Village artists

(Baonghean) - Their lives are intertwined with streams, mountain passes, and fields; their souls belong to their villages and communities... Because they are preserving and transmitting cultural values ​​through traditional music, so that the "voice" of their people will forever resonate. We call them the artists of the villages.

STORYTELLING USING THE HONG KONG FLUTE

Meeting Vu Lau Phong (born in 1968), everyone notices that this Hmong man from Huoi Giang 1 village, Tay Son commune (Ky Son district) has a very cheerful and sociable personality. And if you meet him when he's carrying his Hmong flute, you're sure to enjoy his joyful melodies. Phong has long been famous for his skill in playing and dancing with the Hmong flute. The flute has been with him since he followed his mother to the fields to plant corn, followed his father into the mountains to hunt, and as he says, "it will be with me until my mouth no longer has enough breath to play it."

Mr. Vu Lau Phong with his Hmong flute dance.

Vừ Lầu Phổng recounts that he learned to play and dance the khene (a type of bamboo flute) before he was even 10 years old. He learned from his grandfather, who was the best khene player and dancer in the region. After his grandfather passed away, his father continued to teach him the khene and dance. As he grew older, whenever he saw the peach blossoms in the backyard and the cold mist began to dissipate, Phổng and his friends from nearby would take their khene to various villages to participate in spring festivals. The sound of Vừ Lầu Phổng's khene blended with the clouds and mountain winds, attracting the attention of many girls. Phổng shared: "Thanks to my skillful khene playing and beautiful khene dancing, I married a beautiful woman whose family lives in Nậm Cắn. After getting married, I'm busy with farming all year round, but I can't give up the khene. Every time spring comes, Tet (Lunar New Year) arrives, or there's a festival, when I'm a little tipsy from drinking, I remember and seek out the khene..."

According to Vu Lau Phong, the graceful movements in the Hmong flute dance reflect the struggle for survival of an ethnic group residing on high mountain peaks, where clouds and cold winds prevail year-round; the movements depict the process of sowing seeds, planting corn, and driving away wild animals. Furthermore, the Hmong flute dance subtly portrays the development of love and marriage among young men and women on these misty mountain peaks... In other words, behind each Hmong flute dance lies a story about the community's livelihood and inner world.

At cultural festivals and exchanges, audiences often enjoy the khene dance of Vu Lau Phong, and everyone praises it. This dance is not easy to perform skillfully; it requires seamless coordination between the hands, feet, mouth, breath, and sometimes the entire body. The hands must hold the khene in the correct position, the feet must move rhythmically and gracefully. Then there's the movement of simultaneously playing the khene and tumbling on the ground, while ensuring the khene's sound remains accurate in melody and rhythm. Therefore, besides skill and dexterity, one needs physical stamina, and above all, patience and a passion for practice.

More importantly, Phong managed to pass on his passion to his 7-year-old son, Vu Ba Tam. At that age, Tam was already playing and dancing the khene (a traditional Vietnamese wind instrument) skillfully, making his father very proud.

This spring, Vu Lau Phong's family received more good news: he has been nominated by the Ministerial-level Council for the title of Outstanding Artisan. This joy is not only for him and his family, but also for the Mong people residing in the western region of Nghe An province.

DESCENDANTS OF THE MASTER OF CINEMA

Since the passing of the elderly folk artisan Vi Dinh Cong (early 2012), many people worried that the sound of the bamboo flute in Chan village, Thach Giam commune (Tuong Duong district) would cease because there would be no one passionate about crafting these flutes that "carry a wealth of sound," resonating with the "heartfelt voices" of the Thai people. Fortunately, before his death, he managed to teach his sons how to play the flute, especially passing on the crafting techniques to his eldest son, Vi Thanh Hai.

Mr. Vi Thanh Hai and the bamboo flutes he crafted.

In the cozy stilt house nestled in the village of Chắn, Vi Thanh Hải recounts many stories about his father. He says that as his father's illness worsened, the artisan Vi Đình Công called his children to his side and instructed them: "By all means, you must preserve the sound of the bamboo flute!" Although he had been taught how to use and craft the bamboo flute, he thought his father would live much longer, so he didn't need to focus on that yet, preferring to dedicate his time to other things. Therefore, when his beloved father passed away, it left a void in his heart. Grieving for his father, he resolved to remember and fulfill his father's heartfelt wishes. One day, he took out his father's bamboo flute and played it. The sound was like a whisper from a distant realm, inspiring and encouraging. From then on, the people of Chắn village once again heard the resounding sounds and melodies of the bamboo flute...

Once he had mastered the art of playing the bamboo flute, Vi Thanh Hai opened his old notebook and began crafting flutes. Initially, it was difficult; at times, he almost gave up because the sound wasn't to his liking. He pictured his father's meticulous and dedicated work from years past, and he resolved to persevere. His father had once advised him: "When making a flute, you must choose a time when your mind is calm, without distractions or disturbances, only then will the sound be perfect." So, every night, around 2-3 a.m., Vi Thanh Hai would wake up and immerse himself in working with bamboo and brass.

According to Mr. Hai, the materials for making the bamboo mouth organ (khen bè) consist of 14 small bamboo stalks of varying lengths, joined together in 7 parallel pairs to form a connected structure using a wooden gourd. Air vents are created on the bamboo stalks, and brass reeds are attached. The khen bè is a versatile instrument; sometimes it produces melodies that are tender and profound like the gentle sound of a stream; other times it creates lively and bustling sounds like a festival; and sometimes it evokes the fervent and throbbing emotions of young men and women on their first date. Therefore, crafting and playing the khen bè requires skill, finesse, and a rich emotional connection – in other words, an artistic soul.

Now, Vi Thanh Hai has successfully crafted this distinctive musical instrument of his ethnic group. In his free time, he documents the crafting process in lesson plans and opens classes to teach it. Currently, he has opened three classes teaching the crafting of the bamboo mouth organ to young people in the area. He showed us his lesson plan, which is very detailed, from preparing the tools, selecting materials, drying and preserving the color of the bamboo tubes, straightening and cleaning the tubes, making the reed, assembling, and tuning the instrument... Among these steps, the process of making the reed (using copper) plays a very important role, almost determining the tuning and timbre of the instrument. Knowing English, Thai people from villages throughout Tuong Duong and neighboring districts (Con Cuong, Ky Son, Quy Hop, Quy Chau) come to order bamboo mouth organs to preserve the "voice" of their ethnic community.

THE SOUND OF THE PI TOM IN NA BE

The house of Mr. Moong Van Dung (born in 1956), in Na Be village (Xa Luong commune, Tuong Duong district), is located at the headwaters of the gentle Ang stream, which flows year-round with a murmuring sound. This man, nearly 60 years old, is famous throughout the village and the Khmu community in Tuong Duong for his talent in crafting and playing traditional musical instruments of his ethnic group. His life has been filled with ups and downs, but he has never abandoned his khèn and pí instruments.

Mr. Moong Van Dung plays the pí tơm (a type of Vietnamese flute).

Moong Van Dung was born and raised in Cha Ca village, Bao Thang commune (Ky Son district) - a remote mountainous area where life was hard but everyone was optimistic. The sounds of music and the melodies of the "tom" songs often echoed throughout the village, carried by the wind to the forests and streams. From a very young age, Dung learned to play the "pi tom," "tot tong," "khen be," "dao dao," "khen la," and "khen moi." On Tet (Lunar New Year), festivals, housewarming parties, or harvest celebrations, the sounds of gongs and the "pi" flutes resonated throughout the village. During celebrations, men played the "pi tom," "tot tong," or "dao dao"; women played gongs or sang the "tom" melodies, creating a lively and heartfelt atmosphere. Whenever there was a celebration in the village, Moong Van Dung and his younger brother, Moong Van Quang, would always come to learn how to play the "pi" and sing "tom." Thanks to this, the two brothers quickly learned to tune and set the rhythm of each instrument.

Decades have passed, but Mr. Dung still vividly remembers the memory from years ago when he and his younger brother competed in playing the pí tơm (a type of bamboo flute). According to the agreement, when the steamed sticky rice was placed on the stove, the two brothers would begin playing. The competition would end when the fragrant aroma filled the air, the rice was spread out and fanned to cool, and then pressed. That time, Moong Van Dung played until the steamed rice was taken off the stove, while his younger brother still had enough strength to play until the rice was pressed. Later, their lives took two different paths.

His younger brother pursued his studies, returned to work as a district Party committee official, and is now an official at the Ky Son District Cultural and Information Center. Moong Van Dung, however, remains attached to the mountains, forests, fields, and the beloved trails and villages. His flutes and pipes still accompany him as he goes fishing in the streams or carries his baskets up to the fields. On clear, moonlit nights, the villagers hear the lively, heartfelt melodies emanating from the stilt house at the end of the village, where an "artist" expresses his emotions through the sound of his pipe. At weddings and festivals, girls from Cha Ca and other villages often surround Moong Van Dung, hoping he will play the pipe and sing the tơm songs. Everyone tries their best to sing the tơm songs beautifully, so as not to be criticized, to be worthy of the talent of the person playing the pipe.

Fate led Moong Van Dung along the Ang stream to settle in Na Be. His house is still very simple, but the walls are covered with various flutes and pipes. Whenever he has free time or wants to express his innermost feelings, this Khmu man takes his pipe out onto the porch and lets out melodious, undulating sounds that blend with the wind and the flowing stream, creating a captivating and enchanting symphony. The Khmu people of Na Be often listen to the sound of these pipes as if to find their own soul...

Text and photos:CONG KIEN