Music of Laos
Encyclopedia
Laos
is dominated by the Lao
but includes minorities of Hmong
, Mien
, Kmhmu, among many others. The most distinctive Lao musical instrument
is a bamboo
mouth organ
called a khene
. The instrument was supposedly invented by a woman trying to imitate the calls of the garawek bird
. The woman took the new instrument to her king, and he told her it was fair, but that he wanted more. She modified the instrument and he replied "Tia nee khaen dee" (this time it was better).
, known as Lam
, is extemporaneous singing accompanied by the khene. The Lao classical orchestra can be divided into two categories, Sep Nyai and Sep Noi (or Mahori
). The Sep Nyai is ceremonial and formal music and includes: two sets of gongs (kong vong), a xylophone (lanat
), an oboe (pei
or salai), two large kettle drums and two sets of cymbals (xing).
s, flute
s and bell
s. Music varies widely across Laos, with the lam saravane style being most popular, while the city of Luang Prabang
is known for a slow form called khaplam wai
. An extremely popular form developed in Thailand
is called mor lam sing
, and is faster and electrified.
contributed to the development of lam luang
, which is a form of song (and dance) which often has narrative lyrics.
It's better to give than to receive...
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
is dominated by the Lao
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
but includes minorities of Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
, Mien
Mien
Mień is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Brańsk, within Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately west of Brańsk, west of Bielsk Podlaski, and south-west of the regional capital Białystok....
, Kmhmu, among many others. The most distinctive Lao musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
is a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
mouth organ
Mouth organ
A mouth organ is a generic term for free reed aerophone with one or more air chambers fitted with a free reed.Though it spans many traditions, it is played universally the same way by the musician placing their lips over a chamber or holes in the instrument, and blowing or sucking air to create a...
called a khene
Khene
The khene is a mouth organ of Lao origin whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown, creating a sound similar to that of the violin...
. The instrument was supposedly invented by a woman trying to imitate the calls of the garawek bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
. The woman took the new instrument to her king, and he told her it was fair, but that he wanted more. She modified the instrument and he replied "Tia nee khaen dee" (this time it was better).
Lao music
Lao folk musicLao music
-Khene:Khene is what makes Lao people which the Lao people makes the khene. The national proverb is, "A person living under a stilted house, eat sticky rice, listen to any music related to Lam or Morlam, and play the Khene is likely to be Lao or associated with Lao people."The Khene is made from a...
, known as Lam
Lam
-Lam:*Mor lam, an ancient Lao form of song in Laos and Isan*Lam saravane, a music genre*Lam luang, a music genre*Lam, Germany, a town in Bavaria-LAM:*Lactational amenorrhea method, a contraceptive method...
, is extemporaneous singing accompanied by the khene. The Lao classical orchestra can be divided into two categories, Sep Nyai and Sep Noi (or Mahori
Mahori
The mahori is a form of Thai and Cambodian classical ensemble which was traditionally played by women in the courts of both Central Thailand and Cambodia...
). The Sep Nyai is ceremonial and formal music and includes: two sets of gongs (kong vong), a xylophone (lanat
Ranat
Ranat is the generic name for keyboard percussion instruments used in the music of Thailand. The bars of the various types of ranat may be made from hardwood or bamboo , metal , or, much more rarely, glass .-External...
), an oboe (pei
Pi (instrument)
Pi is the generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai.-Varieties:*Pi chawa *Pi klang...
or salai), two large kettle drums and two sets of cymbals (xing).
Mor lam
Ensembles typically include two singers (mor lam, the same term referring to the genre of music) - one male and one female -, a khene player (mor khaen), and other instruments including fiddleFiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
s, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s and bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s. Music varies widely across Laos, with the lam saravane style being most popular, while the city of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
is known for a slow form called khaplam wai
Khaplam wai
Khaplam wai is a form of music originating in Laos, popular in the city of Luang Prabang. It has been described as slow, calm and serene....
. An extremely popular form developed in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
is called mor lam sing
Mor lam sing
Mor lam sing is a fast-paced, racy, modernized version of the traditional Lao/Isan song form mor lam. Sing comes from the English word "racing"...
, and is faster and electrified.
Popular music
In the 1960s, Thai lam nu and lam ploenLam ploen
Lam ploen is a genre of Laotian music, deriving from Iser theater traditions. Since the 1960s and 1970s, lam ploen has become increasingly successful as a popular song genre, divorced from the theater and with the influence of luk thung singing styles.-References:* Terry E. Miller, "Laos,...
contributed to the development of lam luang
Lam luang
Lam Luang is a musical genre developed in recent centuries in Laos. Inspired by Thai music, it combines singing and story-telling, improvisation, and dance....
, which is a form of song (and dance) which often has narrative lyrics.
It's better to give than to receive...