The mbuat is the free-reed mouth organ of the Mnong people of Vietnam. Played as a solo instrument or in small ensembles, it was commonly used for expressing caring between a man and woman. The mbuat is very similar in form to ancient Chinese free reed mouth organs. These early Chinese instruments show gourds with six or seven holes for pipes arranged in two rows, exactly the same as the mbuat. Other instruments of a similar construction found in the region include the kupuot of the Raglai people of Vietnam, and the plung of the Murung people of Bangladesh. It is interesting to note that the plung is often played in large ensembles of instruments of varying sizes and the sound is surprisingly similar to the lusheng ensembles of southern China.
Country: Vietnam
Region: South East Asia
Type: Free-reed