'Multi-talented village elder' in the middle of the jungle, knowledgeable in art, keeping the flame of Co Tu culture alive

Village elder C'lau Nhim is knowledgeable in every aspect of traditional Co Tu art. He is also a prestigious person respected by the people of Prao town.

Village connector

In the mountainous district of Dong Giang ( Quang Nam ), everyone knows village elder C'lau Nhim (77 years old, Co Tu ethnic group, in Gung village, Prao town). He used to be an official working in the film industry. In 1983, he retired, then became a village official, head of the reconciliation supervision board...

In 2018, village elder C'lau Nhim was elected by the villagers as a prestigious person.

At the age of nearly 80, he still walks around the village every day to encourage people to listen to good things and do good deeds. He has become a bridge between the government and the people, contributing to the elimination of many bad customs such as early marriage, incestuous marriage,...

VietNamNet reporter talks with village elder C'lau Nhim

Village elder C'Lau Nhim is also a role model in economic development and poverty reduction. He currently raises a pond of grass carp, more than 50 free-range chickens and grows nearly 6 hectares of acacia trees... His average annual income is nearly 100 million VND, helping his family become increasingly well-off.

Following their father's example, the 7 children of village elder C'lau Nhim all studied hard, graduated from university and returned to contribute to their homeland, working in medical andeducational agencies, commune People's Committees, etc.

The stilt house of village elder C'lau Nhim is located on a high hill, overlooking Highway 14B.

Village elder C'lau Nhim often shares business experiences with villagers, encouraging them to raise livestock, plant forests, etc. to improve their lives. He is also a pioneer in donating land for road construction and actively encourages students to go to school.

Previously, in Ginger village, the rate of students dropping out of school was still high. Village elder C'lau Nhim went to each house to encourage parents to encourage their children to strive to study. Thanks to that, in recent years, there have been no cases of students dropping out of school in the village, and most of the children are of school age.

The old man with the white beard is also the village “judge”. Thanks to his prestige, he is always one of the active “mediators”, helping to resolve conflicts and clashes in the community.

Village elder C'lau Nhim is a prestigious person in Prao town and is always respected by the villagers.

The Fire Keeper...

Village elder C'lau Nhim is also the keeper of the cultural fire in the great forest. With artistic blood flowing through his veins, he is knowledgeable in every aspect of traditional Co Tu art.

As a talented sculptor, village elder C'lau Nhim won third prize with his crossbow shooting work at the Co Tu wooden sculpture creation camp in 2019 organized by the People's Committee of Hoa Vang district (Da Nang).

He also designed his own traditional mirror house, with a central pillar and surrounded by solid planks of wood. This is where he receives guests from the lowlands and teaches his children and grandchildren about tradition.

Village elder C'lau Nhim is always passionate about the traditional cultural values ​​of the Co Tu people.

With experience in building traditional stilt houses such as duong, moong, guol..., in community house restoration events, elder C'lau Nhim always plays the role of a "construction engineer".

He and other artisans, village elders and people successfully restored the traditional stilt house, long house, mirror house and original pole at the "Co Tu Traditional Cultural Village" of the district.

In recent years, village elder C'lau Nhim has frequently appeared as the "general director" in traditional village festival events in Dong Giang.

Village elder C'lau Nhim has received many certificates of merit from authorities at all levels.

Village elder C'lau Nhim is also known by many other names such as Ka Lau Nhim, Klau Nhim, Co Lau Nhiem,...

He was also honored to receive the third-class resistance medal for his contributions to the resistance war against America to save the country.

Every time he appears, old man C'lau Nhim with his beaded flute, feathered hat, and the melodious music of the mountains and forests always leaves a deep impression on visitors. He is like an "ambassador" helping to spread the culture of the great forest closer to the community.

He is also jokingly called "multi-talented village elder" by the locals because he not only plays more than 20 traditional musical instruments proficiently, but also makes many types of drums, such as: Ch'gan, par'lư, k'thur or instruments such as abel, h'jưl...

All of these musical instruments are hung solemnly in his family's communal house, next to traditional weaving items such as baskets, trays, fish baskets, etc.

When transformed into a musician, old man C'lau Nhim plays the panpipe, h'jul, drums, gongs... very skillfully.

“All the traditional tools in the house, from the panpipes, h'jul, abel to the trumpets and all kinds of baskets, are all made by me. Before, I only made them for use in household chores.

Since the policy of developing community tourism was introduced, these musical instruments and objects have become tools for festivals. I am very happy that the traditional cultural values ​​of my people are being preserved by the State, and I am no longer afraid of them being lost,” said village elder C'lau Nhim.

Talking to VietNamNet reporter , Mr. Nguyen Dang Trong, cultural officer of Prao town, said that with his exemplary and dedicated work, village elder C'lau Nhim has always been trusted by the Co Tu people and recognized by the local government with many certificates of merit.

Every year, he is invited to attend commendation conferences and is sent to attend meetings of outstanding prestigious people of the district and province.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/gia-lang-da-nang-giua-dai-ngan-am-tuong-nghe-thuat-giu-lua-van-hoa-co-tu-2382434.html