1. Nang Soubane Vongath & Sengphet Souryavongxay - Lam saravane 2. Nuothong Phimvilayphone - Nam phat khay 3. Khangdeuk 4. Khene 5. Mengphou tom dokmay 6. Pao sat
The vocal art lam [the dominant form in Laos] and the khen mouth organ [the national instrument], performed here by exceptional musicians. Refined classical music popular for its lively swing
one of the freshest laotian jams around, particularly the majestic mouth organ dronery of the resplendent nuothong phimvilayphone. owlwaze thought phimvilayphone would make a sweet name fer a record label, but anyway, we loves this ish. made possible by a joint effort from friendlies miguel & arvind
had a couple requests fer these encroyable recordings specifically & although i was only just gifted em this morning, can readily attest to how superb they sound. best believe, the richness of laotian musical kulture remains in full flower. merci encore une fois à op. review
01 johai hrap ~ announcement that buffalo are about to be sacrificed 02 mnong rlam ~ inauguration of a new house 03 gie trieng ~celebration 04 bahnar ~ sacrifice to the spirit of the communal house 05 lawae ~ celebration 06 jorai hrap ~ summoning the spirits 07 thai ~ celebration 08 bahnar ~ sacrifice to the spirit of the communal house 09 talieng ~ celebration 10 jorai hrap ~ sacrificing the buffalo 11 ede ~ inauguration of a new house 12 muong ~ celebration 13 banhar ~ sacrifice to the spirit of the communal house 14 thai ~ funeral 15 jorai hrap ~ funeral 16 nghe ~ sacrifice to the spirit of the communal house 17 lawae ~ celebration 18 banhar ~ sacrifice to the spirit of the communal house 19 talieng ~ celebration 20 jorai hrap ~ ceremony of leaving the grave 21 thai ~ funeral 22 banhar ~ funeral 23 mnong rlam ~ funeral 24 oy ~ celebration 25 bahnar ~ funeral
Recorded By, Liner Notes, Photography - Patrick Kersalé, 2001, Syrinx Academy
Flat gongs & bossed gongs played by ethnique minorities of Laos & Vietnam, where gong ensembles take part in various rites relating to the spirits [yang] & to the dead, but also in simple celebrations. The gongs have various functions. They may be used to summon, invite & satisfy beneficent spirits, serving as a means of communicating with them & as a musical offering, & they may be used to exorcise evil spirits. They are also used to create a mood of conviviality, providing a lively accompaniment for the ritual dances [themselves offerings to the spirits] & bringing people closer together. The inauguration of a new house, a funeral, the 'ceremony of the dead leaving of the grave' [a rite accompanying the departure of the deceased person's soul to the dead], the welcoming of a guest, family reunions & so on all provide opportunities to bring out the gongs. With the changing of beliefs over the years & the assimilation of imported religions, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the function of communicating with the beyond & that of pure festivity. The various ceremonies are generally accompanied by the drinking of copious amounts of rice beer, a slightly alcoholique drink kept in traditional jars.
Each ethnique group has its own orchestral arrangement & its own style of playing. Some ensembles possess only flat gongs, others only bossed gongs & some use both types. The number of gongs in each ensemble varies from two to more than 20. It may therefore be said that the villagers in these regions of south-east asia have a veritable 'gong culture' & the reverberations punctuate their lives from the cradle to da grave.
get it ong. banga gong. just spent a good minute tagging & typing for my own arkhives so aye hope you appreciate this one as much as eye dew. desperately needed to banish some bickering bats from me belfry recently & this was a most efficacious soundtraq. equally great for sacrifice, funerals, celebrations & exhumations of every variety eyed imagine. masterfully ripped by brother Janas at a resonant 320k including the indispensible booklet
