Ritual Music for Gallor Ceremony of Kuy Ethnic Group in Lower Northeastern Part of Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the element of the ritual music for Gallor ceremony of Kuy Ethnic group in Lower Northeastern part of Thailand. Kuy is one of the ethnic groups that inhibits in the Lower Northeastern part of Thailand which included Surin, Buriram, Srisaket and Ubon Rajathani province. They believe in healing sick people with musical therapy that has been inherited until the present time. The data in this qualitative study were collected using documentary research and field trip by observing and interviewing the experts and audiences in the community. Then, the results were reported by using descriptive statistics.The results revealed that The ritual music for Gallor ceremony was found in Moo 5 of Khamnoi village, Yoei Prasat, Nongki District, Buriram Province. The villagers believed that playing music was a method that can be used to communicate with Holy Spirit to come down and take over the body of sick people as a medium in order to heal them. The essential element of the ritual music was musical instruments which comprised of woodwind instrument (Lao reed mouthorgan) and percussion instrument (drum). This was a small musical band. The music was started to play with moderate rhythm, which was a signature of Gallor ceremony, Toei rhythm and general rhythm.         The music was played in a short melody loop for the dance of the medium.            The structure of the song was explicitly divided with the pentatonic sound system. However, the ritual music of Gallor ceremony was changed in terms of the use of modern instrument according to the current life style.