Khaen: Explore Collections: Windows to the World: Digital Artifacts for Global Educators: Indiana University Bloomington

Khaen

The image shown is a mouth organ called a khaen from Thailand. It is made of bamboo and has canes of various lengths and diameters. The wooden mouthpiece holds canes with a putty-like material. Khaen are also found in Laos and Cambodia.

The exact origin of the khaen is uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in Laos or Northeast Thailand more than 1,000 years ago. The instrument has been used in the traditional music of various ethnic groups in the region, including the Lao, Thai, and Hmong. The khaen has a significant cultural and spiritual significance in these communities, and it is often played at festivals, weddings, and funerals.

The khaen is believed to have spread from Laos to other parts of Southeast Asia through a combination of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. As people moved and traded goods, they also exchanged cultural practices, including music. The khaen's portability and versatility made it well-suited for this kind of cultural diffusion. Over time, the khaen became a popular instrument in other parts of Southeast Asia, including northeastern Thailand and southwestern China, where variations of the instrument can still be found today.

The khaen (pronounced KHEN) is a wind instrument commonly used in traditional Thai and Lao music. Often more than 3 feet in length, they are made of bamboo and consist of several small diameter, parallel pipes with finger holes. It is often played in ensembles with other traditional instruments, such as the sawduang (a two-stringed bowed instrument) and the ranatek (a xylophone-like instrument). The khaen is also sometimes used in contemporary music genres in Thailand.

Resources

Resource 1

Loftai Talang Performance- Nouthong Phimvilayphone

This is a filmed performance of LotfaiTalang, a traditional Lao musical piece, by khaen master, Nouthong Phimvilayphone. This clever composition replicates the melodic patterns and rhythmic cadences of a train. Nouthong's journey in the realm of music has taken him beyond his homeland, as he resided in France for an extended period alongside fellow Lao immigrants. Together, they formed the renowned ensemble "Molam Lao" and have introduced audiences across Europe to Laotian music.

Resource 2

Khaen music of the Lao people- UNESCO

Khaen music is an integral part of Lao cultural identity and plays a significant role in their life. UNESCO recognized this in 2017 when they placed Khaen music of the Lao people on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) are artistic practices, knowledge, beliefs, music, language or skills that are part of a group's culture. Having UNESCO recognition of their importance helps protect them.

Designating khaen music as ICH in Laos is expected to raise awareness of its value and promote its preservation and spread in not just Laos, but also in other parts of SE Asia where khaen music is played.

Khaen

Resource 1

Resource 2

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