The Akuphone label has put together a collection of recordings of several musical styles from the Laotian provinces of Champasak, Attapeu, Sekong, Saravan, Luang Namtha and Phongsaly in the compilation titled The Music of Southern and Northern Laos.
These recording feature the traditional music of South Laos minority groups. Popular modern music is widely spread but visitors are barely ever exposed to ancient acoustic practices from villages.
Mouth organs of various sizes exist among the Hmong and Bit as well as remarkable vocal techniques among the Lantene, Ahka, or Khmu who combine simultaneous singing and flute notes.
This collection also includes the Brao gongs, the Triang bamboo flutes, the Lao, Ta Oy, Alak, OI, Pacoh, or Nyaheun mouth organs as well as the powerful singing accompanying these instruments.
These performances were collected between 2006 and 2013 by Laurent Jeanneau, aka Kink Gong. A self-taught ethnologist, Laurent Jeanneau has gradually become one of the specialists of the field, building up a comprehensive sound archive.
The CD version gathers both Music of Southern Laos and Music of Northern Laos in a single disc. It contains liner notes in English, French, and Japanese and a download code.
Buy The Music of Southern and Northern Laos
Author: World Music Central News Room
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