The ''kèn'' () is an instrument used in traditional Vietnamese music. It has a double reed and a conical wooden body. It produces a powerful and penetrating high-pitched sound, similar to the Chinese ''

suona ''Suona'' (IPA: /swoʊˈnɑː/, ), also called ''dida'' (from Cantonese / '' īdá'), ''laba'' or ''haidi'', is a traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. The suona's basic design originated in ancient Iran, then called "S ...

'', the Korean ''

taepyeongso The ''taepyeongso'' (lit. "big peace wind instrument"; also called ''hojok'', ''hojeok'' 호적 號笛/ 胡笛, ''nallari'', or ''saenap'', 嗩吶) is a Korean double reed wind instrument in the shawm or oboe family, probably descended from th ...

'', the Thai ''Pi'', and the Persian/Indian ''

shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.Tai peoples Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Ahom, a ...

, who call it the "Pí Lè", and the

Muong people The Mường (Mường language: ngài Mõl (Mường Bi), ngài Mường; ) are an ethnic group native to northern Vietnam. The Mường is the country's third largest of 53 minority groups, with an estimated population of 1.45 million (accor ...

, who call it the "Bi". The name "Kèn" is also used to informally refer to Gourd mouth organs. The best-known player of the ''kèn'' is the award-winning musician Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh (b. 1956), who is acknowledged as a "national treasure" in Vietnam, where he is known as "Khánh of the kèn."

Varieties

* Kèn bầu - with a wooden bell carved in a gourd shape; comes in several sizes * Kèn đám ma - with a metal bell; used for funerals in northern Vietnam

References

External links

lotusandlightning.com
(A page with streaming audio samples of Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh playing the kèn) Double-reed instruments Vietnamese musical instruments {{DoubleReed-instrument-stub