Khac Chi Performance, Jan 05
The premiere Vietnamese ensemble Khac Chi performed on the Harrisburg Academy’s stage on January 7, 2005. They led us on a fascinating musical journey through 4000 years of Vietnamese musical traditions.
Here, Bic plays the ko ni, a two-string violin with a resonator attached to silk thread placed in the player’s mouth.
Bill Wolford of WOMAD USA (where Khac Chi performed in July 2000) says the ko ni “would have made Jimi Hendrix throw away his wah-wah and Peter Frampton trash his voice box.”
Some lucky students got to join the ensemble onstage, and tried their own hands at playing the ensemble’s menagerie of instruments. Khac Chi showcases many instruments unique to the mountainous regions of Vietnam.
Chi, the other half of the duo, is behind Bic.
