passion for traditional musical instruments, always preserving, conserving, and promoting the cultural values ​​of his people. Furthermore, he has independently crafted many types of musical instruments despite never having received any formal training.

bna_1.jpg
Mr. Kha Van Hung's house is located in Quang Phuc village, Tam Dinh commune. Before we even stepped inside, we heard the clear, melodious sound of a two-stringed fiddle (nhị) coming from the kitchen, inviting us in. Inside, a fire blazed as sticky rice was being steamed, and Mr. Hung was skillfully gliding his fingers across the fiddle he had made himself. Photo: Dinh Tuan
bna_2.jpg
Speaking about his passion for learning musical instruments, Mr. Hung said: “Back then, I was so passionate about music that whenever I heard the sound of a stringed instrument or flute, I would forget everything else and go to learn. Thanks to that, by the age of 15-16, I already knew how to play many instruments such as the flute, mouth organ, two-stringed fiddle, cymbals, cymbals, guitar… My family was very poor then, we didn’t have money to buy instruments, so I had to learn how to make them myself. Whenever I saw adults in the village going into the forest to whittle bamboo and reeds to make musical instruments, I would ask to go along, watch and imitate, gradually becoming skilled and proficient.” (In the photo: Mr. Hung making strings for a two-stringed fiddle. Photo: Dinh Tuan)
bna_3.jpg
From then on, Mr. Hung also became an excellent, sophisticated, and unique musical instrument maker, and the sound produced by his instruments was exceptionally accurate. Photo: Dinh Tuan
bna_5.jpg
“I can make quite a few traditional musical instruments of the Thai ethnic group, as well as flutes, guitars, electric guitars... But I still find making the two-stringed fiddle (nhị) the most elaborate and complex. Because, if it's not made correctly, the sound produced when you play it won't be good. I use cassava wood for the bow, string shaft, and neck. The most difficult step in making the two-stringed fiddle is making the sound chamber. This is a resonant chamber that amplifies the sound of the instrument. I make the sound chamber from plastic water pipes. I seal one end of the sound chamber with snakeskin or toadskin,” Mr. Hung shared. In the photo: A two-stringed fiddle made by Mr. Hung himself. Photo: Dinh Tuan
bna_6.jpg
Having worked with bamboo for many years, Mr. Hung uses only his hands or a string to measure the drilling positions and the lengths of the bamboo tubes when crafting some musical instruments, without needing a ruler. He chooses bamboo tubes that aren't too old, as they would be too heavy to handle; if they're too young, the sound will be distorted. Because he's so experienced, he makes the instruments very quickly. (In the photo: Mr. Hung making an electric guitar. Photo: Dinh Tuan)
bna_7.jpg
For Mr. Hung, the passion for playing music and crafting musical instruments is ingrained in his blood; whenever he has free time, he crafts and plays music. In the photo: He introduces his collection of handcrafted musical instruments. Photo: Dinh Tuan.
bna_8.jpg
Speaking about preserving his traditional music, Mr. Hung always worries: “My greatest hope is that the younger generation in the village will continue the traditions of their ancestors to preserve the cultural identity of our ethnic group. Currently, the youth in the village do not yet truly have a passion for traditional ethnic musical instruments. If there are people who want to learn, I am ready to teach them.” It is known that, with his passion for music, Mr. Hung has established a musical instrument group in the village, with himself as the leader. He founded the group with the aim of spreading the unique traditional cultural features of his ethnic group. Photo: Dinh Tuan
Read more
Tuong Duong Commune

    See more about Society

    Featured in Nghe An Newspaper

    Latest

      See more

      Read more

        x
        Society
        A man from the highlands of Nghe An province crafts many types of traditional musical instruments himself.
        Google News

        Governing body: Nghe An Provincial Party Committee

        Director: Tran Minh Ngoc

        Electronic newspaper operating license number: 153/GP-BTTTT

        Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on March 24, 2022

        DMCA.com Protection Status

        Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television

        Headquarters: No. 01 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street - Thanh Vinh Ward - Nghe An Province

        Branch 2: 378 Lenin Street - Truong Vinh Ward - Nghe An Province

        Phone: 0856573737; Fax:(023)83.847898

        Contact us to submit articles: bna.pdt@gmail.com

        Contact for advertising

        Phone: (023)88 600006
        E-mail:qcbaonghean@gmail.com

        Any form of reproduction of information or images requires written consent.
        © Copyright belongs to Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television

        POWERED BYFREECMS- A PRODUCT OFNEKO