KHAC CHI ENSEMBLE
 The
Khac Chi Ensemble consists of musical couple - Ho Chi Khac, the renowned
virtuoso and composer, and his wife Hoang Ngoc Bich, exceptional vocalist,
arranger and multi-instrumentalist.
Chi attended the National School of Music, studying dan bau (the one
stringed zither) and traditional music theory. His education included
the music of China, Korea, Indian and Europe, as well as a number of
years of field studies in rural Vietnam. Upon completing this training,
Chi became one of the first masters' instructors at Hanoi National
Conservatory. Chi became the Assistant Head of the Department in
1987 and took on the duties as conductor of the Conservatory's acclaimed
Traditional Music Orchestra. In 1992, Chi came to Vancouver, Canada,
where he is presently teaching Vietnamese instruments at the University
of British Columbia, and continues to perform internationally with
his ensemble.
His wife, Ngoc Bic Hoang, began studying music at a very early age
attending the Hanoi School of Arts. Then she entered the Hanoi National
Conservatory in 1979. It was during this period that she began her
career as a regular performer and arranger for National and international
radio and television. She graduated with honors from the Hanoi conservatory
of Music in 1987, and returned to the Hanoi School of Arts as an instructor.
Although teaching full time, Bic remained an active performer, and
was the first woman to receive the First Prize for dan bau in the 1988
Vietnam Competition of Professional Instrumentalists. Since moving
to Canada in 1992, she is performing and teaching Vietnamese music
at the University of British Columbia.
Besides playing dan bau she also mastered many rare instruments
from the Vietnamese highlands: bamboo xylophones, bamboo pipes k'longput,
and spike fiddle ko-ni. When she performed at WOMAD USA,
an amazed critic wrote: "And then Ngoc Bich pulls out her ko ni
(a two-string violin with a resonator attached to silk thread placed
in the player's
mouth). This instrument would have made Jimi Hendrix throw away
his wah-wah and Peter Frampton trash his voice box."
The Vietnamese
Instruments
Dan bau is one-string zither native to Vietnam. It is constructed
of a long narrow sound box, with a tall curved stem made from water
buffalo
horn inserted at one end.
Ken bau, the Vietnamese conical double reed with either a gourd or
metal bell. It is related to the Chinese so-na which came from the
Middle Eastern zurna.
Khen meo, mouth organ with relatives in Thailand, Laos na China.
It incorporates 6 bamboo whistles and resembles the Pan flute used
in
Romania.
K'longput, another instrument unique to Vietnam. It is made from
a series of large bamboo pipes of varying lengths, each closed at
one
end. The pipes are placed on their sides with the open ends facing
the musician, who has no direct contact with the instrument. Instead,
the player cups both hands and claps quietly in front of the open
ends of the pipes, forcing air down the pipes to produce low resonant
sounds.
According to a legend, this instrument is the residence of Mother
Rice (goddess). Therefore, it is closely associated with agricultural
production,
being played exclusively by women on the field and at specific festivities,
closing the rice storage house, welcoming the New Year, etc.
Discography:
Spirit of Vietnam (Jericho Beach 1999)
Web:
www.khacchi.com
Music:
mp3
video
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