4 year old boy plays the drum skillfully, making many people admire

The drumming competition and exchange program at the Gam Temple Festival recently took place in Xuan Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district). On the festival stage and in front of Gam Temple, locals and tourists enjoyed many drumming performances by competing teams and individuals from villages within and outside the commune.

Nguyen Canh Dat plays the large drum, holding the drumstick for the ceremonial drum ensemble. Photo: Huy Thu.

This year's festival attracted many children participating in competitions and drumming contests. Among them, Nguyen Canh Dat, the youngest and a preschool student, was praised by many for his "exceptionally skillful" drumming. Dat handled the entire set of large drums, much to the delight and admiration of the spectators…

On the festival stage and in the middle of the Gam temple courtyard, Dat, dressed in a red ao dai and wearing a turban, stood beside a large drum, confidently leading the drum team with his drumsticks.

Spectators surrounded him, cheering and taking photos with their phones, live-streaming on social media. The three-part drum performance ended with enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience. Many fans rushed onto the field to hug the little boy, give him gifts, and praise him…

Dat practices his drumming skills before joining the exchange program. Photo: Huy Thu.

Ms. Thai Thi Ha, Dat's mother, shared that Dat is the youngest of five siblings. His parents are farmers , and no one in the family knows how to play the drums, but he is very passionate about drumming.

Dat learned to play the drums at the age of two. Whenever he went to the ancestral temple, he loved seeing the adults playing drums during ceremonies and taught himself at home. Dat's father borrowed a broken drum from the ancestral temple and placed it in the courtyard for his son to practice.

Every day, after school, Dat would spend time with his broken drum, teaching himself by himself because there was no one at home to teach him.

Dat's mother said he was well-behaved and quite energetic. Photo: Huy Thu

Before the Gam Temple Festival took place, some people in the neighborhood discussed with the family the possibility of having Dat participate in the ceremonial drum-playing competition.

Because the child was still young, and the family feared that children might "act impulsively and ruin things for adults," they allowed the child to participate in the drumming ceremony as a social interaction rather than a competition.

Dat practices playing the ceremonial drums at home. Photo: Huy Thu

The drum-beating competition usually takes place during a few specific hours, while the drum-beating exchange lasts all day and night. At the Gam Temple courtyard, the drum set is set up, and there are always people coming to play.

The locals here play drums all afternoon, and only stop late at night. When Dat arrived, he boldly approached the drum set, and when he started playing, the surrounding audience exclaimed, "Wow, that's amazing!"

The drum performances at the festival in which Dat participated always attracted enthusiastic viewers and cheers.

Ms. Thai Thi Ha prepares the costumes for Dat each time he goes to perform at ceremonial drumming events. Photo: Huy Thu

According to locals, drumming during rituals usually involves the coordination of many musical instruments such as large drums, small drums, gongs, cymbals, horns, and two-stringed fiddles…

When the main drum is played, it must create rhythms, beats, and variations, requiring the smaller drummers to follow along in a rhythmic manner.

The drummer must understand the rules of the ceremonial drumming in order to play it as accurately as possible, much like the conductor of an orchestra.

Despite his young age, Dat has already shown the talent and demeanor of a skilled drummer. Photo: Huy Thu

“Dat is quite well-behaved and energetic. Seeing him play the ceremonial drums and receive praise from many people makes the family very happy. This year we will let him practice, and hopefully, with the help of the uncles and older brothers in the neighborhood, next year he will be able to confidently take on the role of drum player in the competition at the Gam Temple Festival,” – Ms. Ha, Dat's mother, shared excitedly.

This is not the first time that young drummers have appeared on the stage of the Gam temple festival. In previous festival seasons, many children have participated in playing drums during the rituals.

However, Dat's performance with the large drum was more distinctive and unique because he played quite skillfully, in the right rhythm, and conveyed the spirit of a tiny drummer.

Nguyen Canh Dat's drumming during the ritual impressed many. Video : Huy Thu

Mr. Le Khac Dinh – a member of the judging panel for the drum-playing competition at the Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival in Xuan Thanh commune – said: “Drumming is a beautiful aspect of the traditional culture of the people of Xuan Thanh commune in particular and Yen Thanh district in general. For me, Dat has exceptional talent; although still young, he plays the drums very well, breathing life into the rich, melodious drum beats of the ceremonial procession. People like Dat are continuing, developing, and strongly spreading the unique drum-playing tradition of our homeland.”

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