How the Vocal Music and Musical Ensembles of South East Asia are performed
Get to know Southeast Asian Music: Vocal and Instrumental Music
Vocal
music is music made specifically for voices. It may be performed with or
without instruments while Instrumental music is made solely for instruments.
Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the most beautiful
countries in Southeast Asia. Cambodian
court music is roughly similar to that of Java, Indonesia. They feature
choruses with large orchestras based on struck keys and gongs. Cambodian people also absorbed and adopted
Indian, Chinese, European, and other cultures to suit their own traditions and
tastes that resulted in a distinct Cambodian culture.
The Pinpeat is a Cambodian musical
ensemble or an orchestra that usually accompanies ceremonial music of the royal
courts and temples. Music is always part of their court dances, masked plays,
shadow plays, and religious ceremonies. This group is similar to the Piphat
ensemble of Thailand and usually consists of nine or ten instruments.
Indonesia
Indonesia is the world's fourth most
populous country and is the fourth biggest nation of the world. Through
interaction with other cultures such as Indian, Arabic, Chinese and European, a
wide range of musical styles has been developed. There are two basic kinds of
Indonesian music scale:
Slendro
– five (5) equidistant tones in octave
Peloq
– heptatonic (7) tone scale with semi tone
Both
vocal and instrumental music in Indonesia use slendro and peloq scales.
Irama
– is an Indonesian term for tempo.
The
Gamelan or Gamelan orchestra is the most popular form of music in Indonesia. It
is use to accompany dance, songs, and Wayang Kulit performances. There are two
types of Gamelan depending on the place of origins: Javanese Gamelan from the
Java region and the Balinese Gamelan from the Bali region.
Myanmar
The
music of Myanmar (or Burma) has similarities with many other musical traditions
in the region, including Chinese music and Thai music. The Hsaing Waing is Myanmar’s traditional
folk music ensemble. It is made up mainly of different gongs and drums as well
as other instruments depending on the nature of the performance.
Myanmar’s
musical instruments are categorized into 2 types, the loud sounding and soft
sounding. The loud sounding instruments are performed in open-air ensembles at
ceremonies and festivals. Most of the Hsaing Waing instruments belong to the
loud sounding category.
For
more formal and classical performances that are performed indoors, the ensemble
may be accompanied by the saung gauk the national instrument of (13-string
angular harp with soft sound) Myanmar, the pattala (Burmese xylophone), or the
piano and violin, both introduced during colonial rule.
Myanmar
not only has musical ensembles but also an extensive collection of classical
songs called the Mahagita. These songs are divided into different types like
the oldest repertoires, royal court music, songs of longing, horses’ dance
songs, worship songs for Burmese spirits, and songs of sorrow and music adapted
from Ayutthaya and the Mon people.
Malaysia
Malaysia
is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It is divided into two regions:
1. West Malaysia
– also
known as Peninsular Malaysia
2. East Malaysia consists of thirteen states
and three federal territories. Chinese and Indian cultural influences made
their mark when trade began in the country. Trading also increased when
immigrants flocked to Malaysia.
Musical
instruments of Malaysia are greatly associated with their culture and roots.
Due to colonization, the stages of development of Malaysian instruments are
great. They share some common features with Indian musical instruments. After
the colonization of Malaysia by the British, the musical development was
influenced by Western music.
Musical
ensembles and types of performances in Malaysia:
1. Agung and Kulintang -this is a gong-based
musical ensemble commonly used in funerals and weddings in East Malaysia. This
type of ensemble is similar to the kulintang of the Philippines, Brunei, and
Indonesia.
2. Kertok -this is a musical ensemble from
the Malay Peninsula that consists of xylophones played swiftly and rhythmically
in traditional Malay functions.
3. Dikir Barat -this is a type of musical
form that is important to Malaysia’s national culture. It is performed by
singing in groups and often in a competitive manner usually with percussion
instrumental accompaniment or sometimes without instruments at all.
4. Silat Melayu -this is a form of martial
art that is similar to t’ai chi. It originated in the Malay Peninsula since the
Christian Era and is a mixture of martial arts, dance, and music usually
accompanied by gongs, drums, and Indian oboes.
Thailand
Formerly known as Siam, Thailand is
known for being the sole nation in Southeast Asia that has never been ruled by
a Western power. It is for this reason that the country is also called “Muang
Thai,” which means “Land of the Free.”
Thai folk music consists of simple songs with simple melodic lines. Its
main focus in singing is the articulation of the text rather than the style or
technique of execution.
Thailand
has three primary instrumental ensembles that are similar to the other
ensembles in Southeast Asia.
1. Piphat
- It is a mid-sized orchestra that is performed in either outdoor style
with hard mallets or indoor style with padded mallets. This ensemble has
different types but the highly ornate one is traditionally associated with
funerals and cremation ceremonies. Other versions of the piphat ensemble are
used to accompany specific forms of traditional Thai drama such as the large
shadow puppet theatre (nang yai) and the khon dance drama.
2. Khrueang Sai – It is an orchestra that
combines some of the percussion and wind instruments of the Piphat with an
expanded string section. This group is primarily used for indoor performances
and for the accompaniment of stick puppet theater.
3. Mahori – This ensemble is traditionally
played by women in the courts of Central Thailand and Cambodia. Because of
this, instruments for this ensemble are historically smaller. However,
regular-sized instruments are used today. A vocalist performing with the Mahori
is usually accompanied by the so sam sai.
Laos
This country is an independent state
of Southeast Asia and officially known as Lao People’s Democratic Republic. It
is formerly part of the Indochinese Union, also known as French Indochina. The classical music and dance of Laos is
highly influences by India, Cambodia, and Thailand. Themes are drawn from Hindu mythology, the
Buddhist Jatakatales, and local legends.
The royal entourage of Lao kings
traditionally included musicians, and a typical orchestra improvised songs with
sets of tuned gongs, xylophones, a bamboo flute, and other wind instruments.
The Lao orchestra can be divided into two categories:
1. Sep Nyai - This is similar to the Piphat
of Thailand with instruments that are strictly percussive but also integrates
the use of an oboe.
2. Sep Noi – This is also known as the
Mahori of Thailand. However, it incorporates the use of several Khene which is
a large bamboo mouth organ and is the most popular folk music instrument of
Laos.
Traditional music, called Mor lam, is largely
based around the khene.
Vietnam
Vietnam
is officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnamese music (nhạc Việt
Nam) refers to the ethnic music that originated from the "Kinh"
people of Vietnam. This term is also used to address the music of any of the
numerous ethnic minorities including the Montagnard, Degar, Tay, Cham, and
others.
Vietnamese
traditional music can be separated into a few major categories, divided
predominantly by the way in which were used in the people's cultural lives.
Categories
of Vietnamese Music:
1. Imperial court music – The most popular
of this kind is the Nha nhac that was popularly performed during the Tran
Dynasty to the Nguyen Dynasty. This form of classical music is also performed
in honour of the gods and scholars in temples. Other classical music falling
into this category include the Dai Nhac (“great music”) and the Tieu Nhac
(“small music”) which was performed as chamber music for the king.
2. Folk music - This category is extremely
diverse because it includes music performed both indoors and outdoors. Performers of this category are also diverse.
They may be professional musicians down to the blind artists in the streets who
perform to earn their living. Vietnamese folk music are performed in different
occasions depending on its sub-category. It may be performed in musical
theaters, streets, courtship rituals, and ceremonies for invoking spirits. They
are sometimes also influenced by Western elements. Some Vietnamese music only
makes use of female singers and some have both male and female singers.
3. Religious and Ceremonial music – This is
music performed in religious rituals or at funerals.
Singapore
Singapore’s cultural life reflects
its colonization by the British Empire and its diverse population. Being the
melting pot of different cultures in Asia, folk music of this country reflects
the culture and traditions of specific groups.
Through the years, the music industry in
Singapore grew having Western influenced performances by the Singapore Symphony
Orchestra as well as ethnic music performances mainly by the Singapore Chinese
Orchestra. Other performing groups with Malay and Indian influence are still
prevalent until today.
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Activity
1.1 Understanding Southeast Asian Folk Songs
Visit www.youtube.com and type in each of the following links. Watch/listen to some songs, identify their titles, their country of origins, and musical elements used.
Write the answer on the spaces provided.
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Southeast Asian Folksong |
Song Title
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Country of
Origin
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Musical
Elements Used |
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1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boUiiuFOCcA |
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2.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQnSM7_kssM
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3.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PmAr9F4e7U
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4.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H55oE5B-h-k
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5.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EY4Gc0poMw
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6.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-jXvHRzE68
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