Rhythms of the Drum: Song of the Cicada

Rice is for the body, song is for the soul.  

Dong people are famous for their singing.   Until the middle of last century, Dong people, numbering around 2.5million, had no written language and their collective history was gathered and shared through the medium of song.  Self taught and neither orchestrated or conducted the ‘Grand Songs’ that hold the history of this people, have been listed by UNESCO as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’.  
While much of the traditional musical repertoire of the Dong people celebrates the beauty of nature, in daily life singing is ritualised into many aspects of social engagement to express welcome, socialise and interact with neighbours and visitors from other villages.  Singing as a ritualised form of flirtation is also a feature of traditional lifestyle. This allows groups of young people from different villages to engage with each other in social settings which allows interest levels in another to be determined.

As well as these rich vocal traditions the Dong people are known for the spectacular wooden architecture in the traditional villages. Most notable are the Drum Tower and the beautiful Wind and Rain bridges.