In Myanmar, ancient chronicles say that harps were being played as early as in the Pyu Period. In February of 802 A.D. Sri Khettra despatched a Pyu music and dance ensemble to Chan-ann the city of the Tang Dynasity of China. Tang Dynasty chronicles say that the Pyu musicians had with them two harps with pheasant’s head shapes, two harps with corcodile’s head shapes, one flat harp in the shape of a dragon’s head, one flat harp in the shape of rain clouds, two flat harps of big gourds, one flat gourd-harp with a single string and one small flat gourd-harp. Among rock relief sculptures found on the walls of the Ananda pagoda built by king Kyansittha in A.D 1084-1113 is a harp which indicates that the harp was in general use in those days.\nThe part where the neck joins the sound box is shaped like a leaf of the saga: (champac) while the stern is shaped like bowl. The tip of the neck is shaped like the leaf of the banyan tree. The neck is made of sha: (acaciacatechu) wood. The sound box is covered with a membrane of deer skin. Holes are perforated along the ridge to hold the ends of the strings. The intervals between the holes need to be of correct proportion, otherwise, the harp tends to be out of tune and also lacks proper form. Hence, the ridge is a critical component of the harp. When playing, the harp player sits cross-legged on the floor and rests the front of the body of the harp in his or her lap, with the arch on the harp player’s left and the rear of the harp’s body angled slightly upwards so that the strings are almost horizontal. The fingers of the left hand are braced against the outside of the arch and moved agilely up and down. A stopped tone is produced when the left thumb nail is pressed against the string from the inside to increase its tension and thus raise its pitch. The thumb and forefinger of the right hand, either separately or together, pluck the strings at their center while the right elbow rests on the top of the rear of the harp body outside of the strings. The left thumb may be used to pluck the bass of the harp figuration while the right thumb and forefinger pluck the melodic pattern. A skilled harpist promote clarity by jumping the string just sounded while sounding the next string. This jumping may be done with the middle finger, the palm of the hand, or the forefinger just after the activation when a staccato note is desired.

Once, there was a very romantic couple. One day, the wife suffered from a disease. No medicine can cure her disease. One day, while the distracted husband went to the farm, he found a dry gourd on the way. When he tried blowing his flute fixed to the dry gourd, he found out it generated very pleasant sound. So, he got back to the home and blew it for the wife. He found her disease responded to the sound of the flute. He found she was better when he blew it fixing two flutes. She got full recovery when he blew it fixing five flutes. After commonly used it, its medicinal influences disappeared and remained as a musical instrument.\nFive flutes are made of Marfule bamboo which grows in the cold dry area. One hole is perforated in each flute with a heated sharp iron. The small bamboo sheets are put in each flute as the reed. All five flutes are tied together and fixed at the hole of gourd. For the airproof, the hole of the dry gourd connected with the flutes is covered with the beeswax. The longest flute is addressed as Julumar, the forth longest one is Jululelu, the third longest one is Julumarchaw, the second longest one is Julufufu and the shortest one is Juluteeti. Arnmyu means the gourd. Julu stands for the flute. The compound meaning of Arnmyujalu stands for the gourd flute. Blow into the hole at the top of the gourd moving fingers at the holes of the five flutes\n-1.5 in length\n-9 inches in circumference of dry gourd\n-10.5 inches in height of the dry gourd\n-1 feet 3 inches in length of the longest flute\n-1 feet in length of the forth longest flute\n-11 inches in length of the third longest flute\n-9 inches in length of the second longest flute\n-8 inches in length of the shortest flute

The dried gourd represents the father and the five reeds represent five sons. The first reed represents the son who lives on mountain. The second one does the son who lives in slope of mountain. The third one does the son who lives in the foot of mountain. The fourth one does the son who lives in the plain land. The fifth one does the son who lives in abroad. No matter where they live, the unity means everything for them.\nFive flutes are made of reed cut in desired measure. One hole is bored in each flute with a heated sharp iron. A reed is put in each flute to make pleasant sound. All five flutes are tied together and fixed at the hole of gourd. For the airproof, the hole of the dry gourd connected with the flutes is covered with the beeswax. It's blown by blowing at the mouth-hole of the gourd opening and shutting the holes of flutes with fingers

The dried gourd represents the father and the five reeds represent five sons. The first reed represents the son who lives on mountain. The second one does the son who lives in slope of mountain. The third one does the son who lives in the foot of mountain. The fourth one does the son who lives in the plain land. The fifth one does the son who lives in abroad. No matter where they live, the unity means everything for them.\nFive flutes are made of reed cut in desired measure. One hole is bored in each flute with a heated sharp iron. A reed is put in each flute to make pleasant sound. All five flutes are tied together and fixed at the hole of gourd. For the airproof, the hole of the dry gourd connected with the flutes is covered with the beeswax. It's blown by blowing at the mouth-hole of the gourd opening and shutting the holes of flutes with fingers

The Kaiui—also known as fui or be’u in different regions—is a traditional bamboo flute of Timor-Leste, cherished for its gentle, evocative sound that once echoed across rice fields, hilltops, and quiet village evenings. Long associated with solitude, emotional expression, and storytelling, the Kaiui is more than just a musical instrument—it is a vessel of memory and connection.\n\nTraditionally crafted from au-fafulu, a specific type of bamboo, the Kaiui features seven tone holes and is often about the length of a forearm. A key part of its design is the use of a corn cob or similar material to block part of the internal chamber, modifying the flow of air and shaping the distinctive tone. The player blows across the top opening while controlling the pitch with their fingers, producing melodies that are haunting, meditative, and subtly expressive.\n\nFor generations, the Kaiui was used by boys tending livestock in the fields, especially in the early mornings or during midday rest. It was played to pass the time, soothe animals, or simply to ease loneliness. Others used it to express feelings of longing—especially in matters of love, separation, or remembrance. In many communities, the flute is considered a deeply personal instrument, capable of giving voice to emotions that are otherwise difficult to speak.\n\nThe art of playing Kaiui is learned informally, typically by observing and mimicking older siblings, parents, or elders. There is no standard notation; the music lives through imitation, memory, and improvisation. Songs vary from region to region and even from player to player, with some tunes tied to seasonal rhythms or traditional events like sau-batar (harvest ceremonies) or rites of passage.\n\nThe Kaiui also plays a role in certain rituals and ceremonies, where its sound is believed to create a space of calm, welcome ancestral spirits, or accompany reflective moments. Its simple construction and natural materials reflect a worldview grounded in harmony with the environment—a flute made entirely from what the land provides, played under the open sky.\n\nToday, however, the practice of making and playing the Kaiui is increasingly rare. As younger generations turn to electronic music and imported instruments, the quiet music of the bamboo flute is fading from everyday life. In some communities, it survives primarily as a cultural demonstration during festivals or heritage programs.\n\nEfforts to preserve the Kaiui are now underway through workshops, school projects, and intergenerational exchanges. In these spaces, the flute is not only played but celebrated—as a living symbol of Timor-Leste’s musical heritage and a gentle reminder of how sound, memory, and identity are woven together in the simplest of forms.

Larchit means the orphan and Phyili does the flute. So, the compound words of LarchitPhyili stands for the orphan's flute. In the ancient time, there was an orphan. He had a chicken. One day, his chicken died. He discovered a sentimental melody through blowing a hole of a thigh of his dead chicken. The LarchitPhyili bamboo flute derived from that chicken thigh flute. Cut a Marbarlar bamboo in desired measure and bore the number one, two and three holes of the fingerboard parting one inch each among them with a heated sharp iron. The mouth-hole is bored at the other end of the flute. A sheath is put on the top of the flute to make a better sound. Blow the mouth-hole maneuvering the holes of fingerboard with fingers. The traditional melodies or the melodies of guitar can be blown with it.\n-1.1 feet in length\n-1 inches in circumference\n-1.5 inches in length of top sheath\n-5 inches in length from the mouth-hole to the hole of fingerboard\n-5 inches interval between fourth and fifth holes of fingerboard

The brass gone was called the"naji: zaja dhe" in Bagan days. It is learned from Queen Saw's lithic inscription in North Guni pagoda that wealthy persons used to dedicate musical instruments to the pagoda. The brass gong was one of the ten instruments of the Bagan period. It has a special melody to itself, kyei thaw.The brass gong circle (kjei: wain:) has 18 or 19 brass gongs in a circle similar to the drum circle. \nIt accompanies the drum circle and the hne. Its sound is more melodious than the sound of the framed gongs (maun: zain:). The player strikes the boss on the gong with a mallet. Two mallets are used for the two hands, and when required, the sound is dampaned by the free fingers. The gong is tuned by adjusting the amount of beeswax attached inside the boss. The brass gong player is generally the number two man in the ensemble.

The ancestors came to settle at farms, building bamboo shacks as their crops thrived. They noticed a pleasant sound when the air blew into the hole of the bamboo. Then, they made a flute to produce that sound. As they found out that the sound of one-hole flute frightened the parrots which destroyed the crops, they expanded the holes to six. After cutting Marfule bamboo in desired measure, it's bored the holes with a heated sharp iron including six finger holes and one mouth-hole. A cloth or paper stopper is put into the flute. Blow at the mouth-hole maneuvering the finger holes with the fingers. The traditional and other melodies can be blown with it.\n-1 feet 2 inches in length\n-1.5 inches in circumference\n-4.5 inches in length from from the end of the flute to the mouth-hole\n-4 inches from the mouth-hole to the first hole of the fingerboard

In ancient time, the ancestors of Lashi/Lachik people lived in China and blew it on the bare mountains. It was blown in higher pitch in the ancient time. But now it is just blown in soft melodies.\nThe dry piece of Htri bamboo cut at the desirable measure is bored the finger holes with the heated iron. There is a bamboo joint at one end where the mouth-hole is made to blow it. Blow the traditional melodies and other melodies with it by pressing the thumb hole with the thumb and moving the fingers on other finger holes. In the Lashi/Lachik traditional Manau festival, it's blown in group.\n-13 inches in length\n-11.5 inches in without sheath\n-4.5 inches in length from the mouth-hole to the first finger hole\n-4.5 inches in length from the first finger hole to the sixth finger hole\n-3 inches in length from the mouth-hole to the thumbhole

A bamboo is cut into necessary length to make three flutes. Then, make a hole on each flute with burnt iron stick. After that, a reed is put in each flute to make better sound. Three flutes are tied together. A hole is made on the dried gourd to house these flutes in it. Last of all, seal the joint hole with beeswax. This instrument is played by blowing into the hold atop the gourd and by opening and closing the holes on the flutes with fingers.\n- 1 feet and 5 inches in length of gourd flute\n-6 and a half inches in high of the gourd\n- 8 inches in circumference of the gourd

A bamboo is cut into necessary length to make three flutes. Then, make a hole on each flute with burnt iron stick. After that, a reed is put in each flute to make better sound. Three flutes are tied together. A hole is made\non the dried gourd to house these flutes in it. Last of all, seal the joint hole with beeswax.\nThis instrument is played by blowing into the hold atop the gourd and by opening and closing the holes on the flutes with fingers. \n-1 feet and five inches in length of gourd flute\n-6.5 inches in high of the gourd\n-8 inches in circumference of the gourd

Rampai Aceh is a reconstruction of Saman, a traditional performance art of the Gayo tribe of Aceh, Sumatra. The Saman dance which can be traced back to the 13th Century, is a group dance performed by over 10 dancers, who kneel in a row and perform the identical moves in a highly coordinated manner. They clap, slap their chests, thighs, or the floor with their palms, bounce their fingers off each other, gesture with their hands, shaking and twisting their heads from side to side to complex rhythms. The moves express scenes from nature and the daily lives of the Gayo tribe, such as leaves flying in the wind, water buffalo bathing, and ploughing the field.\n\nThe leaders of the performance are called “Penankat”, who sing poetic verses. They are accompanied by drums, rabana and dynamic clapping. The poetic verses sing about a wide range of themes including tradition and development, religion, heroic tales, morals from daily life and love stories, told with wit and satire. Saman represents the communal values of patience, cooperation and helping each other. Saman, which is enjoyed by people of all walks of life, is performed widely at a variety of occasions, including national holidays such Independence Day, religious occasions, welcoming ceremony for honored guests and weddings. However, with rapid urbanization, youth have been leaving for the city, creating problems for the transmission of Saman for the Penankat who are unable to find suitable successors.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙An original dance based on the Saman dance, inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2011\n\nPerformed by Marwar Budaya Dance Atelier\nDirected by Maria Sofia Trimawarsanti\nPhotographed by Maria Sofia Trimawarsanti