Púa

Púa is an instrument of airophonic family, lip-air branch of H'm"ng minority living in the North of Viêtnam.

Púa is made of 2 tubes rolled from thin leaf-shape brass, of which the small one of 72 cm length, 3 cm diameter. A circle- piece of bronze is attached to one end of the small tube to make a bud for player against his lips when performing. The other end of small tube is fit in to the small - end of big tube which has cylinder - shape with 61 cm in length, the other end of the big tube is attacked to a loudspeaker which has diameter of 16.5 cm in its mouth.

When performing, instrumentalist stands, takes Púa with both hands, against his lips on the bud (blowing-pipe), drives air-streams to vibrate the air column to create the sounds. Its sounds are loud, strong, sonorous with a little cracked-sounds of the clarion.

Púa is exclusively played by men as solo to inform or in ensemble with drum, thanh la (a kind of gong), cymbal, xi-u (a pair of oboes) in the rituals of funeral such as worship the soul, the toast, the kill buffalo and kid to make the offering.

Text and Photos courtesy by Vietnam Datacommunication Company (VDC)
and Vietnamese Institute for Musicology (V.I.M)