"The cradle of culture" on the banks of the Ba River

(GLO) - Dedicated to preserving and passing on the beautiful cultural features of their ethnic group to the younger generation, artisans in Ia Broắi commune (Ia Pa district, Gia Lai province) are contributing daily to creating a community with a strong identity, worthy of being a "cradle" of culture on the banks of the Ba River.

From the "nuclei"

Mr. Siu Nhuel (from Ia Rniu village) is a renowned artisan in the region. His family still possesses an ancient set of gongs, inherited from his grandparents. Before passing away, his father instructed him that no matter how difficult the circumstances, he should never sell the gongs.

Remembering his father's words, even though life was difficult and they had to eat potatoes and noodles for meals, Mr. Nhuel never intended to sell his gong set. Thanks to the gong set and his love for traditional musical instruments, by the age of 15, he could play many ancient gong pieces. At the age of 20, he began crafting other musical instruments such as the goong, t'rưng, ​​two-stringed fiddle, and flute.

The group of artisans from Ia Broăi commune performed gong music at the 2nd Ethnic Minority Culture Festival of the district in 2024. Photo by Vũ Chi

Even now, Mr. Nhuel can't remember exactly how many musical instruments he's made. After each competition or cultural and artistic performance, he doesn't hesitate to give the instruments to the organizers and those he loves as souvenirs. He only keeps one of each type for himself. When he has free time, he takes out his guitar and flute, plays a few tunes, and sings his favorite folk songs for the whole family to listen to.

Mr. Siu Nhuel is a renowned artisan in the region, known for his skills in playing gongs, crafting traditional musical instruments, and weaving. (Photo by Vu Chi)

Just like Mr. Nhuel, even though she is already 60 years old, Mrs. Rah Lan H'Nir (from Ia Rniu village) still has a special affection for the folk songs of her ethnic group.

She always felt fortunate to possess a high-pitched voice and a keen sense of pitch. As a young woman, her clear, high-pitched voice captivated the hearts of many young men in the region.

She shared: "I love folk music not only for its melodies but also because it expresses the heartfelt emotions of the artists."

Ms. Rah Lan H'Nir sings folk songs accompanied by Mr. Siu Nhuel's t'rưng instrument. (Photo: Vu Chi)

According to Ms. H'Nir, to suit the circumstances and mood during performances, singers can add lyrics to folk songs. Therefore, the artist is also a co-author of the folk song. Depending on the content and meaning, each folk song has a different melody, sometimes romantic and profound when expressing love between couples, and sometimes lively and bustling when working diligently. She always sings folk songs anytime, anywhere, while working in the fields, at festivals, in times of joy as well as in times of sorrow, hoping that her descendants will preserve the beauty and richness of their ethnic culture.

Reaching out to communities rich in cultural identity.

Along with traditional music , Ia Broắi commune is also known for its exquisite brocade weaving artisans such as Mrs. Nay H'Bon (Ia Rniu village), Mrs. H'Krem Buôn Jă (Broăi village) with her traditional method of making rice wine yeast, and Mr. Rcom Chluen with his weaving and sculpting skills… It is their love for ethnic culture that has helped them persistently preserve and pass it on to future generations, creating a community rich in identity.

In his twilight years, Mr. Nhuel is very proud that his son, Kpă Tư, has taken his place performing in various places. Inheriting his father's artistic talent, Tư can skillfully play the goong and t'rưng instruments, as well as perform ancient gong pieces. The gong ensemble that Tư helped establish has won many awards, including first prize at the district-organized art festival in 2024.

Seeing that few women in the village knew how to weave brocade, while the demand for brocade clothing remained high, Ms. H'Bon agreed to teach the craft to the women. After the class ended, the brocade weaving club of the commune was established with 10 members, with Ms. H'Bon as the chairperson.

"Weaving brocade isn't difficult, but to weave a beautiful loincloth or skirt requires persistent practice and a love for each thread. The greatest happiness for a weaver is seeing customers wear brocade clothing made by their own hands," shared Mrs. H'Bon.

With their talent and dedication, in 2020, a group of 22 artisans from Ia Broắi commune was selected to perform at the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village (Dong Mo Tourist Area, Hanoi). The commune has 1 gong tuner, 3 statue sculptors, 1 traditional musical instrument maker, 2 basket weavers, 2 folk singers, and 7 brocade weavers. The people still preserve 12 sets of ancient gongs.

Mr. Nay Ham, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ia Broắi commune, said: "In recent years, the work of preserving traditional cultural identity in the locality has seen continuity and development. The artisans are dedicated to passing on their knowledge to the next generation, gradually creating a large team of successors."

At the 2nd District Ethnic Minority Culture Festival in 2024, the delegation of artisans from Ia Broắi commune excellently won second prize overall. This serves as motivation for the commune to continue doing well in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/cai-noi-van-hoa-ben-bo-song-ba-post328488.html