▶ Play Video 8. Uwang Ahadas A Yakan Virtuoso\nCourtesy of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Executive Committee\n\nThe Yakan inhabit the island of Basilan just off the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula of western Mindanao, particularly in the municipalities of Tipo, Lamitan, Sumisip, and Tuburan, and the islands of Sacol, Malanipa, and Tumalutab east of Zamboanga. The Yakan belong to the widespread Sama group, and their culture has become too specialized to be distinguished as a distinct group.\n\nThe Yakan’s language is closely related to the Sama, but their culture is more land orientated rather than the sea based. Agriculture consists largely of upland rice, although copra is also widespread. The main religion is Islam with syncretic elements from traditional and indigenous beliefs.\n\nThe Yakan are well-known for their elaborate dress, which is similar for males and females. For instance, both wear trousers. Noteworthy articles include the kandit, a fifteen-meter-long red sash worn by men, and the pinantupan, the women’s overskirt. Textile weaving done on the backstrap loom is much sought after, especially because of the intricate and beautiful motifs. The Yakan is one of the few groups that use tapestry loom producing the sophisticatedly woven pis syabit (headscarf for men) and seputangan (head cloth for women).\n\nThe Yakan have a rich musical tradition based on the pentatonic scale. Their musical instruments are usually made of bamboo, wood, and metal. The daluppak is a digging stick with a bamboo clapper. The kopak-kopak is a bamboo clapper on a stick. The kwintangan kayu is a percussion instrument consisting of five wooden beams suspended horizontally. The ends of the beams are tapered, and these are beaten. It is associated with planting and played to enhance plant growth. The wooden tuntungan is a suspended wooden ercussion plank with jar resonators, played with a pole during the harvest season for the purpose of giving thanks. The gabbang is a bamboo xylophone with five bars. The suling is a bamboo mouth flute used by men in courting. Another used by men to express love or admiration is the kulaing. The kulintangan or kwintangan consists of five bronze gongs arranged according to size and used during celebrations. The agung is a large deep gong used in ensemble performance.

Khovd Province, located in western Mongolia, is a vibrant tapestry of majestic landscapes, diverse ethnic communities, and deep-rooted cultural traditions. Home to more than ten ethnic groups—including the Kazakhs, Torguud, Durvud, Zakhchin, Uriankhai, and Myangad—Khovd is a cradle of intangible cultural heritage passed down for generations.\n\nSurrounded by sacred snow-capped peaks and vast river valleys, Khovd is rich in biodiversity, with over 1,300 plant species and hundreds of rare and endangered animals, including snow leopards and Altai argali. Its historical landscape is just as abundant, featuring ancient rock carvings, deer stones, and the renowned Gurvan Tsenkher Cave with 40,000-year-old petroglyphs.\n\nThe province is a living museum of nomadic knowledge and craftsmanship. Locals uphold centuries-old traditions of herding, long-distance camel caravans, and skilled artisanal work—everything from intricate ethnic costumes and woodcraft to leather and felt production. Unique musical and dance traditions, such as bielgee (expressive dance), Tsuur flute playing, and the haunting throat singing khoomii, echo across the region, preserving the voices of the past.\n\nAnnual festivals celebrate horse racing, wrestling, and the famed Kazakh Eagle Festival, showcasing the enduring bond between eagle hunters and their majestic birds. Epic poetry, the melodies of the horsehead fiddle, and region-specific tea customs further enrich Khovd’s living cultural heritage.\n\nThis documentary journeys through the soul of Khovd Province—where every mountain, melody, and movement tells a story. It’s a place where Mongolia’s ancestral spirit is not only remembered but proudly lived every day.

By using Rakhine Royal Drum was found at the period of Visali of the king of Chandra. At the time of king Chandra, the lyrical ode of the crown-princess Saw Pyae Nyo was played with the various kinds of instruments. Long-drum and Than-Lwin-drum contained in this instruments.In the Myanmar era of 897 ( 1535 AD) when was called Lay Myoe Age, King Min Bar built Yan Aung Zaya Chittaung stupa with a vaulted vase. Rakhine oil lamp dance, Shawl dance, Powewar dance, the sports of Mrauk.U period such as the posture of wrestling, boxing, the stick martial art and the figures in the posture of playing the Rakhine musical instruments such as the Rakhine Duelong Harp, bamboo pipes wind instrument, melodious small drum, hand-cymbals, cymbals၊ horn, long drum, Marlakhon fiddle, the bugle , the cymbal and the flute were sculpted as the ancient supporting evidences of Rakhine long drum on the western wall of the second tunnel of Shittaung pagoda.. Rakhine nationality mostly used long-drum. According to the ceremony, the drum which is used to celebrate pagoda festival is called Mu-Yoe Drum. Pan-taja drum is used for the wedding ceremony and the ceremony of propitiate nats. Khat- Ttin drum is used for the funeral ceremony . Si- Byaw( kind of long drum ) is used to play the novitiated ceremony. One- headed drum is used for ceremony of pulling gharry. Kyin-drum is used for the posture of wrestling. There are fourteen kinds of Rakhine drum. They are Mhyaut drum, Than-Lwin drum, Mu-Yoe drum ( Si-Pyaw ), Singal-headed small drum, Big drum (Shan si) , Donmin drum , Si Pataung drum, Si wun drum , Melodious small drum, One-headed drum, Pan:taya: si drum, Pat Si drum (Kyin si), Si chay drum, Si ai drum. According to the song, it can be played with hands. The song which produces the sound of Byane from cow skin and the sound of harp from goat skin. It can be played not only hand but also stick. Rakhine royal drum is played together with cymbals, gong, jingle bell and conch-shell.\nPadauk wood is used to make the body of Rakhine royal drum and the either sides of two drumheads are covered with cow-skin and goatskin. The Padauk wood has to made hollow and the either side of cow skin and goat skin are tightly stretched on the drum heads. Both two drumheads can be played. The leather must be tightly tied with the string of gunny twine.\n-2 feet 3 inches in Length\n-3 feet 5 inches in the girth\n-1 feet in the diameter of drumhead (site of cow skin)\n-11 inches in the diameter of drumhead ( site of goat skin)

Sarkarwar wood has to be made hollow guitar body, three strings of edible creeper are put on it. Peg is made with bamboo. Three strings are struck by hand. It can be played traditional song of Lusi, Zaiwar, Lawwal and Larchade. It can be played together with drum, flute and gong during special day and ceremonies.\n-2 feet 3 inches in length\n-9.5 inches in Length of sound body\n-5 inches in Width of sound body\n-2 inches in High of sound body\n-1 feet 6 inches in Length of arm of guitar

Rolaet is a solo instrument of the indigenous people in Mondulkiri province called Bunoong. The device consists of a gourd and a long bamboo tube shaped like a flute with three holes, and a short bamboo tube plugged into the gourd.\nRolaet has been called by the Bunoong people from generation to generation and they do not know the history of this musical instrument, nor do they know which generation or ethnic group was the first creator (According to Mr. Bev Kras and Mr. Dernh Buntha). As for the production of this instrument, it can be made by yourself because the components are convenient and available locally. \n

Bamboo is cut off necessary size and type. It is perforated four holes by using two different types of nails . At the tip of flute is made a pot hole to blow air. A close fitting covering is covered at the tip of it. It is bored a hole bottom of it. Air has to be blown from the close-fitting covering to the pot hole and the frets are pressed opening and closing tune to produce melodies. It is played when young unmarried boys are going a courting.\n-1 feet 8.5 inches in Length\n-1.5 inches in Girth\n-2 inches in Length of close-fitting covering\n-9 inches in Length of air hole to first fret\n-8 inches in Length of air hole to bottom hole

Players who are the member of Yin Baw Orchestra play their traditional instrument including Big cymbals, Man Hpot pair flute, Drum, Man Htee, and Brass gong

La Hu ethnics are playing their instruments (small gong, cymbals, pot drum and gourd flute) with stepping.

The traditional Tajikistani string instrument rubob and the flute mehtar are handmade. Rubob produces easy-listening sound, so it’s good for listeners to hum along with the melody it plays. On the other hand, mehtar, famous for its loud sounds, is popular for merry events like wedding ceremonies. This video shows how to play and make both instruments.

The flute maker cut four bamboo joints stacked by the wood and spread by the beeswaxes. This instrument is a melodic instrument. The instrument can be played together with drum, cymbals and gong at the Yinbaws’ flagstaff (Takhuntai) festival. Since yore, this instrument has been preserved and handed down from generation to generation as a traditional heritage. There is no exact record in what year and era it appeared.\n-13.6 cm in the length of the pair flutes\n-4.7 cm in the distance of the pair flutes\n-12 cm in the length of the shortest bamboo\n-11.9 cm in the depth of the shortest bamboo\n-10.6 cm in the depth of the second bamboo\n-8.6 cm in the depth of the third bamboo\n-7.7 cm in the depth of the fourth bamboo\n-1.3 cm in the circumference of the biggest bamboo\n-0.9 cm in the circumference of the second bamboo\n-0.8 cm in the circumference of the third bamboo\n-0.8 cm in the circumference of the fourth bamboo\n-0.1 cm in the thickness of the bamboo

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

Mongolian craftsmen of folk music instruments craft Morin khuur (horse-head fiddle), ekil (two-stringed wooden fiddle), khuuchir (four-stringed instrument), tsuur (three-holed vertical flute), tovshuur (two-stringed lute), limbe (side-blown flute), yatga (zither), yanchir (dulcimer), shudarga (three-stringed lute) and others with specific features and characteristics in conformity with their locality and historic background. Over a span of time, the styles of these folk instruments were developed and improved in quality and designs. The selection and procession of materials are crucial importance to crafting the folk instruments. The traditional craftsmanship of folk music instruments is an outstanding outcome of centuries’ long research and experiment of craftsmen and musicians. \n