The Keeper of the Mountain's Sound

Nestled halfway up the mountain in Phiêng Đén village, Quảng Bạch commune, the melodious sound of the Hmong flute resonates, recounting stories of spring, countless love markets, and unfulfilled romances. The flutist is Mr. Chảo Phái Lừ – an "unqualified artist" who can play many traditional musical instruments and, remarkably, he also crafts flutes, pipes, and mouth harps by hand from bamboo, reeds, and forest wood.

Mr. Chảo Phái Lừ performs on traditional Hmong musical instruments.

Following the Secretary of the Youth Union of Quang Bach commune, we visited Mr. Chao Phai Lu, affectionately known by the villagers as "Mr. Lu the musician." From afar, we could hear the melodious, enchanting sounds of the flute, sometimes sweet and gentle, sometimes poignant and heartfelt. Inside the kitchen, where the fire blazed, Mr. Lu was skillfully gliding his fingers across a flute he had crafted himself.

In his family's traditional wooden house, he hung many musical instruments such as the khaen (a type of mouth organ), the nhi (a two-stringed fiddle), and the flute... each one meticulously polished to a shine.

Mr. Lu recounted that he had loved his ethnic group's musical instruments since he was a child. Whether he was herding buffalo and cattle, working in the fields, or venturing into the forest, he always carried his mouth harp, khaen, or bamboo flute with him.

The first musical instrument he learned and played was the Hmong flute. Later, driven by passion, he learned from friends and artisans in his village and became proficient in several other instruments, such as the two-stringed fiddle (đàn nhị), the zither (đàn Tính), the Hmong mouth organ (khèn), the leaf-mouth organ (khèn lá), and the pí lè…

According to Mr. Lu, many of the Hmong traditional musical instruments are very difficult to make. To play them well and use them skillfully requires not only talent but also considerable time. As for him, driven by passion, he has taught himself, gradually infusing soul into the instruments, so that whenever the flute or reed pipe sounds, it is captivating and alluring to the listener.

When we expressed our desire to hear him play the two-stringed fiddle or the bamboo flute, Mr. Lu happily played the fiddle and performed the Hmong song "Pure Love" with its smooth, melodious tunes: "Oh my dear! For so many years I've entrusted my love to you/I love you so much but haven't dared to say it/Come to the love market with me..."

"Preserving the spirit of the mountains," teaching children to love traditional musical instruments.

To preserve the cultural identity of the Hmong ethnic group, Mr. Lu taught his son, Chao My Giang, to play several musical instruments.

Chảo Mý Giàng shared: "My father is very good at playing the Hmong mouth organ and flute, so since I was little I've listened to many musical instruments, and I like the Hmong flute the most. I started learning to play the flute in the 6th grade. It was very difficult at first, but with a lot of practice, I'm now quite proficient and can play many songs on the Hmong flute. I will learn some other traditional musical instruments such as the Hmong mouth organ and the Tinh lute..."

Mr. Chảo Phái Lừ is self-taught and can play many different musical instruments.

Mr. Lu also teaches children in the village for free. Every summer, his small house resounds with the sounds of children practicing playing the flute and young people practicing the khene (a traditional Vietnamese wind instrument)...

"Some children, after learning to play the flute, then ask to learn the mouth harp as well. That makes me happy," Mr. Chảo Phái Lừ shared.

Over the years, Mr. Chảo Phái Lừ has actively participated in the mass arts movement, and has been invited many times to participate in local arts performances and competitions...

His son, Chảo Mý Giàng, also regularly participates in cultural and artistic programs at school and in the local area. At the 2024 Young Artists Festival, Giàng performed a solo Hmong flute piece titled "Spring Comes to the Hmong Village" and won the award for best musical instrument.

Ms. Lieu Thi Nhat Le, Secretary of the Youth Union of Quang Bach commune, shared: "In the past, the locality has also propagated and encouraged Mr. Chao Phai Lu and his family to continue preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group, and at the same time teach the younger generation to know and use the musical instruments of their ethnic group, in order to maintain the cultural identity of the ethnic groups in the area."

Without seeking titles or certificates, this Hmong man truly "preserves the soul of the mountains"—with his calloused hands and his heart full of love for his ethnic culture. On the way back, the song of this multi-talented "artist" still echoed in our ears: "Your figure is as beautiful as a fresh flower, your smile is as smooth as a flower on the hill… ho… ho…!"

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202510/nguoi-giu-thanh-am-cua-nui-9400188/