The sound of kite flutes in the coastal area

(Baonghean.vn) -On clear blue summer afternoons or moonlit nights spreading golden light on the dike and fields, the people of Xuan Uc village, Quynh Lien commune (Quynh Luu - Nghe An) can be seen watching the kites soar high and listening to the flute sound lulling them to sleep. The flute sound of the shepherd children of the plains now only remains in the memories of many generations of people...

A newly completed kite

I came to Xuan Uc village on a sunny summer afternoon, in a wooden house in the old architectural style surrounded by a small, pretty garden with the golden color of squash flowers. Mr. Vu Xuan Kham welcomed the stranger with a very gentle smile. Mr. Kham, from a person passionate about the sound of the kite flute, has now become a famous "artisan" making kites in Xuan Uc village.

He said: "At this age, where do I get the energy to fly kites? I make them for my grandchildren to play with. I have more than 30 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I can't do much, but I try to pass on the traditional games of our ancestors, so that in the future, the children will have something to teach their children and grandchildren."

Mr. Vu Xuan Kham is considered an "artisan" making kite flutes in Xuan Uc village.

No one knows when the hobby of playing kites began in Xuan Uc. The father passed the passion on to his father, who passed it on to his son, who passed it on to his grandson. And so the kite flute continued through many generations. And Mr. Kham was once known throughout the region as a famous kite flute player, capable of making the flutes that produced the most special sounds in the region. They were both soulful and calm, yet soaring and clear.

Talking with Mr. Kham, sometimes his eyes slowly looked up at the deep blue sky, childhood memories suddenly flashed in his old heart that had been through several centuries. “The childhood of us shepherd children was every summer afternoon with the deep blue sky, the vast sea in front of Xuan Uc temple yard, hundreds of big and small kites filled with wind, flying up, carrying with them many dreams of youth. Or the clear moonlit nights with cool breezes in the fields, the sound of kite flutes whistling far and near, the melodious and humming, the steady buzzing that stirred the Mai Giang river and the sea breeze” - Mr. Kham's voice trembled as he called each word from his memory.

Mr. Kham introduces the newly completed kite flute

Not to mention the sound, but the meticulousness and carefulness in carving, polishing, and assembling each detail of the flute mouth and flute tube shows the sophistication in every small detail, especially when it is made entirely by hand by the talented and skillful hands of the flute maker. Not everyone can make a flute kite. It depends not only on the materials and techniques but also on the maker's ability to perceive sound.

According to Mr. Kham, first of all, you have to choose old bamboo tubes about 40cm long, divide the bamboo tube in half, cover the gap, the two flute mouths must be trimmed to be similar so that when the flute sounds, they will be in the same rhythm, like the Kieu verse of the Great Poet Nguyen Du: "Dinh ninh hai mat mot loi song song". And with the selection of old bamboo stems to make the kite bones, after the kite frame is completed, people use nylon to make the wings so that the kite is both light and can withstand the rain and sun. In the past, when there was no nylon, people used waste paper to make the kite wings, pounding sticky rice into powder and cooking it to make glue to bind the parts together. The kite string is also made from the bark of old bamboo stems. After completion, the flute and kite are attached together to form a kite flute.

Kites are an elegant hobby in the countryside of many people - Photo Internet

Xuan Uc people not only play kites but also compete in kite flying. The competitions are organized by people with the same passion for kite flutes in many other villages in Quynh Luu district, and can be organized 2 or 3 times in a summer. The kite that flies high, stands on its string, and makes a loud, crisp, and clear sound is the winner. Life and the struggle to make a living push each person in the coastal area in a different direction, but deep in their hearts, they still remember the deep summer afternoons together herding buffaloes, cutting grass, and flying kites on the fields.

Looking at the grandchildren surrounding Mr. Kham watching him make flutes, we can understand that the love for flutes and kites has been passed down from him to his children for a long time. And that love will help the kites fly high and far, so that the flutes and kites will live on not only in the memories of many generations of people in Xuan Uc village.

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