Instruments
The fiddle K'ny

The fiddle K'ny is an example of the musical aspects of a kind of  exotism  and how msucial instruments get easily involved and implemented in different cultures, each claiming it to be its "own". The K'ny belongs to the GioRai group in central Vietnam. We actually find it in many  "traditional" (tourist) ensembles, for which the reason might be the outstanding idea in which the K'ny got famous as a "talking" violin: The single chord of this monochord is attached to a wire which the player puts behind his teeth while playing. The player keeps this wire pulled, so that every wovel he speaks transmitts a serious of overtones and formants on to the bowed chord - thus producing a sound as if the violin would "speak". This instrument is unique worldwide.  The model shown here has five frets, but more common is a single central bamboo tube with no frets at all. It is a pitty that this instrument nowadays is more often used to play easy folk songs than traditional Gio Rai music.

*Sample (MP3, 610 KB) *    

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