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| A performance of Hmong flute music by teacher Ly Hong Quan and his students. |
The Hmong mouth organ is a traditional musical instrument with a long history and is indispensable in the spiritual life of the Hmong people. The sound of the mouth organ resonates during festivals, spring markets, weddings, and community gatherings.
Each Hmong flute melody embodies the thoughts, feelings, and unique cultural beauty of the Hmong people. However, amidst the changes of modern life, many traditional values are at risk of disappearing as fewer and fewer young people know how to play and dance to the Hmong flute.
Concerned about this reality, teacher Ly Hong Quan, a teacher at Nghien Loan II Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Primary School in Nghien Loan commune, has spent many years studying, creating, and teaching the art of Hmong flute dancing to the younger generation, hoping that the sound of the Hmong flute will forever resonate in the highlands.
Born and raised in Ban Nghe village, Cao Minh commune, like many other Hmong children, the sound of the Hmong flute was deeply ingrained in Ly Hong Quan's memory from a young age. His love for the Hmong flute grew over the years, but due to his studies, he had to temporarily set aside his passion.
It wasn't until after graduating and returning to work at Nghiên Loan II Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Primary School that his passion for the khene (a traditional Vietnamese wind instrument) truly resurfaced. Witnessing the increasing number of young people losing interest in traditional culture, and many not knowing how to play or dance to the khene, he felt even more distressed.
Anh Quân shared: "I've noticed that many young Hmong people nowadays focus only on making a living and pay little attention to preserving their ethnic culture. As a teacher, I think I need to do something to help young people love the Hmong flute and understand more about their ethnic culture."
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| A unique performance by teacher Ly Hong Quan and his students. |
Without hesitation, Mr. Quan established the Hmong Flute Club for Young Children, attracting 30 students aged 8 to 10. This is a place for those who love the flute to meet, socialize, and preserve the beauty of traditional culture. Besides teaching, he dedicates his time to teaching the children how to play and dance with the flute.
It started with just basic movements, but mastering the dance was a long and arduous training process. Movements like bending, turning heels, flicking heels, or spiral turns require flexibility, endurance, and perseverance. There were times when training left him and the club members exhausted, but their passion for the khene (a traditional Vietnamese wind instrument) helped them not give up.
From their initial clumsy steps and imperfectly tuned flute melodies, under the dedicated guidance of Teacher Quân, many young children have gradually developed a love and passion for the traditional Hmong flute. Among them, Thào Linh Chi, Hoàng Kim Phúc, Dương Thị Ngọc Dung, and Lý Khai Sinh are outstanding examples. Despite their young age, they can skillfully perform many flute dances and travel with their teacher to perform in various places, showcasing the beauty of Hmong ethnic culture.
Teacher Ly Hong Quan not only skillfully performs traditional Hmong reed pipe dances but also creates many new and captivating movements. Audiences from many places have marveled at his reed pipe dances on ropes, high poles, handstands while playing the reed pipe, and other technically skillful and visually stunning combined movements. These innovations both preserve the essence of tradition and add appeal to the Hmong reed pipe dance art in contemporary life.
The young teacher's efforts have been recognized with numerous awards and medals at cultural festivals from the provincial to the national level. But above all, the greatest reward for him is seeing more and more children fall in love with the sound of the khene (a traditional Vietnamese wind instrument) and proudly perform the traditional dances of their ethnic group.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202605/nguoi-giu-lua-khen-mong-o-nghien-loan-c80589c/
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