Community aesthetics have changed.

Expressing concern about the Tây Nguyên gongs being taken out of the sacred space, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thinh, a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, shared: “The Tây Nguyên gongs should only be played in sacred spaces – the forest space – where the indigenous communities of the Central Highlands practice life cycle rituals: the life of the person, the life of the tree, the life of the gong… If they escape from that sacred space, the Tây Nguyên gongs will no longer be Tây Nguyên gongs.” Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thinh further stated: “We cannot commercialize the Tây Nguyên gongs, we must not take them out of the sacred space, and we must not allow the use of Tây Nguyên gongs as purely artistic instruments. We must preserve them in their original, characteristic form as UNESCO previously emphasized, which is the performance space – the sacred space – alongside the musical effect.”

A researcher at the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism asserted: "Gongs playing out of tune or with incorrect pitch are a major problem in the Northern Central Highlands." According to this researcher, the Central Highlands gongs are pitch-setting instruments. Each gong is assigned a specific pitch, and when played together with other gongs in the ensemble, they create a unique harmony. In other words, each gong in the ensemble acts like a piano key, each "key" having a defined pitch. If one of these "keys" is out of pitch, the sound produced will be distorted, and the gong music will be off-key as a result. Artisan K'Ly from Gia Lai province admitted: "Occasionally, some gongs are out of tune. However, the Central Highlands has no shortage of artisans with the talent to 'restore the sound order' for gongs that are out of tune."

Artisan K'Ly believes that the issue of gongs being out of tune or out of tune is not a problem for the Central Highlands gong culture, nor is it a problem for the so-called sacred space! Today, the Central Highlands gong culture is no longer confined to sacred spaces. It has reached the world as a unique musical form of the indigenous people of the Central Highlands. The appearance of Central Highlands gongs on stage, in cultural performances, and at tourist destinations... partly demonstrates its widespread influence in the community. This is also how the indigenous people of the Central Highlands – the owners of the Central Highlands Gong Culture Space – bring Central Highlands gongs to life within their communities.

Artisan K'Brèm from Lam Dong province expressed: “Most of those who harshly criticize the owner of the Central Highlands Gong Culture Space for performing gongs outside the sacred space are quite rigid in their concept of preservation. Their view is that the Central Highlands gongs need to be “frozen” within the sacred space to preserve both the original form, the music, and the sacred space itself. In reality, life has changed, and the Central Highlands gongs must change to reflect a new reality – to speak the new voice of the indigenous communities of the Central Highlands. The community's aesthetic sense has changed; the Central Highlands gongs need new creations, expanding their tonal range to play great musical works from around the world.” Artisan K'Brèm added: “Don’t let the Central Highlands gongs “die” because of the concept of preserving them in their original form!”

Associate Professor Dr. Do Thi Thanh Thuy from the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism shared: "We will carefully study the above opinions to advise the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the issue of preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Central Highlands gong culture in a way that is suitable for today's life."

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/mi-cam-cong-dong-da-thay-doi-381295.html