Dan Gao

The dan-gao (coconut shell fiddle) is a String instrument, a part of the traditional Vietnamese musical ensemble

One coconut, some wood and a little horsehair would not a Stradivarius make, but in the right hands they can make for a decent dan gao. And in Vietnam, the dan gao holds some heavy sway.

The dan gao, which sounds a lot like a highly pitched violin, is used for Vietnamese "folk" music, a traditional and ceremonial art form that dates back at least to the 13th century.

While the music is familiar to just about everyone in Vietnam, it's not exactly everyday music in the United States. That is something Bay Duc wants to change.