"Khen" redirects here. For other uses, see Khen (disambiguation).
A khene player in Isan
The khaen (/ˈkɛn/; spelled "Khaen", "Kaen", "Kehn"[1] or "Ken" in English;[2] Lao: ແຄນ Thai: แคน, RTGS: khaen, pronounced[kʰɛ̄ːn]; Khmer: គែន – Ken; Vietnamese: khèn or kheng) is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown. The khene is the national instrument of Laos.[3] The khene music is an integral part of Lao life that promotes family and social cohesion[4] and it was inscribed in 2017 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[5] It is used among the ethnic Lao Isan and Some tai ethnic groups such as Tai dam In north Vietnam and Lao population of the province of Stung Treng and is used in lakhon ken, a Cambodian dance drama genre that features the khene as the main instrument[6][7] In Vietnam, this instrument is used among the Tai peoples and the Muong people.
The khene uses a free reed made of brass and/or silver. It is related to Western free-reed instruments such as the harmonium, concertina, accordion, harmonica, and bandoneon, which were developed beginning in the 18th century from the Chinese sheng, a related instrument, a specimen of which had been carried to St. Petersburg, Russia.[citation needed]
The khene has five different lai, or pentatonic modes with specific drone pitches, organized into two families (thang san and thang yao). The thang san family includes laisutsanaen (G A C D E), lai po sai (C D F G A), and lai soi (D E G A B), while the thang yao family includes lai yai (A C D E G) and lai noi (D F G A C). Lai po sai is considered to be the oldest of the modes and lai sutsanaen the "Father of the Lai Khaen." [citation needed] Khene can be played as a solo instrument (dio khene), as part of an ensemble (such as wong pong lang and khene wong), or as an accompaniment to a Lao or Isan solo singer (mor lam). It is often played in combination with a traditional fretted plucked lute called phin.
Composers who have written notated music for the instrument include Annea Lockwood, Christopher Adler, David Loeb, and Vera Ivanova.
^Shepherd, J., et al. (2003). "Wind Instruments: Reeds and Woodwinds", Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Vol. II: Performance and Production. New York: Continumm. p. 486. ISBN 978-184-7-14472-0, 0-8264-6322-3
^Martin, Andrew R. and Mihalka, M. (2020). "Khene", Music Around the World: A Global Encyclopedia. California: ABC-CLIO LLC. p. 464. ISBN 978-161-0-69499-5
Mansfield, S. Koh, M. and Nevins, D. (2018). Cultures of the World: Laos. (3rd Ed.). New York: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC. p. 98. ISBN 978-150-2-63233-3
^Whitaker, Donald P. et al., Foreign Area Studies, American University. (1972). Area Handbook for Laos : Laos, a country study. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 143-144. LCCN 72--60017
Berval, René de. (1959). ສໍາພາດ ຣາຊອານາຈັກລາວ Kingdom of Laos: The Land of the Million Elephants and of the White Parasol. (Translated by Mrs. Teissier du Cros, et al.). Saigon: France-Asie. p. 217.
Kislenko, A. (2009). Culture and Customs of Laos (eBook). California: ABC-CLIO LLC. p. 110. ISBN 978-031-3-08707-3
Miller, Terry E. and Williams, S. (2017). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: Vol. 4: Southeast Asia (eBook). New York: Routledge as imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 978-135-1-54420-7
Rantala, Judy A. (2014). Laos, Caught In The Web (eBook). First Edition Design eBook Publishing. ISBN 978-162-2-87803-1
"Exhibition: "Voices of the Wind: Traditional Instruments in Laos"". ASEF culture360. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
"Laos Music – Everything about Laotian Traditional Music". Laos Tours. 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
^Yap, Jasmina (2018-04-14). "Laos Celebrates Khaen Music as UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage". Laotian Times. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
^"UNESCO – Khaen music of the Lao people". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
^http://www.jiras.se/lakhaon2010/kraythong/info.html>; pictures of performance with the instrument can be seen at <http://www.jiras.se/lakhaon2010/kraythong/index.html>
^Referred to as 'Ken Theatre' or lakhaon ken in <http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001352/135258eb.pdf>
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