Music of

Cambodia and
Myanmar
Music
Music of Cambodia
• Cambodia or Kampuchea is a country located in the
southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in
Southeast Asia.
• Various factors contribute including Theravada
Buddhism, Hinduism French colonialism, and
modern globalization.
• Traditional music is highly influenced by ancient
and Hindu forms. It can be heard at a number of
occasions – spiritual rites, weddings, Buddhist
Festival, and performances of shadow theatre.
Music of Cambodia
Genres and styles
1. Chapei – is a popular among the older generation
and is most often a solo performance of a man
plucking a Cambodian guitar in between a
acapella verses. The lyrics usually have moral or
religious themes.
2. A yai – can be performed solo by man and woman
and is often comedic in nature. It is a form of
lyrics poetry that can either be scripted or
completely impromptu or ad libbed.
Music of Cambodia
Genres and styles
3. Pinpeat – orchestra or musical ensemble that
performs the ceremonial music of the former royal
court and temples of Cambodia. It is consist if 9 or
10 instruments, mainly wind and percussion. It
accompanies court dances, masked played, shadow
plays, and religious ceremonies. It is similar to the
Phipat ensemble of Thailand.
Music of Cambodia
Classical Ensemble of Thailand
Piphat- is a kind of ensemble in the classical music
of Thailand, which features wind and percussion
instruments. Thai theatrical and dances forms
including khon (masked dance drama)
lakhon(classical dance) and shadow puppets.
Kruang Sai – it is performed during popular villages
affairs, using combined strings and wind
instruments. This ensemble is used for instrumental
indoor performances.
Music of Myanmar
Genres and style
• Byaw – played at religious festivals and is sung to the
beat of a long, thin drum.
• Hsaing waing - a traditional Burmese folk musical
ensemble, consisting of a number of different gongs
and drums.
• Chamber music – an indoor ensemble, where a female
singer is accompanied by a traditional ensemble.
• Sidaw – an outdoor musical ensemble used in royal
copurt to mark important ceremonial functions.
Music of Cambodia
Genres and style
4. Pleng Kaah – wedding music, traditional music
and songs played both for entertainment and as
accompaniment for the ceremonial parts of a
traditional. Days-long Khmer Wedding.
Music of Myanmar
• Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a sovereign
state in Southeast Asia bordered by countries like
China, Thailand, India, Laos, and Bangladesh.
• Traditional Myanmar music is melodious, genrally
without harmony and usually in 4/4 time, 2/4, or
8/16.
• Burmese classical ensembles can be divided into
outdoor and indoor ensembles. The outdoor musical
ensembles is called Sidaw. The indoor form is the
traditional ensembles which consist of a female
singer accompanied by a traditional ensemble.
Music of Myanmar
Burmese classical instruments
• Air-based (Aerophone Instruments)
• Leather-based (Membranophone Instrument)
• String-based (Chordophone Instrument)
• Clappers (Idiophone Instrument)
Music of Myanmar
Traditional Instrument of
Myanmar
Saung – Myanmar harp and
considered as the national
instrument of Burma
Hne – Myanmar’s traditional oboe

Ka si – kettle drum also known as frog drum used to summon rain .

Music of Myanmar
Traditional Instrument of
Myanmar
Saung – Myanmar harp and considered as the national instrument of Burma

Hne – Myanmar’s traditional oboe

Ka si – kettle drum also known as frog drum used to summon rain .
Music of Myanmar
Traditional Instrument of
Myanmar
Saung – Myanmar harp and considered as the national instrument of Burma
Hne – Myanmar’s traditional oboe

Ka si – kettle drum also known as

frog drum used to summon rain.