The artisan took pains to collect H're musical instruments.

Meritorious Artisan Dinh Cong Bon has dedicated a special room to preserve musical instruments and cultural artifacts of the H're people such as gongs, drums, bronze pots, baskets, hunting tools, flutes... with more than 100 musical instruments and artifacts.

Meritorious Artisan Dinh Cong Bon collected more than 100 musical instruments and traditional artifacts of the H're people. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Since ancient times, in traditional festivals, the H're people often use songs, dances, gongs, cymbals, and musical instruments to convey the emotions and spirit of the H're people. As a H're, Mr. Bon is knowledgeable about musical instruments and the traditional culture of the people here. "Due to changes in time, living conditions, and the times, some traditional musical instruments are gradually disappearing from the spiritual life of the H're people here," he said.

Since 2012, Mr. Bon has traveled to all localities in Son Ha district to research and restore musical instruments of his ethnic group, but the number of musical instruments among the people is still very small. “The people who keep the musical instruments are usually old people, when they pass away, there are no successors. I am worried that if I do not collect them soon, my descendants will not know anything about the cultural identity of the H're,” Mr. Bon worried.

The musical instruments of the H're people are very diverse, rich and are made from materials of the mountains and forests such as bamboo, dried gourds, etc., which are close to the life of the H're people. Mr. Bon shared: "In the past, people went to work on the fields in the mountains, very far from their villages and often had to stay there for a few days before returning home. At work, they found ways to entertain themselves and they thought of ways to make musical instruments."

Adults and the elderly cut bamboo tubes to make chinh kala to remember the sound of gongs at home, children herding buffaloes cut reed tubes to make chinh reed tubes. They also use dry gourd shells and bamboo tubes to make instruments such as B'rooc, Krâu (Crâu),... These instruments only use bamboo, rattan or straight bamboo through the dry, hollow gourd shell. The instrument has 9 keys, 2 strings, the gourd shell is both beautiful and serves as a hand rest...

Mr. Bon plays the Ta Vo musical instrument given to him by People's Artist Dinh Ngoc Su when he learned that he was collecting. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

There are few people who preserve musical instruments, and even fewer who know how to make them. Mr. Bon said that in Son Ha there is a People's Artisan Dinh Ngoc Su (Son Thuong commune), who has the merit of restoring Ta Vo musical instruments. Mr. Su is likened to a H're person who "squeezes dirt to make music".

Ta Vo is a musical instrument that looks simple but is very difficult to make. It is made from clay, kneaded and shaped into an areca nut. Mr. Bon said: “Mr. Su used a sharp stick to hollow out the inside, add 1 hole for blowing, 1 hole for ventilation, 3 holes for adjusting the high and low sounds, and yet Ta Vo produces a very clear sound, echoing like the sound of the forest, the sound of a flowing stream. I was lucky to receive a Ta Vo from Mr. Su when he found out that I collect musical instruments.”

In order to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of the H're, Mr. Bon regularly teaches musical instruments to each hamlet and village. He invites the elders who know about musical instruments in the village to join in. At this time, the villagers gather to listen to the elders play gongs, play flutes, etc. Mr. Bon also goes to schools in Son Ha district to display traditional musical instruments.

Mr. Bon shared: "I hope that authorities at all levels and social organizations will join hands to preserve traditional musical instruments from being lost through collection and teaching, thereby promoting the traditional cultural identity of the H're people."

NGUYEN TRANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nguoi-nghe-nhan-cat-cong-suu-tam-nhac-cu-hre-post795272.html