Hmong pipe rid maker

"I love to make Hmong pipe rid because I want to preserve Hmong wisdom and Hmong cultural identity," says Jue SaeWang.

Jue SaeWang holds a Hmong pipe rid Source: Jue SaeWang

Jue SaeWang says that he loves Hmong pipe rid since he was about 3 or 4 years old but never learn to handle properly, so he recommends anyone who really wants to grasp Hmong pipe rid fluently should learn with a Hmong pipe rid master.

Central part of Hmong pipe rid - Jue SaeWang Source: Jue SaeWang

The reasons keep him making Hmong pipe rid is because his father used to be a Hmong pipe rid master who knew both making and handling pipe rid flawlessly when he was still young and fit. However as he ages, he has stopped, therefore Jue jumps in to keep the family tradition alive.

"It is not just to keep my dad's legacy, it is also a way to preserve and promote Hmong wisdom and Hmong cultural identity, therefore, I want every Hmong to study and preserve or teach our young any of Hmong traditional music instruments i.e., leaf, flute, harp, and banjo in order to keep Hmong culture alive," says Jue.

Hmong pipe rid make from PVC plastic - Jue SaeWang Source: Jue SaeWang

Jue SaeWang says that he has been making Hmong pipe rid for over 20 years. Initially, he uses bamboo pipes to make, but as time passed, and Hmong communities spread to a different continent environment, materials used to make have also changed to suit the needs, from bamboo to plastic (PVC) and aluminum. However, the aluminum pipe rid music is slightly different from bamboo. The closest sound is plastic pipe rid.

Hmong pipe rid made from aluminium - Jue SaeWang Source: Jue SaeWang

Mr. Wang says that normally it might take about three to four days to make a bamboo pipe rid, but it will take five to six day to make either plastic or aluminum ones. 

Jue also wants any Hmong person who knows about Hmong music instruments to do video clips on YouTube so anyone can learn. If not, when those ones are gone, the expertise is also disappeared.

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