The third CD in the Musical Heritage of Northeast Thailand series, an anthology of field recordings made by Terry Miller between March, 1973, and February, 1974, in various provinces of Northeast Thailand, a mostly Lao-speaking region commonly known as Isan. This is music designed to move spirits: to summon spirits to visit the sick and heal them, to give life anew to the extinguished mortal spirits of those involved in political uprisings, and to penetrate the souls of festival-goers and lift their spirits in collective hope for a good harvest. All of this music was recorded during authentic ritual practices.
Because of rapid economic and social development in this formerly backward region, many of these genres and styles no longer exist or have been transformed into modernized forms very different from those heard on these recordings. Dr. Miller, a reknowned scholar of Thai music, was formerly the head of the ethnomusicology department at Kent State University, and made these recordings while completing his doctoral dissertation fieldwork under the supervision of Prof. Jarernchai Chonpairot of Mahasarakham University.