K’toang drum is the most unique one among musical instruments stored by Cham H’roi ethnic minority people in Van Canh district.
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Ngoc Huong is the first woman performing K’toang drum in Van Canh district. Photo V.L |
Cham H’roi ethnic minority group has two types of drums named L’toang and K’toang. The L’toang drum is often used for solo performance and in harmony with Gongs . Performing this type of drum is based on the moves of animals.
As for K’toang drum, Cham H’roi people often use it together with chieng ba (another kind of Gong). The most interesting feature of K’toang drum is that it is used in parallel with another drum.
According to Minh Thanh Thao, a researcher spending much time on the native culture, K’toang drum shows Cham H’roi’s chacracters, that is optimism and strength.
It is quite easy to use K’toang drum but it’s difficult to make its sound interesting and attractive. Although K’toang drum is often used by men, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong, a woman living in Hiep Ha village is the best K’toang drummers in the past 10 years in Van Canh.
Performing at recent festival, she has always left special impression on the audience. Huong is a “second-to-none” female drummer as there was no woman using K’toang drum before.
“When I was a child, I dreamt of becoming a K’toang drummer when seeing my male villagers used it,” Huong said. “It gives me confidence and strength.”
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