Oboe - sralai ស្រឡៃ

Last update: December 28, 2024

1. Sralai toam ming ស្រឡៃទាំមីង

The oboes depicted in the 16th century are cone-shaped. They are recognizable by their coconut shell pirouette, shaped like bat wings. See our page on oboe in the section on ancient music. In the kantoam ming ensemble attached to Vat Svay Thom in Siem Reap, the oboist Pon Pong plays with this pirouette. Keo Narom, in her work Cambodian Music (2005), writes: "The instruments [with coconut shell] seem to have been used continuously up until the 1960s. Today, teachers no longer use coconut shells to assist the breathing on their own."

During our early years of research, we knew of the 16th-century bas-reliefs depicting these pirouettes but were unaware that they were still used in Cambodia. It was during a rehearsal with the kantoam ming ensemble at Vat Svay Thom that the oboist Pon Pong took the famous pirouette out of his bag. We then asked him why he did not use it. He replied, "Not in public." He only used it during rehearsals. This seems to address once again an issue related to ego; a musician playing with the pirouette would be seen as lacking full mastery of the continuous breath technique. We then encouraged Pon Pong to use the object again to demonstrate the continuity of musical practices in Cambodia. And so it was done.

2. Sralai pin peat ស្រឡៃពិណពាទ្យ

The sralai pin peat (ស្រឡៃពិណពាទ្យ), or simply sralai, derives its name from its exclusive use in the pin peat ensemble. It consists of a large, biconical wooden body with a central bulge. The instrument has six finger holes. The four upper holes are equidistant, while the two lower holes are slightly further apart, requiring the player to spread the lower fingers more than the upper four. A decoration around the holes, known as kantuet, is often seen. In addition to its quadruple-reed, what distinguishes it is its very slightly conical bore, a feature typical of oboes worldwide. The body is made of black or red wood, such as kranhung or neang nuen. Unlike many other oboes, this instrument does not have a pirouette — the piece of horn or metal inserted between the base of the reed and the top of the instrument’s body — because the wide diameter of the sralai already serves this purpose.

3. Sralai jaiy

The sralai jaiy is a type of Khmer oboe, primarily used during martial arts competitions. Due to its Thai influences, it is sometimes referred to as sralai klong kaik or sralai cheang. This instrument is distinct from other Khmer oboes, particularly in terms of its sound characteristics and its use in a specific context related to competitions.

The sralai jaiy is a variation of the traditional sralai used in pin peat and kantoam ming ensembles. Its design and playing techniques may be influenced by external musical traditions, particularly Thai, making it unique compared to other instruments in the Khmer sralai family.

The playing of the sralai, regardless of its type, is based on the technique of continuous breath, thus adhering to the Khmer musical principle of avoiding any silence, no matter how brief. This constraint, combined with the length of certain ceremonies, makes the practice of the oboe a physically demanding performance. In the past, the oboe was the leader of the pin peat ensemble, a role that is now fulfilled by the roneat ek xylophone.

The pin peat ensemble, and the sralai in particular, are a source of inspiration for the decoration of Buddhist monastery buildings. We offer here some examples.