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| Gong performance at the Guoi house in Doi Village, Thuong Lo Commune |
People who inspire
Doan Van Dong, aged 33, a young artisan from Thuong Long Commune, is affectionately called "Master Dong" by the local people. According to Le Nhu Suu, Head of the Culture Information Department of Nam Dong District, in Thuong Long, there are many people very good at playing the gong. But those who play it well and can teach others to play as Dong does are very rare.
Since childhood, Dong has been in contact with gongs and soon showed his gift for them. Thanks to his passion and inborn gift, Dong has mastered all the seven traditional gongs of the Co Tu people.
Dong plays the gong skillfully. He produces gong sounds which echo with feeling. His gong sounds are deep, strong and lively like sounds of the forest and mountain. For many years in a row, Dong was selected to participate in ethnic art shows from North to South, in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, etc. His devotion to gongs not only is the pride of his family, but also inspires many young people in the village to learn to play the gong to continue this tradition.
In Thuong Quang Commune, artist Ta Ruong Vinh, despite his old age, still persistently gives gong lessons to his students. “Gong music has been available since ancient times. One just needs patience and industriousness to learn to play. Playing the gong is not difficult, but to play it well with feeling, one needs skillfulness and carefulness,” said he.
Among Vinh's students, Ho Van Dot is the one who often accompanies his master in practice sessions. "Thanks to Mr. Vinh, we understand everything about gongs. We often organize competitions among villages to maintain the gong culture,” said Dot.
The original cultural feature
In the mountainous district of Nam Dong, sounds of gongs have become an indispensable part of the cultural life of Co Tu people, especially in Thuong Long Commune where 374 households own more than 500 gongs. The gong is not only a musical instrument but also a sacred symbol, closely associated with the life and spirituality of the people.
According to Ta Ruong Mao, former cultural officer of Thuong Long Commune, each clan or village in the commune boasts its own set of gongs, which is never lent to any others on important occasions. The fact that each family has its own gongs clearly shows their respect for tradition and their responsibility for maintaining their ethnic identity.
Doan Van Dong is proud that in Thuong Long, children grow up with the sounds of gongs thanks to which each child has gradually felt the love for and pride in his ancestry’s cultural heritage. "My son is only 15 years old, and he already knows how to play the gong proficiently. Here, children have been familiar with gongs since childhood. Gongs become an inseparable part of their childhood,” said Dong.
Unique in Nam Dong is that young people in villages not only learn to play the gong to participate in festivals but also regularly organize exchange sessions and competitions among villages to create a vibrant atmosphere. In afternoons after work, the sounds of gongs from one village sound; another village responds, forming an “unofficial competition” between young people. "Those who listen can know right away which village is good at playing the gong, and those who feel they are still not good will find for them a teacher. Sounds of gongs are not only music but also a means of communication, connecting villages and people together,” said Mao.
These exchange competitions not only help young people practice their skills, but also help them better understand the value and the deep meaning of the gong in their communal life. They are thus aware that conserving and promoting the gong heritage is not only a responsibility but also a pride in their ethnic identity.
According to Le Thanh Ho, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dong District, many classes are being given to teach traditional musical instruments in Thuong Long Commune, Thuong Quang. Students learn how to play traditional musical instruments such as tam reng, a tor, a bel, monochord, flute, drum, gong, etc. For Co Tu people, traditional musical instruments are sacred original spiritual cultural products. Playing them is their need after hours of hard work.