Bustling... stirring the beds

The art of bamboo flute performance is preserved and promoted by the Thai ethnic people in Quan Son district.

Khua luong is a folk performance of the Thai ethnic group in general and Quan Son district in particular. To perform khua luong, people choose a large tree, then carve a large hole to create sound and use wooden sticks about 1.5m long to hit the tree trunk. Usually, there are 6 to 8 women participating in khua luong, one of whom acts as the leader, one beats the rhythm and the remaining pairs use wooden sticks to hit the sides of the tree in rhythm.

According to the elders in Quan Son district, pounding rice originated from the labor and production of the people here. For Thai ethnic women, pounding rice is a familiar daily task to create family meals. While pounding rice, women often pound the pestle a few times on the bed or knock the pestles together, creating attractive sounds, dispelling the difficulties in life. Over time, pounding rice has become an indispensable art form in the lives of Thai ethnic people.

Ms. Ha Thi Thung, a passionate person in Phe village, Tam Thanh commune, said: "Ever since I was little, I watched my grandmothers and mothers perform the song "Khua Luong" and I was very passionate and determined to learn. With the guidance of my grandmother and mother, I was over 10 years old and was able to perform the song "Khua Luong" skillfully. Over the years, I have taken advantage of my free time to train many women in the village. Through these training sessions, many women have learned how to perform and actively participate in cultural and artistic activities, together passing on their passion for the art of singing "Khua Luong" to the younger generation."

Mr. Ha Van Tung, Chairman of Tam Thanh Commune People's Committee, said: Tam Thanh is a border commune, the Thai ethnic group accounts for more than 95%, the people's lives face many difficulties but they are always aware of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, including the art of performing the bamboo flute. Thanks to that, the art of performing the bamboo flute always appears on holidays and Tet, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere, increasing community cohesion, educating the younger generation to appreciate the "treasure" left by their ancestors.

"In order to preserve and promote the art of Khua Luong performance, Quan Son district has directed communes and towns to promote the value of this performance to the spiritual life of the people. Encourage those who are knowledgeable about Khua Luong performance to teach the younger generation. Therefore, Khua Luong performance art is promoted in the life of the Thai ethnic group. In the coming time, the district will continue to encourage localities to organize cultural and artistic exchange activities; pay attention to bringing Khua Luong performance art into cultural and artistic programs, extracurricular activities in schools; mobilize resources to preserve and promote Khua Luong performance art", Mr. Le Van Tho, Head of the Department of Culture, Science and Information of Quan Son district shared.

Article and photos: Xuan Anh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ron-rang-khua-luong-252849.htm