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Music of Laos

Javanese and Balinese gamelan, Thai piphat, Khmer pinpeat, Vietnamese ca trù and đàn bầu, Burmese saung harp, Filipino kulintang and Malay dikir barat.

Sung and searched in Lao. The YouTube button above can run your search in that language.

Roots and traditions

Classical music

The term ເພງລາວເດີມ "peng Lao deum" (traditional Lao songs) describes the Royal Court music of Laos. Historical records indicate that an indigenous classical tradition existed, which was mainly influenced by ancient Khmer traditions and mountainous ethnic groups. King Fa Ngum was raised and educated in Angkor Wat, so the Khmer traditions were the first center for the court music, which evolved and changed as the Lao kingdom grew. Performers in Tennessee, USA tried to rebuild court music in diaspora and failed due to a lack of members. The classical ensemble and its instruments get used in traditions, are only used for the "lam" traditions and the only "theater" like traditions "li-ke" (or "lam poem", from 1940) which immigrated from northern Siam, gets performed with acting, storytelling in "lam" singing styles and a Khene mouth organ.

Popular music

In the 1960s, lam nu and lam ploen contributed to the development of lam luang, which is a form of song (and dance) which sometimes has narrative lyrics.

Read the full article: Music of Laos Text under CC BY-SA 4.0

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Radio from Laos

Music only, no news or talk. Stations that play the local tradition come first, then the most listened. They play in the corner of the page.

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