Go to Tay Ninh to see drum dance

Huynh Phuong - VietnamAirlines Heritage

Chhay-dam drum dance is closely associated with the traditional culture of the Khmer people, the largest of the 21 ethnic groups residing in Tay Ninh province. According to recorded documents, Chhay-dam drum dance in this land has its own characteristics, different from some provinces in the South. Around 1953, the late Cambodian prince Norodom Sihanouk (1922-2012) presented the Tay Ninh Holy See with a set of Khmer musical instruments, including 3 Chhay-dam drums. The drums were initially used only to beat the rhythm for worshiping ceremonies at the holy temple, but later on, drum dance was gradually combined with dragon and horse dances and unicorn dances. Many households in Truong Tay commune and other communes in Hoa Thanh town previously knew how to dance Chhay-dam drums, including Ms. Cao Thi Thu Loan (born in 1983), who is currently the successor of a family of many generations who has "kept the fire" of passion for drum dancing to children. In addition, Mr. Tran Van Xen (born in 1957) in Long Tan hamlet, Long Thanh Bac commune, Hoa Thanh town was recognized as "Excellent Artist" in the folk art performance genre (Chhay-dam drum dance in the festival of Cao Dai Tay Ninh religion).

The number of Chhay-dam drums in Tay Ninh is increasingly equipped, the drum dance has also become more diverse, modified to be more suitable. Drum dance is performed on special occasions such as the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year, the Sen Dolta ancestor worship ceremony...

Mr. Le Minh Tuan, a Chhay-dam drum dancer (Ms. Cao Thi Thu Loan's husband) said that he and his dance team often perform at tourist attractions in Tay Ninh or at famous Khmer pagodas. Mr. Tuan shared that the drum is made from an old areca nut trunk, hollowed out, the large head of the drum is covered with buffalo or dried python skin, the smaller tail of the drum is connected to a metal drum stand. The dance usually has from 4 to 6 Chhay-dam drums, two Cuol (gongs) along with Chul (cymbals) and Krap (seng drums).

Some points to distinguish Chhay-dam drum dance in Tay Ninh are that the drum dancers do not need facial makeup, do not need musical accompaniment when performing but dance (can flexibly dance solo, double dance, triple dance and group dance) with the rhythm of the drums beaten with hands and feet. The main rhythm is cắc túm tum, tum tum túp, cắc túm tum, tapping on the joint between the wall and the drum face or tum tum túp, tapping directly on the drum face, sometimes slow, gentle or sometimes fast, strong. Playing the drum is as simple as clapping hands on the drum face or more complicated is hitting with elbows, knees, heels. Drum dance also combines choreography, martial arts such as getting into stance or moving decisively, jumping hands quickly, graceful body, somersaulting very skillfully and beautifully. Therefore, the drum dancer not only needs to be strong and flexible but also skillful.

In order to preserve and promote the value of heritage, the local authorities of Tay Ninh always create conditions for Khmer people to organize traditional cultural activities, support training costs, and teach Chhay-dam drum dance to the younger generation. This type of drum dance is often performed by Khmer artists in many local events. At the Khmer ethnic cultural house in Truong An hamlet, Truong Tay commune, there are 2 Chhay-dam drum teams operating quite regularly, each team has 10 people or more. In addition, there are many other drum teams with hundreds of people who know how to dance in other communes of Hoa Thanh town... The drum dance teams always maintain a positive spirit, enthusiastically practicing because they want to spread the unique cultural features of the Khmer people to the community.