Muong artist Le Van Ban performs the Du Drum dance, an ancient original art of the Muong ethnic minority community in Phu Tho Province

For a Muong elder, the Du Drum dance is a deeply philosophical quest.

Hidden behind his harsh appearance is the fact that the resident of Hung Long Commune in the northern midland Phu Tho Province’s Yen Lap District is the master of a traditional art form that is deemed an intangible cultural heritage of the Muong people – the Du Drum dance.

When he was 13 years old attending a local village festival, Ban saw an old man whose hair and body were white, stripped to his waist, wearing just a loincloth, performing a drum dance along with a boy. They performed with a big drum, beating it and dancing rhythmically to its beats.

Ban was entranced. When the festival ended, he followed the performer, Ha Van Cau, and implored the old man to teach him the art.

Ban learned the drum dance skills from Cau for three years.

According to provincial folklorist Dinh Tien Phu, in the Muong language, “Du Drum” means “Beating drum for fun and entertainment.”

“The dance is performed during local festivals, performances, celebrations for longevity, and funerals,” he says.

No one remembers when the art originated, just that it was a long, long time ago.

Ban recalls an old Muong legend which explains the origin of the drum dance.

“There was a Muong couple who lived happily together. The wife died suddenly after contracting a serious illness. The husband was devastated and their six-year-old son always cried and called for his mother. Feeling sorry for the little boy, that spring, the father took his son out to attend a spring festival. He bought a drum to beat and make fun for the boy. The drum provided solace to father and son and brought them even closer. When the father died, the son played the drum to see him off.”

That was how the Du Drum was born.

The actions of beating the drum, rotating and rolling it, express the feelings of the husband who misses his wife as also a father’s love for his children.

“According to our traditional customs, women do not learn or perform the drum dance,” says Ban.

According to the local Muong, the drum dance manifests their dreams for a prosperous and happy life. It also expresses solidarity among neighbors and reduces the distance between the rich and the poor. The dance expresses the laborers’ aspirations for a happy future.

“Animated drum sounds see travelers off, and welcome people who come back,” says Ban. The drum dance is also performed in funerals, but with sad rhythms, he adds.

Through the passage of time with its ups and downs, the drum dance has been popularized and improved to be an indispensable cultural activity of the Muong people in the region.

Earlier, the drum dance had only one performer, says Ban. Gradually, it has become a troupe dance, with two forms: eight men performing with two big drums, or five men with a big drum and a small one.

The performers include a man who is the main dancer and main drum player, the second is the assistant dancer, the third man plays the Sona trumpet – a traditional instrument, the fourth plays castanets and the fifth person beats a small drum.

The drum is made of buffalo skin, with diameter of 30cm, and 45cm long, enough for the dancer to hold it and rotate it easily.

According to local elders, Du Drum dancers must have good strength, dexterity and stamina.

Ban is quick and strong enough to perform despite his age.

While performing, Ban who is the main dancer, stands on a sedge mat in the middle of the stage. He beats the drum as he dances, in tune with the other instruments.

The main dancer wears red clothes with a red band on his head, while the others are dressed similarly in brown.

“These musical instruments are normal, but their coordination creates sounds that capture the Muong character: passionate and fierce,” says folklorist Phu.

The commune’s Du Drum Dance Troupe was established in 1999 and it has performed in many local and provincial festivals. For its four or five performances a year, its members do not receive an official salary from the local authorities. They practice and perform as volunteers.

The team is the pride of the Muong community as a whole, says commune People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Viet.

“The team not only serves village festivals and performances in Yen Lap District, but they also perform at the festivals at Hung Kings’ Temple Complex in Phu Tho Province and other provincial festivals,” says Viet.

Ban says the Du Drum dance is an indispensable part of his life and soul.

“I’ve performed the drum dance for 46 years but each time I perform, I have more thoughts about life,” he says.

“We all want to preserve our ethnic and cultural features and values. I am still concerned because we are so busy with farming work that we have little free time to spend just for practicing.”

Reported by Hoang Trung Hieu