[Video] Cuckoo flute, cultural "treasure" of Xa Pho people

From the legend of the natural flute sound produced when the wind blows through a hole in a bamboo tree that has been bored by ants, the Xa Pho people created a flute with only one hole and no tuning hole, blown with the nose (called Na cu pi cuc ke).

This type of flute requires the player to have talent and the ability to control their breathing delicately. The clear, gentle sound of the flute used to be the sound associated with moonlit nights, markets, or village courtship sessions.

Meritorious artisan Dang Thi Thanh, a daughter of the Xa Pho ethnic group, is the only person who still preserves and teaches how to play and craft this precious musical instrument. She has been passionate about the sound of the cuc ke flute since she was 15 years old and has since devoted her life to learning how to play it, going to the forest to find old bamboo, and researching how to create the correct sound hole.

Not only performing, artist Dang Thi Thanh is also dedicated to teaching the younger generation. Besides the cuc ke flute, Ms. Thanh also participates in teaching dances, folk songs, and traditional festivals, contributing to bringing Xa Pho culture to schools, art troupes, and mass art stages.

Teaching is not only about preserving a musical instrument, but also abouteducating the tradition, helping the young generation to be more aware of the origin of national culture, to be proud and responsible for preserving it.

Ms. Thanh's persistent efforts have contributed to making the Cúc Kè flute, a cultural "treasure" of the Xa Pho people, continue to resonate in the vast Northwest today.