A Par - multi-talented artist

Artisan A Par (born in 1969, Kon Xo Mluh village, Dak To Re commune, Kon Ray district) is famous for his talented hands. He can tune gongs, weave, make musical instruments from bamboo and forge many tools to serve the production of people in the region.

Artisan A Par is a member of the Xo Dang ethnic group (To Drá branch) in Kon Re village, Ngoc Reo commune, Dak Ha district. In 1988, he got married and followed his wife to Kon Xo Mluh village, Dak To Re commune, where they have lived to this day.

I met him when the gong troupe of Kon Xo Mluh village was preparing to perform for tourists from Ho Chi Minh City. He said that since he was a child, he had been taught by previous generations to play gongs and other musical instruments and had practiced enthusiastically. With his quickness and good sense of music, in a short time, he could play skillfully and guide many friends to play.

Artisan A Par is very skillful in weaving. Photo: NB

When he moved to live in Kon Xo Mluh village, he quickly adapted to the way of playing gongs and learned many traditional gong songs of the Ba Na people here because he had basic knowledge of gongs of the Xo Dang people and a spirit of eagerness to learn about good and beautiful things. Currently, he is an indispensable factor in the gong performances of the Kon Xo Mluh village artisans. Not only that, he also actively teaches gongs to many generations in the village.

Mr. A Tan, the village elder of Kon Xo Mluh, said: “A Par is one of the people who knows a lot about gongs in the village. In the past, he has been very active in guiding and training many generations. Thanks to his dedicated teaching, the gong team has mastered many traditional gong pieces to perform during festivals.”

In recent years, the work of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage has always received the attention of the Party and the State. Along with the development of community tourism in Dak To Re commune, the gong and xoang dance team of Kon Xo Mluh village has always maintained training, participated in many competitions and gong performances and achieved encouraging results. At the first Kon Tum province gong and xoang dance competition of ethnic minorities in 2022, the Kon Xo Mluh village artisans were honored to win the second prize for the whole group.

Receiving us at his home, Mr. A Par enthusiastically told us: “To play a good gong piece, first of all, the gong sound must be standard and clear. Next, the members must play in harmony, rhythmically, without missing the beat. The performance is also very important, from facial expressions, posture, and gestures must also be in harmony. Especially when combined with xoang, the rhythm will match each other. Only then will the performance atmosphere be more solemn, joyful and attractive.

The gong and xoang dance artists of Kon Xo Mluh village perform at the new communal house celebration . Photo: NB

Having a special talent for music, in addition to being good at gongs, he also knows how to make and play many other musical instruments such as t'rung, ting ning and even modern instruments such as guitars and drums. Besides, he can sound and accurately correct many gongs that are out of tune. His gong tuning skills are also well-known, many places in the region often ask him to tune gongs before festivals or practice in the village.

He is also good at weaving and blacksmithing. Currently, his main source of income is from weaving and blacksmithing. He said that his father taught him these two professions since he was a child. He can make many types of items from rattan, bamboo, and rattan to serve the daily activities of the people such as baskets, trays, baskets, winnowing trays, and carrying baskets. The selling price of these items ranges from 100,000 - 400,000 VND depending on the type, small or large, loose or thick weaving. Thanks to his ingenuity, meticulousness and experience, each of his products has its own creativity, with many patterns, neatly interwoven, and unique decorations that are trusted by locals and tourists. Normally, to complete a carrying basket, it takes him at least 2-3 days to prepare the materials and focus on weaving continuously to finish.

Showing us the blacksmith area behind the house, artisan A Par confided: “Thanks to this blacksmith, I make many tools that can support my family and contribute to preserving the traditional profession of my father and grandfather. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, people from all over came to order a lot of blacksmithing, and we had to work continuously to deliver the goods to customers on time. But since the pandemic, the work has been less, mainly forging production tools for villagers and regular customers who recommend them.”

Artisan A Par is diligently working on his blacksmithing craft. Photo: NB

The forge space of artisan A Par is very simple, the tools are mostly made from available things such as whetstones from streams, anvils made from the head of a mortar shell left over from the war. His forged products include tools for daily life and production such as knives, machetes, hoes for going to the forest and farming. He makes whatever designs, patterns, and materials customers request.

He and his wife often choose to buy steel from car and tractor springs to forge, so they are trusted by many people for their durability and sharpness.

Sometimes customers bring a piece of steel from tweezers, saw blades or bullet casings to forge knives and machetes, and he also accepts them. The processing cost ranges from 150,000 to 250,000 VND; for a finished product, the selling price is also from 150,000 to 400,000 VND. "I work carefully with every detail, with meticulous attention to detail, so I am trusted by customers. They often order traditional jungle knives. This week alone, I made 3 for customers far away and have a few more orders that I haven't finished yet," artisan A Par happily shared.

During the discussion, Mr. Huynh Quoc Thai - Chairman of Dak To Re Commune People's Committee said: Mr. A Par is a multi-talented artisan, with many contributions to preserving and promoting cultural values ​​and traditional crafts in the locality. In recent times, the work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​has received attention from Party committees and authorities at all levels. Every year, the commune organizes a review, compiles a list of artisans and has policies to support, honor and reward artisans with merit to encourage and motivate them to actively preserve and promote traditional culture.

Nguyen Ban