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Musical Ensembles from South East Asia

Where is South-East Asia?
SoutheastAsia_Map_Caravan.png
Singapore

Chinese Fusion Music - The Teng Ensemble

  • Chinese and Western instruments

  • Traditional and contemporary musical styles 

  • Instruments include Cello, Pipa, Sheng, Guzheng, Guitar and Keyboard

Thailand

Piphat Ensemble

  • Performs Thai classical music

  • Traditionally performed at funerals or cremation ceremonies

  • Made up of percussion and wind instruments

  • Can be performed indoors or outdoors

  • Similar to the Pinpeat ensemble in Cambodia

Malaysia

Dikir Barat

  • Malay choral singing

  • Tok Juara (leader), Tukang Karut (song initiator), Awok-awok (chorus) and a percussion ensemble 

  • Originated from Malaysia 

Cambodia

Pinpeat Ensemble

  • Performs ceremonial music for the royal courts and temples in Cambodia 

  • Accompanies court dances, masked plays, shadow plays and religious ceremonies

  • Made up of percussion and wind instruments - roneat (xylophone), samphor (drum), kongvong (gong circles), skor thom (bug drums) and ching (finger cymbals)

  • Similar to the Piphat ensemble in Thailand

Indonesia

Javanese Gamelan

Balinese Gamelan

  • Percussion ensemble made up of metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs

  • Sometimes they perform along with bamboo flutes or string instruments

  • Accompanies dances, wayang puppet performances, rituals or ceremonies

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