|
|
Playing a “flute” made
from water pipes.
Artist Mai Dinh Toi
performing with a set
of ceramic bowls.
Artist Mai Dinh Toi
playing a set of flutes
made from filled bottles.
Mai Dinh Toi with
“dan
nhi” made from two fluorescent
lamps.
| Although being
an instrumentalist of traditional flute, wind instrument and dan
bau (monochord), Mai
Dinh Toi has been thrilling audiences for years with his wacky and
innovative musical instruments fashioned out of everyday objects like
bowls, bottles, neon lights, and even motorbikes.
After many
years of trying to turn windows, neon lamps, water pipes and just about
anything else into musical instruments, Mai Dinh Toi is seemingly reaching
his pinnacle of success. From an unknown instrumentalist, he was listed in
the Vietnam Guinness Book in 2005 and has become a member of the Guinness
World Record because of his unique performances, such as playing a flute
with his nose, playing two flutes at the same time, etc. He has been
dubbed a "wizard" of musical instruments.
In 1992,
at the national instrumental-playing competition, artist Mai Dinh Toi won
a Silver Medal and left long-lasting impressions on audiences with his
performance, using his mouth to play a flute while using his legs to play
a drum. To achieve this feat, it took him seven years of hard
training to be able to flute harmoniously to the sounds of the drum
beats.
For him
“Music is like a river, running towards the sea and bringing about fertile
soil to serve life”. Mai Dinh Toi has never felt satisfied with himself
and always ponders over ways to create more unique musical instruments
with different tunes. Each instrument has its own characteristics so the
artist must use it creatively.
Mai Dinh Toi has
10 unusual instruments in his unique collection, some of which are an
instrument made from 11 glass bottles tied to each other; another made
from an aluminium door which can be played like a guitar; one made from a
water-pipe; one made by attaching two neon lamps in a cross-shape which
imitates Viet Nam’s dan nhi (a sort of
vertical violin with two strings of braided silk, a long handle and a
sound box covered by a membrane of snake skin) but only has one string,
another made by combining 11 bowls together, etc.
Mai Dinh Toi has performed successfully many music
genres and won several domestic and foreign prizes. To obtain such
great achievements, the artist has spent much time and effort
experimenting on different objects in the hope of creating a new
instrument. It doesn’t always work out the way he hoped. He once
tried in vain to make music from porcelain pots which he had to transport
in a lorry from Binh Duong Province. The result was not good and all his
efforts were fruitless. Another time
Mai Dinh Toi with his wacky musical
instrument made from plastic
pipes. |
while playing with glass bottles he
cut his lips which bled profusely and puffed up like balloons.
Over the
past ten years, artist Mai Dinh Toi with his own music instruments has
performed in over 30 countries and his performances have surprised and
fascinated the audiences and the music circle. “The largest prize for me
is the applause of audiences after each performance. Furthermore, it is
very rewarding when creating sweet and melodious sounds from my own music
instruments,” said Toi.
Story by Bich Van
Photos by Thanh
Dat |