Traditional Music

Focus: Irish Traditional Music is an introduction to the instrumental and vocal traditions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as Irish music in the context of the Irish diaspora.

The Laotian national instrument is the khène, typically an eighty centimeter (roughly a two and a half foot) long mouth organ constructed of seven or eight pairs of bamboo pipes that are connected with a small, hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown. Its sound is similar to that of a violin, and it may be played as a solo instrument or to accompany singers and instrumental ensembles. The khène also occurs in a two meter (approximately six and a half foot) version, which few musicians have powerful enough lungs to master.
The khène can be heard on most of the tracks in this recording, which includes ritual music, wedding music, and songs such as "Lam Sithandone" sung by professional singers Thao and Nang Sikhone.