Musical instruments made from rice pounding troughs by the Thai people of Nghe An.
•February 2, 2017 11:28
(Baonghean.vn) - The Thai people of Nghe An are an ethnic minority group possessing many unique traditional musical instruments, including the luong. Actually, this is a tool used by the people to pound rice; however, when the pestle strikes the trough, it creates a sound that is both powerful and decisive, thus transforming the luong into an indispensable musical instrument in the spiritual life of the community.
A lively clip of people carving furrows:
The "luong" is a tool used by the Thai people of Nghe An to pound rice. After each harvest, they usually bring the rice home, put it in the trough, and pound it to separate the grains.
However, the sounds of the pestle pounding rice in the trough created a unique musical sound. From then on, the Thai people used the rice pounding trough as a musical instrument during festivals and holidays.
The furrow became a musical instrument when it was carved (or struck) with a pestle. Therefore, carving furrows can be considered one of the earliest rudimentary musical instruments to appear in the Thai ethnic community.
When carving furrows, people use pestles to strike the sides of the trough or to pound into the bottom of the trough, creating loud, strong, decisive, or rapid sounds, depending on the rhythm and tempo of each dance.
Among those who carve furrows, there is always one person who sets the rhythm by tapping on the outside of the trough to create a louder sound.
The "khac luong" (plot carving) is considered a highly collaborative musical instrument, requiring skillful and rhythmic coordination among members. The number of "musicians" depends on the length of the furrow. For the Thai people of Nghe An, "khac luong" can be performed anytime, anywhere.
During festivals, the "khac luong" (a type of traditional Vietnamese musical instrument) is indispensable. According to tradition, the "khac luong" melody also carries fertility symbolism, with the trough representing the woman and the pestle representing the strength of the man. Nevertheless, the "khac luong" is an instrument exclusively for women.
From everyday life, the pestle has become a musical instrument in the artistic and performance activities of the Thai people.
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