Opening Ceremony of the Special Exhibition "Vo Van Ba - The Man Who Breathed Life into the Coconut Tree

22/05/2023 1047 0
On May 18, 2023, Ben Tre Museum opened the thematic exhibition "Vo Van Ba ​​- The man who gave soul to coconut trees" to practically celebrate the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2023) and Celebrate International Museum Day May 18.

Opening Ceremony of the Special Exhibition "Vo Van Ba - The Man Who Breathed Life into the Coconut Tree" (Photo: K.D)

Ben Tre has long been known as the "kingdom" of the coconut tree. From the coconut tree, a variety of products can be created to serve daily life, from food to everyday tools. Over the years, artisan Vo Van Ba has crafted numerous musical instruments from the coconut tree. These coconut-based instruments showcase the exceptional talent of Vo Van Ba. This is also his way of nurturing his love for his homeland and the tree that has been intertwined with the lives of the local people for generations.

Master Vo Van Ba and His Teammate - Artist Le Dan Performing with Coconut Musical Instruments at the Opening Ceremony (Photo: K.D)

The special exhibition "Vo Van Ba - The Man Who Breathed Life into the Coconut Tree" showcases a collection of 100 coconut musical instruments from the Ben Tre Museum, including đàn tranh (zither), đàn cò (bamboo violin), đàn bầu (monochord), đàn kìm (moon-shaped lute), and more. The exhibition is structured around four main themes: 1.Portrait: Featuring portraits of Vo Van Ba. 2.Dreams and Reality: Exploring his dreams and achievements. 3. From Soldier to Folk Artisan: Reflecting on his journey from a soldier to a folk artist. 4. Passion and Aspiration: Highlighting his passion and aspirations. Central to the exhibition are images, artifacts, and documents combined with emotionally-charged stories that showcase the humanistic aspects and deep sentiments Vo Van Ba has for the coconut tree through his unique creations and narratives. This exhibition contributes significantly to enriching the value and appreciation of the coconut tree.

Delegates visit the thematic exhibition area "Vo Van Ba - The Man Who Breathed Life into the Coconut Tree" (Photo: K.D)

Folk artist Vo Van Ba was born in 1942 in Nhon Thanh commune, Ben Tre city. He was born and raised in a family with a tradition of practicing traditional ethnic music. He used to be a musician playing the đờn cò and đàn tranh for the Provincial Liberation Art Troupe. His father was a horn player in the local opera troupe

In particular, in 1960 - when he was 18 years old, through several exposures to craftsmen making đờn cò from bamboo materials, and later studying continuously for three courses totaling a year and a half at the Electronics and Telecommunications School of Le Van Huong in Saigon, he was encouraged to nurture the creative idea of using coconut materials to make traditional musical instruments such as folk and classical music instruments,... but still has not been able to implement it

In 2011, with encouragement and support from local leaders and sponsorship from a business, he and his team began crafting coconut musical instruments and achieved the Vietnam Record in 2012. These instruments were used by artist Van Ba in the Coconut Festival of Ben Tre province in 2012; the Southern Amateur Music Festival in Bac Lieu (2014) and Binh Duong (2017).

A series of musical instruments in the coconut musical instrument collection of folk artist Vo Van Ba ​​(Photo: K.D)

It is not an exaggeration to say that the ethnic musical instruments created by folk artist Vo Van Ba have contributed uniquely to local tourism products, one of the distinctive tourism products unique to Ben Tre. These instruments are entirely crafted from coconut wood, a tree that defines the brand "Ben Tre Coconut Land." The coconut musical instruments fully meet the requirements for tourists to explore something new, engage in practical activities, and connect emotionally, thereby contributing to positioning and elevating the province's coconut tourism product brand.

Through the exhibition "Vo Van Ba - The Soul of Coconut Tree," the process of crafting coconut musical instruments and the extraordinarily unique Coconut musical instrument records of Ben Tre have been introduced. This showcases the enthusiasm, perseverance in artistic labor, and unique creativity of the people of Ben Tre, including artist Vo Van Ba, who dreams of passing down the profession of coconut musical instrument craftsmanship. This effort contributes to promoting the values of Ben Tre people in the modern era, highlighting the diverse benefits and utilities of the coconut tree. These products not only hold material and spiritual value but also represent incredibly unique tourism products introduced to visitors from near and far.

Kieu Duyen

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