Bamboo on the Mountains: Kmhmu Highlanders from Southeast Asia and the United States

Various Artists SFW40456

Bamboo is the mainstay of Kmhmu music, especially the reedpipes, flutes, blowing-tubes, mouth organs, and percussion instruments heard here along with cymbals and gongs, wooden drums, and exciting vocal styles. Drawn from 15 years of field research that extended from garden apartments in suburban California to mountain villages in Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, this CD samples the deep reservoir of musical traditions maintained today in Kmhmu communities. The first of its kind, this recording reveals the enduring beauty and individuality of each community's performances.
Country(s) Laos; Thailand; United States; Vietnam
Culture Group(s) Khmu
Keyword(s) World music
Instrument(s) Bamboo tube zither; Briing; Ceng-ceng (Cymbals); Cymbals; Dav dav; Dong (Gong); Drum; Flute; Flute, reed; Flute, side-blown; Gong; Harmonica; Hur suul tlaa (Bamboo blowing tube); Jew's Harp; Minteki; Panpipes; Pii; Rbaang (Gong); Ring Stop flute; Stamping tube; Tnheek; Vocals; Zither, tube
Year of Recording 1999
Record Label Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Source Archive Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Credits Compiled by Frank Proschan ; Notes Edited by Frank Proschan ; Liner Notes by Frank Proschan ; Recorded by Frank Proschan ; Recorded by Frank Proschan ; Produced by Frank Proschan