In recent years, the people in Kgiang village who know how to play gongs are older, while the youth are not very interested in the art of gong performance. With the support of the political system and the villagers, Ms. Dinh Thi Hien - Head of the female gong team of Kgiang village has mobilized some women who love gongs to form a female gong team.
The initial difficulties were resolved when many families were willing to lend the gong team valuable gong sets for practice. Village elders and experienced artisans enthusiastically guided each member. With the support of their husbands and children, the women arranged their family work to participate in full practice sessions. Despite their age, thanks to perseverance in learning and practicing, the gong team confidently performed gongs at the village festival.
Ms. Dinh Thi Hien said: Playing gongs is difficult for men, but it is even more difficult for women, especially for many older people; the most difficult part is holding the gong for a long time, the members must be healthy enough, and play in harmony to avoid losing the beat. However, with the desire to join hands to preserve and promote the national cultural identity, the members have done their part to maintain the effective operation of the gong team. Some members also teach gong playing techniques to their children and grandchildren to continue the gong and long-lasting gong sounds.
In mid-2024, Kgiang village was equipped with a set of gongs by the province, helping the female gong team to be proactive in practicing. Since then, every weekend evening, the female gong team of Kgiang village has gathered at the communal house to practice enthusiastically, their performance techniques have improved day by day.
In addition to participating in gong performances at the village's worship ceremony, the Kgiang female gong team is sent to perform gongs in exchange programs, gong cultural festivals, spring festivals, and holidays organized by the commune. In addition, the team is also invited to perform gongs for tourists at the local homestay A Ngui. For each performance, members are compensated 50,000 - 100,000 VND/person.
Ms. Dinh Thi Klong (born in 1961), the oldest member of the Kgiang gong team, said: “I am very happy to contribute a little effort to promoting and popularizing cultural identity to tourists”. Another older member, Ms. Dinh Thi Khenh, happily said: “Through gong practice sessions, it also creates opportunities for women to exchange and share their thoughts in life, learn experiences in farming, raising livestock, and developing production. Members can take their grandchildren to the communal house to practice and look after them, creating a more joyful atmosphere”.
Often following her grandmother Dinh Thi Lam to the communal house, Dinh Thi Bich Tra (born in 2019) excitedly said: “The grandmothers wear beautiful traditional costumes and perform gongs very well. When I grow up, I will join the gong team and try to study to play gongs as well as my grandmother.”
Mr. Dinh Hrúa, Head of Kgiang Village, said: “You ladies have inspired the love of gong performance in many young people. In the near future, we will review the number of teenagers and children who love gongs to establish a children's gong team. At the same time, we will continue to pay attention and support as much as possible to help the women's gong team maintain its activities, contributing to preserving and conserving the beauty of traditional cultural values of the Bana people.”
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/suc-song-cua-doi-cong-chieng-nu-lang-kgiang-post562329.html
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