Outer Sounds 046 - August 2024

The selection for August 2024 is Music of Southern Laos LP recorded by Laurent Jeanneau released by Akuphone.

”Akuphone presents a collection of recordings of various musical practices from the Laotian provinces of Champasak, Attapeu, Sekong and Saravan. These documents are a perfect introduction to 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. The most famous and typical one is the molam Lao, an art of singing accompanied with the khene, a mouth organ which is the symbol of Laos. This collection compels one to discover 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.

Caught on the spot, these outstanding testimonies were collected between 2006 and 2013 by Laurent Jeanneau, aka King Gong. Through his researches, this self-taught ethnologist has gradually become one of the specialists of the field, building up a collection of complete and fascinating sound archives which contribute documenting parts of this immaterial heritage. MUSIC OF SOUTHERN LAOS brings some light on a region of South East Asia still largely unknown from the general audience as well as the recently reborn ethnographic musical industry.”