sounds of Thailand Shan music

duct flute solo	courting music	714KB
Shan band	horn fiddle, banjo, drum and percussion accompany the singer	638KB
bamboo tube zither	the instrument is played rhythmically to accompany dancing	478KB
free reed pipe solo	the instrument known in China as hulusi	1MB
temple gongs	the Shan use the same gong machine as the Northern Thai, here with a temple drum	655KB
drama performance	the female singer gives way to a mainly percussion band; recorded in Chiang Mai university	1.4MB

The Shan are the most closely integrated into the cultural modes of mainstream urban society. Shan ensemble music is nearly as complex as that of lowland South East Asia, the three types of ensembles being for Buddhist ceremonies, dramas and entertainment. Like Thai music, Shan temple music uses a percussion ensemble; for dramas one with strings and flute is used and for entertainment an ensemble which has been influenced by both Burmese and central Thai music. The one I recorded consisted of horn violin, metal xylophone, gongs and barrel drums.
Dances such as the ram nok king kala performed to mark the end of the Buddhist Lent have played an important role in the Shan community for centuries. The dance follows the rhythm of drums, gongs and cymbals.

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