Suona  

 

 

“The suona 嗩吶 is also called laba 喇叭, haidi 海笛, and dida 啲打. "Suona" is the Chinese pronunciation of the Arabic word "suona", a similar double reed instrument from the Middle East, which became the oboe in Europe. Similar instruments can also be found in Africa and other parts of Asia. The suona was imported to China during the Jin Dynasty (金代 1115-1234). From a written source of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), we know that it was used in military music and folk festivals. Traditionally, it is indispensable in ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and, among others, the New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival.

The suona is held vertically. The conical body is made of wood (not bamboo), with one hole on the back for the thumb and seven on the front for the other fingers. The detachable "bowl" at the bottom for amplification is made of bronze. The double reed is connected to the main body through a metal tube.

 

The suona is not only an important instrument in festival music but also a fundamental one in chuidayue 吹打樂, or Wind-and-percussion Music. It is also used in some traditional regional operas. Nowadays, influenced by the development of a modern Chinese orchestra, large suonas with a keypad mechanism borrowed from the clarinet are made to perform compositions written with Western idioms.

The "solo tradition" of the suona, like that of most of the Chinese instruments, only started to develop in the second half of the twentieth century. A large part of its solo repertoire comprises adaptations of traditional instrumental or vocal genres.”  (So Hon To)

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