Thach Bachs plays a leading role in promoting music of the Khmer community, especially among the younger generation.

The lively melodies of the dance piece “Gac keo ong” transport listeners into the forests alongside honey hunters setting up poles to lure wild bees into building hives, a unique livelihood of the people in U Minh Ha in Ca Mau province. The piece won Thach Bachs a gold medal at the 2022 Southern Khmer Ethnic Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival.

But for him, awards are not the priority. What matters is improving his skills day by day and finding new ways to preserve and develop the music of his community. “My task is to arrange and orchestrate music. Every profession must have professional ethics. The same with the arts. Without ethics, art cannot thrive,” Thach Bachs said.

In 2022 Khmer big drum music in Ca Mau was recognized as a national heritage. Thach Bachs was one of the artists dedicated to safeguarding this tradition.

“Bachs has given us tremendous support because he truly understands how the ensemble functions. He guides us on the deeper meaning of the big drum and how it should be performed within the orchestra,” artist Huu Ban said.

Thach Bachs was born in 1991 in Tra Vinh (now part of Vinh Long province) into a family knowledgeable about traditional instruments. In 2005, when he was in the 8th grade, he joined a five-tone musical ensemble class taught by local Khmer people. After six months, his ensemble began performing locally and in nearby villages.

Bachs later followed his father to Bac Lieu (now part of Ca Mau province). During two years there, while attending supplementary school, he didn’t have access to any instruments, but his love for music didn’t fade. He went on to become the conductor of the Khmer Art Troupe in Ca Mau province and is now helping to preserve and promote Khmer music, especially among Khmer youth.

“We encountered difficulties at first because the ensemble members didn’t understand one another. But after a year, things improved. I’m glad I was able to help them develop,” Bachs recalled. 

(Photo: Huyen Trang/ VOV5)

Thach Bachs has not only mastered traditional Khmer music, he also has a deep understanding of modern music. He studied at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, majoring in Western instrumental performance with a focus on the saxophone. Thach Bachs believes a solid foundation in music theory enables him to help others improve their skills. The more he explored Western music theory, the more he understood and felt proud of his group’s traditional music.

“The sound of traditional instruments is completely different from modern or electronic music. There is no comparison between recorded music and live music. When music is played live, the performers put their souls into it.”

In his free time, Bachs crafts traditional instruments like flutes, drums, and two-string fiddles. He has registered copyrights for his creations and dreams of opening a workshop, so Khmer people can more easily own their traditional instruments. He is very active on social media, creating videos on instrument-making, playing techniques, and Khmer music culture.