The keeper of gong culture in the heart of the Central Highlands

The house of artisan A Lip has become a place to teach gong to children.

Although he is old and his health is not what it used to be, he still quietly carries out the mission of preserving the nation's unique intangible cultural heritage, fueling the passion of the young generation in the midst of an increasingly hurried modern life.

Arousing national pride in the young generation

Local people have long been familiar with the image of a thin, gray-haired man carrying a set of gongs on his old motorbike, traveling around villages and schools to teach gongs to children. That is artisan A Lip, who, despite his old age, is still steadfast in his passion for folk music .

Born into a family with a rich Ba Na cultural tradition, from his childhood, A Lip was carried by his father to participate in village festivals, from the new rice celebration, the water offering ceremony to the grave abandonment ceremony. At the age of 11, he had mastered traditional gong songs.

“In the past, my family had many gongs. After my father passed away, he wished to bury the gongs with him, so those precious gongs are now in the cemetery. Later, I collected 10 precious gong sets, but I gave them away and some were lost. Now I only have 3 sets left, I keep them to serve festivals, cultural exchanges and teach children in the village,” artisan A Lip recounted.

For many years, Mr. A Lip’s small house has become a familiar “gong classroom” for the children in the village. Every afternoon, after school, the children gather at Mr. A Lip’s house to practice tapping rhythms and learn to play gongs according to the Ba Na people’s musical rules. No lesson plans, no podium, his classroom is a simple porch, where the sounds of gongs resound, reverberating between the mountains and hills.

Dinh Phat, one of the children in the Groi village gong troupe, shared: “Every afternoon after school, we go to Mr. A Lip’s house to learn to play the gong. It’s fun here, we learn many things. Recently, my classmates also got to perform with adults, and met many people, so I really enjoyed it. I hope that when I grow up, I will be as good at playing the gong as the artisans.”

With the strong development of modern society, Western music and electronic music have penetrated into the Central Highlands villages, causing the sound of gongs to gradually disappear. Facing the risk of losing traditional culture, artisan A Lip cannot help but worry. He said: “In the past, every festival, gongs would rise up, everyone wanted to play gongs and dance xoang. That was an honor. Now no one teaches, young people easily forget, so I have to try to preserve it.”

A lifetime of dedication to gongs

Not only teaching children in the village, artisan A Lip also actively coordinates with schools in Dak Doa and Adok communes to teach gongs to students. Up to now, he has helped about 200 children learn to play gongs.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Principal of Primary School No. 1 (Groi village), commented: “For many years, the school has always had a young gong team of 20 students, all of whom are students of artist A Lip. The school's gong team often achieves high results in cultural performances. Teacher A Lip is very dedicated, teaching students completely on a voluntary basis.”

Thanks to his dedication, Groi village now has two gong teams operating regularly. The big gong team consists of 21 people from 23 to 70 years old; the little gong team has 20 children from 6 to 12 years old. This is the next generation force that is contributing to preserving and promoting the Ba Na gong culture in modern life.

Not only does he teach, artisan A Lip is also a collector and preserver of rare gong sets. The gongs in his hands are not only musical instruments, but also “cultural treasures”, recording the memories, customs, festivals, and the soul of the Ba Na people. Every time he plays the gong, he awakens the memories of the village, arousing national pride in the hearts of the young generation.

“I keep gongs not for decoration, but to pass them on to my children and grandchildren. As long as the gongs remain, the village will have its soul. As long as the gongs remain, the Ba Na people will remain,” artisan A Lip emphasized. Thanks to his continuous and consistent contributions, artisan A Lip was honored to be awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan in the field of folk performing arts by the President - a worthy reward for someone who has devoted his life to national culture.

Gia Lai province has issued many policies to support artisans, organize gong teaching classes, and develop plans to maintain gong teams at the grassroots level. However, there are still many difficulties in terms of funding, facilities, and uneven attention from some localities. Therefore, it is necessary to have the cooperation of the whole society to preserve the culture of ethnic minorities. At the same time, honoring artisans does not stop at certificates of merit, but requires specific policies to support them materially and spiritually, so that they can confidently teach for a long time.

In the midst of the windy wilderness, the gong sound of artisan A Lip still echoes, like a message to the younger generation to love and preserve the traditional values of their nation. He is not only teaching a musical instrument, but also sowing in the hearts of the younger generation the flame of love for national identity - a flame that will continue to burn forever in the heart of the vast Central Highlands.

SONG NGAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nguoi-giu-lua-van-hoa-cong-chieng-giua-long-tay-nguyen-post911806.html