The best farmer music band in Vietnam!

Those are the feeling of many tourists when they arrived at Po Sah Inu tower, Phan Thiet city (Binh Thuan) to enjoy the traditional music from the sincere farmers of the Cham people.

The Influences of Cham culture

Po Sah Inu Tower is located on Bai Nai hill, also known as Ngoc Lan hill, in the territory of Phu Hai ward, about 7km to the northeast of Phan Thiet city center, in the Lau Ong Hoang relic area.

To serve visitors, the Management Board of the relic site regularly organizes activities bearing bold traditional culture of the Cham people such as music performances, pottery making by artisans from Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.

At Po Sah Inu tower's campus, visitors are attracted by folk art performances from Cham farmers. Everyone who has seen them perform once was mesmerized by the sound of Saranai trumpets, Paranung drums, traditional Ghinang drums in harmony with soft, gentle voices. The dances of Cham girls in traditional costumes with the background of ancient music have created a unique cultural identity of the ancient Cham people to attract tourists.

A friend of ours, when he saw this musical performance, exclaimed that this is probably the best farmer music band in Vietnam that he has ever enjoyed. Or the comments of visitors often say that the band plays an incredibly enchanting rhythm. We heard the guitar and immediately fell in love with it…

According to our research, annually, Cham religious dignitaries in neighboring districts come to Po Sah Inu tower to pray for peace, pray for rain and many other traditional rituals. Kate festival takes place in the 7th month of the Cham calendar (about September - October of the solar calendar) and is the oldest and most unique folk festival of the Brahmin Cham people with the meaning of remembrance of God and praying for favorable weather and favorable weather, favorable crops, harmonious couples, and the proliferation of people and life.

On this festival, not only Cham people in Binh Thuan, but Cham people living and working everywhere return to reunite and gather with their family, friends and relatives.

Spread the passion for national musical instruments

Wanting to know more about the traditional music of the Cham people performing at Po Sah Inu tower, we went to Mr. Ba Sinh Ty, born in 1971, a member of the music group. By talking, we know that he is the captain of the Folklore Team in My Nghiep village, Ninh Phuoc district (Ninh Thuan) with nearly 30 years of pursuing amateur art.

Born in a Cham family rich in musical traditions, Mr. Ba Sinh Ty has become acquainted with many ethnic musical instruments such as ginganga, paranung... Since then, he has not only promoted his talent in performing music at traditional festivals like Kate, pray for rain... but also transmit the fire of passion to the younger generation in their village.

Mr. Ba Sinh Ty confided that with the desire to preserve the music of his nation and reach out to many people, he has mobilized, gathered members with the same passion for music, and then established this folk art team.

Letters and arts team with 8 members, including 4 musicians and 4 dancing girls, aged from 19 to 25. Most of the band members are farmers, from the My Nghiep craft village - the cradle of Cham brocade weaving in Ninh Thuan, 12km to the south of Phan Rang - Thap Cham city in the direction of National Highway 1A.

“The folk music team was formed by people who share the same passion for traditional Cham dances and musical instruments. In the early days of performing, the art team faced many difficulties because of the lack of costumes, equipment and places to practice. Thanks to the cultivation of knowledge as well as performance skills, the team members have increasingly improved, bringing the traditional culture of the Cham people into the performances at festivals, like Tet festival of the Cham people and tourist attractions," said Mr. Ty, adding that now in daily life, members of the art team do all kinds of jobs to make a living. When performing music, he works as a security guard at a restaurant in Ham Tien ward, Phan Thiet city.

But on festivals, Tet and weekends, he and the members of the art team always come back to the Po Sah Inu tower to perform music. At this time, they not only release their souls into melodious melodies, lyrics to promote traditional culture to tourists but are willing to teach them free of charge to those who have a passion for music and Cham ethnic instruments. 

Mr. Tran Dinh Dung, the Head of the Management Board of Po Sah Inu Cham Tower, said that in order to have more types of tourism products, the unit organizing Cham folk art performances should help the tourists to understand more about the culture. The band are true "farmer artists", besides their performances on Po Sah Inu tower, the members all return to their daily work in the fields.

However, when the members of the performing arts team created moments of sublimation with folk instruments, they contributed significantly to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the Cham people living in Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces. 

Cham musical instruments are often used in festivals including "Ghinang drum, Paranung, Saranai trumpet, Kanh, Hagar (small drum), gong, Asang (blowing horn), Tangek (percussion music with 2 wooden sticks). These are typical musical instruments of the Cham people, cultural heritages from thousands of generations, in which the trio of Ghinang drums, Paranung drums and Saranai trumpets are likened to the "soul" part and are inseparable in festivals. Each festival is an opportunity for the Cham people to return to their roots, thereby educating the younger generation to live "When you drink water, think of the source", contributing to fostering a good tradition for the younger generation.