200 musicians perform in Vietnam’s largest Khmer pentatonic concert
(VOVWORLD) - 20 pentatonic musical ensembles involving 200 musicians participated in a performance of Khmer music, the largest such performance ever held in Vietnam, in Soc Trang province on Monday.
 The program features 20 five-tone orchestras with 200 artists and musicians performing songs such as sorya, a-le, hon-zot, khlom, and Rom Vong krom dong khe.(Photo: Thach Hong/VOV) |
The concert secured a Vietnamese record for "The largest Khmer pentatonic music performance in Vietnam" and to promote the Khmer community's rich cultural heritage by bringing this traditional folk art to a wider audience.
Tran Minh Ly, Director of the provincial Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said, “By setting a record, we hope to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of the Khmer ethnic group. This is a unique art form, admired by Khmer people nationwide. It is part of the daily cultural life of the Khmer. To set a new record, the musicians have practiced diligently."
 Tran Minh Ly, Director of the provincial Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, speaks at the performance. (Photo: Thach Hong/VOV correspondent in the Mekong River Delta) |
Pentatonic music, called Pinn Peat in the Khmer language, is a popular and long-standing Khmer musical genre in the southern region of Vietnam. The music, a form of orchestral music for religious rituals, is closely associated with Theravadan Buddhism in Khmer pagodas and hamlets.
A pentatonic ensemble is an orchestra composed of musical instruments made from five different materials with five distinct timbres: brass, iron, wood, wind, and leather.