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Pi khui - Unique musical instrument to call for a mate of the Thai people

Dinh Tuan • September 18, 2024 09:40

Originating from life and production, the Thai people in Western Nghe An have created their own musical instruments, contributing to the unique cultural features of the Vietnamese ethnic community. Among them, it is impossible not to mention the pi khui, a musical instrument used to call for a lover.

The Thai people have long been cultivating fields. Therefore, many of their musical instruments are simply crafted from materials available on the fields such as bamboo and rattan for entertainment or relaxation. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Since ancient times, the pi khui has become an indispensable musical instrument and is considered a "treasure" of Thai men. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Elderly Thai people recount that in the past, on moonlit nights, Thai boys and girls often held love songs. When the party ended, the boys would carry the pi khui to the house of the girl they secretly loved to express their feelings. If the girl liked the boy, when she heard the sound of the pi khui, she would immediately open the back door to let the boy in. The following nights, the boys would only use the pi khui to blow and call their lover. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Artisan Luong Van Pan, residing in Xa Luong commune, Tuong Duong district, shared: “The Pi khui is a wind instrument, made from bamboo tubes collected from the fields. The bamboo used to make this instrument must be straight and beautiful, with a round trunk, not too old or too young... This way, the Pi tree will not be infested with termites, and the sound will resonate... The Pi khui is about 60 - 80 cm long, this unique instrument has 5 holes, the distance between the holes is calculated according to the circumference of the circle at the end of the bamboo tube”. Photo: Dinh Tuan

“The hole should not be punched too big because punching too big will cause the sound to be distorted,” added artisan Luong Van Pan. Photo: Dinh Tuan

To ensure technical standards and the desired sound, all stages of making the pi khui are done by hand, without any machine replacement. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Through research, we learned that currently, the number of players who can get pí khuí is not much, and the number of people who know how to make pí khuí is even rarer. Photo: Dinh Tuan

For the Thai people, the Pi Khui is a unique musical instrument, which has long been associated with the cultural life of the Thai people. The sound of the Pi Khui has long been considered a "treasure" for finding a lover. The Pi Khui can only be played solo or accompanied by the whole (all Thai folk songs), but cannot be used in an ensemble. In addition to calling for a lover, this musical instrument is also often used in housewarming ceremonies, new customs, or the coming of Tet and Spring. Photo: Dinh Tuan

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