 |
| A King Luu has chosen modern music as a way to tell stories about his homeland. Photo: Supplied by the artist |
Shadows of the mountains in the sound of guitar
“I love those mountain shadows, the mountains that stand behind my father / Protecting our home, protecting our village / Through storms of bullets and rain of bombs...”. A King Luu's bright, high-pitched and powerful voice rings out in the music video Bong Nui Lung Tran (Mountain Shadows Behind Bare Shoulders), accompanied by familiar images of his homeland in A Luoi.
Released on Vietnam's National Day, September 2nd, the music video Bong Nui Lung Tran is a project into which Luu poured considerable time and effort, filming in his hometown. The footage captures the landscapes of A Luoi, the Ta Oi people and scenes of everyday life in the area. Luu appears with an electric guitar, dressed in traditional Zeng attire, bringing modern music into a setting deeply rooted in his homeland.
The music video tells the story of A Luoi through the memories of a son of Ta Oi. A father leaves home to join the resistance and never returns. His son grows up, following his father's footsteps to defend the country, and eventually returning home to become a village elder. By connecting memories of wartime with life today, the story expresses love for one's homeland and the passing down of values through generations of the Ta Oi community.
“This song is a gift I want to share with music lovers, especially those from my homeland of A Luoi and A Roang. I invested in the visuals, with carefully crafted footage and beautiful camera angles, because I want to spread love for our homeland and country. Through this work, I also hope to introduce the landscapes, the people, and Ta Oi culture, as well as the distinctive identities of ethnic communities living along the Truong Son mountain range,” A King Luu shared.
The release received considerable positive feedback, with audiences praising the visuals, lyrics and Luu's voice.
His homeland is also present in his performances in Hanoi. Luu often wears traditional Ta Oi Zeng clothing on stage. After performances, the outfit frequently becomes a conversation starter between him and audience members. When someone expresses interest in buying one, he puts them in touch with Zeng weavers back home. “Every time that happens, I get another opportunity to tell people about the Ta Oi, A Luoi and our culture,” Luu said enthusiastically.
When talking about Zeng, the first people who come to Luu's mind are the women back home, including his mother, sisters and grandmothers. “That outfit carries the handiwork of my sisters, grandmothers and my mother. I want people to think of my homeland whenever they see me wearing it,” he shared.
Bringing Ta Oi identity to the stage
A King Luu was born and raised in what was formerly A Roang Commune, now part of A Luoi 4 Commune. From an early age, he learned to play the Ta Lu and several other traditional Ta Oi musical instruments.
His connection with the guitar began while he was studying at Thua Thien Hue Provincial Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities, now Hue City. After seeing older students practicing the guitar, Luu became curious and began learning from them. Since his family did not own an instrument, he would often wait until the others had finished practicing, then ask to borrow a guitar for a few minutes and teach himself different chords.
In Grade 11, Luu called home to ask his father to buy him a guitar. His father worked as a construction laborer and had to save money for nearly a month before he could afford one. “It was the first guitar I ever owned. Even now, whenever I pick up a guitar, I remember those days when my father came home from construction work covered in cement dust so he could buy one for me,” Luu recalled.
After graduating from high school, Luu moved to Hanoi with around VND 800.000 borrowed from an acquaintance. He found work at a musical instrument shop, selling guitars and making deliveries during the day while studying independently and preparing for entrance exams to an arts school in the evenings.
In 2019, Luu was admitted to the Music Performance program at the Central University of Art Education in Hanoi. The guitar he had once borrowed just to try playing became an instrument central to his studies and performances.
After completing his studies, he took part in numerous music programs and had opportunities to share the stage with Lam Bao Ngoc, Bui Cong Nam and other young artists. Even as he became active in the professional music scene, he continued to present himself in ways that reflected Ta Oi culture.
Luu shares: “When I was growing up, these things were so familiar that I never thought of them as material for artistic expression. It was only after moving to Hanoi that I realized how many people had never heard of Ta Oi culture, never heard our language, and knew nothing about the Ta Lu instrument or Ta Oi Zeng weaving”.
Incorporating traditional elements into modern music requires preserving their distinctive character. Luu wants the sounds and images familiar to his community to remain recognizable, while choosing forms of expression that are accessible enough for younger audiences to appreciate.
“A song needs to tell a meaningful story. I want Ta Oi listeners to recognize our culture in the music, while those who are unfamiliar with it can be inspired to become curious and learn more,” he said.
Luu is currently working toward an album that combines modern music with elements of Ta Oi culture, with Bong Nui Lung Tran serving as the first step in the project. Images of A Luoi, the language of the community, traditional musical instruments and Zeng textiles will continue to be featured in his work.
“I want to preserve the spirit of my people, but tell our stories through the language of today's music so that more people can connect with them,” Luu reflected.