Ksor is deeply attached to Jrai culture.

Mr. Ksor Mang has made many contributions to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the Jrai people. Photo: LH

Mr. Ksor Mang is one of the few young people in Phu Ma Nher village who still maintains his passion for traditional culture. Not only is he good at playing gongs, tuning gongs, and playing drums, but he is also knowledgeable about many other traditional musical instruments.

Talking to us, he said: Since childhood, I have followed my father and the young people in the village to all the festivals. Gradually, through the dedicated teachings of my seniors, I understood each gong beat, drum melody as well as how to feel and perform. It was those days that forged the love of gongs in this Jrai young man.

In 2005, after graduating from high school, Mr. Mang volunteered to join the military , then continued to study Social Order Management at the People's Security College II (work-study program). Returning to his hometown, in 2008, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Ia Rto Commune Police, then Chief of Commune Police in 2014.

Since 2019, Mr. Mang has been transferred to work as a Cultural and Social Officer of the commune. Regardless of his position, he is deeply aware of the role of young people in preserving, conserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the nation, especially the space of gong culture.

According to Mr. Mang, currently, the gong practice movement among young people is no longer as vibrant as before. Worried about this situation, he cherished the idea of ​​opening a free gong class for children in the village. In June 2023, implementing Project 6 on preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development (under the National Target Program on Socio -economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021-2025), Ia Rto commune was granted a set of traditional Arap gongs by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The gift not only has material significance but is also a great source of spiritual encouragement for the Jrai community here. When the new gong set was given to the village, Mr. Mang was like “a fish in water”. He proactively called on young people in the village to participate in learning gong.

“At that time, my eldest son was also very passionate about gongs, so I asked him to invite more friends to come to learn. In the early days, the class had 17 members, mainly children aged 7-14. Every day, from 5pm to 8pm, I taught gongs at the village cultural house. The children were very diligent and studious,” said Mr. Mang.

To effectively teach gongs, Mr. Mang always chooses a separate practice method suitable for each child’s age and ability. He also regularly reminds and encourages children to actively participate in community festivals, watch adults play gongs, dance and sing to feel and nurture their love for traditional melodies.

Thanks to his dedication and appropriate teaching methods, Mr. Mang's gong class in Ia Rto commune quickly became a regular meeting place for useful cultural activities for local youth. Members also participated in performances at cultural programs and events of the town and in the program "Weekend Gong - Enjoy and Experience" at Dai Doan Ket Square (Pleiku City), receiving high appreciation from the audience.

Nay Gia Phuc (son of Mr. Mang, a member of the gong team) excitedly said: “Before, I thought I couldn’t play gongs because I found it too difficult and was afraid of hitting the wrong beat. However, since my father taught me, I started practicing little by little. The more I practice, the more I love gongs.”

Not satisfied with his existing skills, in August and September 2023, Mr. Mang continued to attend a class teaching gong tuning techniques taught by researcher Bui Trong Hien (Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts) and Meritorious Artist Pham Chi Khanh. The class was organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to teach gong tuning to 20 Bahnar artisans and 26 Jrai artisans.

Mr. Mang shared: “Here, I learned many gong tuning techniques and gained a deeper understanding of the value of this heritage to the Jrai community. I also met many talented artisans and through that, my love for gongs grew.”

Not stopping there, every weekend, he also travels dozens of kilometers to Krong Pa district to learn gong tuning from artisan Ksor Kok (Sai ​​hamlet, Chu Ngoc commune) to improve his technique.

Ksor Mang and his son review some gong songs. Photo: Lac Ha

Commenting on the Jrai boy who is passionate about ethnic culture, artisan Ksor Kok said: “Ksor Mang is one of my excellent students. What is valuable about Mang is that he not only studies to know, but also studies to preserve traditional culture and pass it on to the younger generation in the village.”

Not only is he good at tuning and playing gongs, Mr. Mang also has a deep understanding of Jrai culture. He knows by heart more than 10 traditional folk songs and some Jrai epics passed down from his grandparents.

Sharing his plans for the future, he said: “I will continue to practice and improve my gong tuning skills, and at the same time spend more time learning more about folk songs. My biggest wish is to open more folk song classes for young people in the village, so that they not only know how to play the gong but also understand and sing the lyrics of their ethnic songs.”

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/ksor-mang-nang-long-voi-van-hoa-jrai-post322349.html