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Tran Bac and a big drum. Photo V.T |
Mentioning Binh Dinh’s unique features, one must never forget Tay Son wardrum or the sound of drums at nights of Vietnamese classical opera. My An Hamlet of Tay Binh Commune is a place where the drum making still exists.
Tran Bac, a 75-year old drum maker, felt rejuvenated when being asked about the drum making. Pointing at drum-barrels, he said: “The most obvious difference of drums made in My An is that drum-barrels are made from jackfruit trees”.
The trunk of an old jackfruit tree is used to make the drum-barrel after its pith is removed. All kinds of drum, big or small, are made with this method.
The making of drumhead comes next. My An’s drum-makers don’t use tanned leather to make the drumhead. They often buy fresh leather and dry it out. The leather is then wedged tightly to make the drumhead, which need skills and carefulness.
The most meticulous procedure is to cover the leather. After the leather is covered over the wedges on the drum-barrel, the drum-maker will strongly jump on it. This will make the drumhead slack before it will be tightly wedged.
It usually takes nearly one month to make a My An small drum. Because of this, the price is quite high, which is also a disadvantage. However, compared with drums made from other places, My An’s drums are famous for their elegant sound and durability.
“I don’t know exactly when the making of drum started. I only know that my father had made drums when I was born. My grandfather living in Quang Nam province taught him the drum making,” said Tran Bac.
Fortunately, in My An, it’s easy to find jackfruit trees; therefore, the technique to make the drum-barrel is completely different from other places. One more thing is that this land is also famous for the buffalo breeding, providing leather for the making of drumhead.
“We only make drums when there is order. Unlike the past time, there are fewer people ordering us to make drums now. Hence, my son makes drums just for fun. His full-time job is teaching, “ Bac added.
Leaving My An, I visited Quang Trung Museum, listening to the sound of drums. It seemed that they were reminding the Tay Son insurgent army’s wardrums. I wondered if any of them had been made in My An.
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