The person spreading gong culture in Ea Kar.

The resounding sound of gongs has long been a familiar melody, a distinctive cultural identity of the ethnic groups in Dak Lak province. Amidst the flow of modernity, Mr. Tran Hai Dang in Ea Kar commune continues to diligently instill a passion for gongs in the younger generation.

From a young age, Tran Hai Dang was fascinated by the deep, resonant sound of gongs and drums by the fireplace. This love grew even stronger when he married an Ede girl. This encounter further motivated him to learn and connect more deeply with gong culture.

In 2011, after graduating from university, Mr. Dang returned to work in his local area. As the Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Ea Kar town (formerly), he had the opportunity to learn more about gongs and drums. Undeterred by the hardships, he sought out artisans in villages throughout the area to learn, patiently practicing each gong rhythm.

Mr. Tran Hai Dang crafts ching kram.

During the day, he's busy with youth work, and in the evening, he diligently practices with a set of gongs borrowed from his relatives. After more than eight years of perseverance, from initially clumsy strokes, he has become proficient in playing each gong in the set and mastered the techniques of the gong rhythms commonly used in Ede cultural activities such as rain-praying ceremonies, new rice harvest celebrations, funerals, and traditional dances.

In 2019, Mr. Dang participated in a gong-playing training course organized by the Dak Lak Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Ea Kar (formerly) District Police. There, he successfully recruited 22 young people from 6 villages to join, forming a gong-playing team that continues to operate to this day.

As the Secretary of the Youth Union of Ea Kar town (from 2019 to 2024), he continued to organize classes to teach ching kram playing and traditional dance to six gong teams from schools in the area. He also collaborated with the Women's Union of the former Ea Kar district to open two ching kram playing classes for women in M'Briu and Tơng Sinh villages. To date, these gong teams are regularly invited to perform at many cultural events in the province.

Mr. Tran Hai Dang teaches the ching kram playing technique to students.

Many gong ensembles taught by Mr. Dang have won awards at the Dak Lak Gong Culture Festival in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and the Ea Kar District Gong Culture Festival in 2023 and 2024... Not only does he teach, but he also crafts ching kram (traditional Vietnamese gongs) as gifts for his students. In 2023, he completed a course on tuning Ede gongs. With his enthusiasm and expertise, he has been invited to teach in many localities throughout the province. He was also invited to be a judge at the Ea Kar District Gong Culture Festival in 2023 and 2024.

"Every time I see the children practicing with such enthusiasm, I feel very happy. For me, gongs are not just music, but also the soul and identity of our people," Dang shared.

In the context of integration, people like Mr. Dang are the bridge, bringing gongs closer to the younger generation, contributing to preserving and spreading the cultural essence of the Central Highlands today and in the future.

Mr. Dung

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202509/nguoi-lan-toa-van-hoa-cong-chieng-o-ea-kar-e680ff3/