Sinus ring

Contributing to the traditional cultural identity of the ethnic minorities of Kon Tum , blending with the passionate gong melodies in festivals, there are many captivating and attractive xoang songs. In village festivals or happy occasions within the family, xoang melodies are passionate and bustling; but at funerals or when sick, xoang melodies are slow and sad.

In the small kitchen, the excellent artist Y Der in Kon So Tiu village (Ngoc Reo commune, Dak Ha district) was very happy when she was reminded of the xoang dance of the To Dra people in the Ngoc Wang mountain region. While slowly explaining, she occasionally stood up enthusiastically, enthusiastically illustrating with each hand gesture and footstep. The xoang dance “celebrating new rice” alone is not long, but it contains many vivid movements and poses, imitating daily activities related to the production process, from cutting trees to clearing fields, breaking soil, sowing seeds, to weeding, chasing birds, threshing rice…

Sinus exercises in the village . Photo: TN

According to Ms. Y Der, the unique features of the xoang dance of the Xo Dang ethnic group and other ethnic minorities (Gie Trieng, Ba Na, Gia Rai...) in the Northern Central Highlands can only be known when they join in the gong rhythm and are recognized, first of all, by their own "village people". Perhaps, that is the soul of the xoang dance of each ethnic group, each community; the heart and feelings of each community, each ethnic group in the long-standing cultural roots that, through many joys and sorrows, joys and sufferings, the people still vow to preserve until the future.

Do you still remember the nights when young and old men and women in Ba Rgoc village (Sa Son commune, Sa Thay district) gathered together, diligently practicing to organize the Gia Rai people's peace-praying ceremony? According to Ms. Y Tung - a xoang lover here, since ancient times, Yang had arranged everything. While gongs and traditional musical instruments (commonly known as t'rung, ting ning, big drum, small drum...) are for boys and men; xoang dance is reserved for women and girls. During the ceremony and festival, gongs and xoang dance are like brothers and sisters, like a loving couple that can never be apart.

It is impossible to perform gongs and other traditional musical instruments without xoang accompanying them, just as it is impossible to suddenly join a xoang dance circle without the harmonious sounds of gongs and drums. Whether sad or happy, big or small, gongs and xoang are inseparable. When gongs are honored as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, it also contains the silent contribution of simple but passionate, simple but unique xoang melodies.

Sinus ring. Photo: TN

Therefore, according to artisan Y Nhien - a Trieng in Dak Rang village (Dak Duc commune, Ngoc Hoi district), since ancient times, not every house had a complete set of gongs, so when they could hold the gong (around twelve or thirteen years old), boys could practice beating it out loud. Girls, at only seven or eight years old, could also get used to the xoang rhythm. As it has been in their breath since birth, practicing xoang is not difficult. The xoang dancer always keeps their back straight, their shoulders balanced, while their hands and feet continuously move rhythmically and flexibly. When they only need to hear the sound of the gong to jump their feet, shake their hands, and sway their bodies... the xoang has truly "absorbed" them.

Having been familiar with sinus since they were little girls, over time and through many festivals and cultural events attended, the sinuses of the sisters have also become more graceful, mature, passionate, and attractive. As a girl in the village, it seems that everyone knows sinuses, but only a few people are recognized as "good sinuses" and can teach others. Following in the footsteps of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts, they always diligently practice and teach their grandchildren.

Proud of the beauty of gongs and xoang dances of the Ba Na people, artisan Y Hanh in Kon Klor village (Thang Loi ward, Kon Tum city) realized that: Beautiful xoang, good xoang is a xoang song with outstanding ideas, clear structure, rich and flexible movements performed evenly. From the model of ancient xoang melodies, later, mothers and sisters also created many new movements, new xoang melodies, associated with daily activities and life; contributing to enriching, lively, attractive and fresher xoang melodies in festivals and xoang performances. Associated with the effort to bring gongs and xoang dances into schools, many xoang songs with the themes of "going to school", "happy to go to school", "study hard", "friendship"... are all flexible applications of rhythmic, energetic movements, simulating activities of sitting to study, studying, moving hands and feet, doing exercises during breaks, playing in the schoolyard...

Thanh Nhu