Dinh Pu – A unique musical instrument of the Brau ethnic group.

The folk musical instruments of the Brâu people are diverse and abundant, crafted from readily available natural materials such as wood, bamboo, rattan, and animal hides. These instruments include the Chiêng griêng (Ting ning) lute, the Tơ rưng lute, Đinh pú, drums, and flutes. In particular, the Đinh pú is an instrument whose name is associated with the majestic natural landscape and embodies the unique cultural identity of the Brâu people.

The Đinh pú is a musical instrument whose name is associated with the majestic beauty of nature and embodies the unique cultural identity of the Brâu people.

The Brau ethnic group, residing in Dak Me village, Po Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district ( Kon Tum province), originally came from Southern Laos and Northeastern Cambodia. Their population is nearly 700 people. Due to migration, the Brau settled in Vietnam about 100 years ago and are one of the five smallest ethnic groups in Vietnam. The Brau village is located in a unique position, a cultural crossroads of three countries: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, so most Brau people are fluent in all three languages.

Besides the Tha gong, which holds a special place in their spiritual life and is considered a sacred object, the Brau people still preserve many traditional musical instruments with their own unique characteristics, including the Dinh Pu.

Players of the Đinh pú instrument will clap their hands together or clap one hand directly against the tube to create sound.

Mr. Thao Mưu, from Đăk Mế village, Pờ Y commune, Ngọc Hồi district, said: In the Brâu language, "Đinh" means tube and "Pú" means the sound produced by clapping two hands together. The Brâu's Đinh Pú is extremely simple, consisting of two tubes of equal length, about 1.2m, selected from beautiful, slender bamboo segments of equal thickness.

The Đinh pú is a musical instrument used by the Brâu people for leisure and relaxation in various settings and at different times, such as during the clearing of fields, moving into a new house, and notably, the Đinh pú is not played during the joyful festivals of the Brâu people.

The Đinh pú is commonly used in the Brâu people's field clearing ceremony.

Ms. Nang Phuong from Dak Me village, Po Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district shared: "To fully express the themes through the Dinh Pu drumming performances, each performance requires five people. Four main players will clap their hands together or clap directly on the drum with one hand to create resonance in each note, while the remaining person is responsible for maintaining the balance of the Dinh Pu drum as they cross each other."

In particular, the "Dot Pi Munr" ceremony (the clearing of fields) of the Brau people is always associated with the performance of the Dinh Pu music. Legend has it that since ancient times, with their custom of clearing land for farming, from January to March of the year, the village elder would lead the heads of households in the Brau community into the forest to search for and select auspicious land to ask the heavens for permission for the villagers to clear land, cultivate crops, and hunt wild animals.

Most Brau women know how to play the Dinh Pu musical instrument.

Mr. Thao Dua, the village elder of Dak Me village, Po Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district, recounted: "When the council of village elders has chosen a hilly area, each family will mark a small spot at that location. The Brau people will especially select the most beautiful and slender bamboo stalks to use for making the 'Dinh Pu' (bamboo flute). In the evening, after the elders have completed their rituals, the young men and women will together breathe life into the 'Dinh Pu'. The Brau people believe that 'Dinh Pu' with its clear, high-pitched, and resonant sound signals that the chosen location is auspicious and beautiful land, and that the village will be blessed by heaven and earth with a bountiful harvest. The melodious sounds, along with the rice wine, express gratitude and joy for the villagers' choice of such a beautiful piece of land."

Ms. Nàng Tiên, from Đăk Mế village, Pờ Y commune, Ngọc Hồi district, said: "When performing the Đinh pú music at the harvest festival, all five of us focus on creating the best sounds, bringing a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere to the villagers and hoping for a bountiful harvest."

Currently, although the Brau ethnic community residing in Dak Me village, Po Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district has a relatively modest number of households and people, they are very proud of their unique cultural traditions. More than anyone else, the younger generation of the Brau people today are actively receiving the teachings of the older generation to preserve and promote the beautiful cultural features passed down from their ancestors, including the Dinh Pu musical instrument.

Ngoc Chi (Ethnic Groups and Development Newspaper)

Source: https://baophutho.vn/dinh-pu--nhac-cu-doc-dao-cua-dan-toc-brau-225030.htm