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QTO - For the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups, musical instruments, folk songs, folk dances, and costumes are considered the "soul" and unique culture that has been preserved and conserved through many generations. In the villages of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups under the canopy of the Truong Son forest, there are still many artisans who are dedicated and devoted to preserving and passing on the cultural heritage that has made up the soul of the village to future generations.

The stilt house of Mr. Ho A Cho, in Thuan 4 village, Lia commune, is a place to display more than 100 artifacts, mainly ethnic musical instruments, agricultural production tools, and unique stream fishing tools of the Bru Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups.

Mr. Ho A Cho said that his passion for collecting traditional musical instruments, agricultural production tools, stream fishing tools... started around 2000, when he was the Secretary of the Youth Union of Thuan commune (formerly) until now. At that time, every time he set foot in the villages, he witnessed with his own eyes traditional musical instruments, agricultural production tools, stream fishing tools... becoming less and less present under the stilt houses of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups.

Many valuable cultural and religious artifacts of the ethnic groups have been turned into commodities by the market "whirlwind", causing many villages to gradually lose their roots. For example, traditional musical instruments including gongs, cymbals, Xa Cong drums (called A Cur drums by the Pa Ko ethnic group), Pa Lui lutes, Khui flutes, Pi flutes... are closely associated with the lives of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups...

Mr. Ho A Cho introduces the Ta Lu instrument he collected - Photo: SH

That reality made Mr. Cho ponder and think for a long time, then he decided to spend his "own money" to collect and preserve the artifacts with the wish to pass them on to his descendants. By 2022, when the collected artifacts were "filled" in the house where Mr. Cho and his wife are currently living, he decided to invest more than 80 million VND to build a stilt house to display the artifacts he collected.

As for Meritorious Artist Kray Suc in A Lieng village, Ta Rut commune, he said that for more than 21 years (from 2004 to present), he has been working day and night, climbing mountains and crossing streams to visit all the villages of the Pa Ko ethnic group to meet the village elders, then talk, learn, and meticulously record each folk song, folk dance... as well as the methods and rituals in the festival system.

From the collected materials, Meritorious Artist Kray Suc and the art troupe of Ta Rut commune (old) staged art performances to perform in many places. In addition, he collected and compiled dozens of lesson plans to teach Pa Ko folk songs such as Ca Loi-Cha Chap, Xieng, A Un, Caraun, Terate'k, Ra Zok, Caracadoi, T'rel...; dances such as Toong dance (dance in the middle of the field), Xieng cam priing, Ra Yook, Poon Rayoock... and many musical instruments such as gongs, cymbals, Ampreh, Ta lu...

According to Meritorious Artisan Kray Suc, cultural preservation requires the participation of many dedicated artisans to systematically and professionally collect and restore tangible and intangible cultural content. Collecting and preserving traditional musical instruments, production tools, household items, etc. still belongs to the people. Collecting, compiling and compiling folk literature works, folk songs, folk music , etc. into books and systematic works of academic value.

Pay attention to teaching traditional culture to the young generation of Pa Ko ethnic people. Build community cultural activity spots where artists perform Pa Ko dances and folk songs so that boys and girls from upper and lower villages can see the beauty of their ethnic folk songs and voluntarily learn and study them.

Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202509/luu-giu-cho-mai-sau-1b4565b/