The hilltribes have similar musical traditions and play a range of percussive, wind and string instruments. The importance of music to their oral histories can be heard in their storytelling, songs and languages - the Hmong language, for example, has eight tones. Music is played for relaxation, and festive occasions. For example, Lisu men play the small stringed lute-type instruments while performing New Year dances. Music is also integral to rituals and to aid contact with the spirit world. Several tribes play the bamboo mouth organ, also known as ‘queej’ (pronounced ‘keng’). It is played at funerals to guide the soul of the deceased towards the village of the ancestors and its reincarnation.
