Hmong Music and Art
Music
Music is an incredibly important part of Hmong culture. The focus on music is a result of the Hmong language being "tonal" which means that all meaning, emotion and understanding is a direct result of the tone you inflect when speaking.
Hmong traditional music was originally used to pass down their history and culture to successive generations. Their contemporary music now focuses on using rhymes and clever word play. These songs are often sung for different occasions ranging from storytelling to engagements to even summoning spirits.
Clothing
Hmong art also exists and is often found in the form of textiles such as extravagant clothing for weddings and other religious ceremonies. Their art even stretches back to their love for music because they often stitched story clothes to aid in passing down history through song.
The traditional Hmong clothing is a part of the clans identity and cultural values. A Paj ntaub is a embroidery which shows the Hmong culture from one generation to the next over many centuries. These different patterns and colors allow you to distinguish were that particular families ancestry came from along with the stories behind them.
Most of the traditional clothing, funeral clothing, baby carries, and courtship clothing are designed using a geometric pattern, which is a form of visual language within this culture.
The video below takes a look into the Hmong culture and how the use their clothing as a form of art that honors and keeps the traditions of their people.
Music is an incredibly important part of Hmong culture. The focus on music is a result of the Hmong language being "tonal" which means that all meaning, emotion and understanding is a direct result of the tone you inflect when speaking.
Hmong traditional music was originally used to pass down their history and culture to successive generations. Their contemporary music now focuses on using rhymes and clever word play. These songs are often sung for different occasions ranging from storytelling to engagements to even summoning spirits.
Clothing
Hmong art also exists and is often found in the form of textiles such as extravagant clothing for weddings and other religious ceremonies. Their art even stretches back to their love for music because they often stitched story clothes to aid in passing down history through song.
The traditional Hmong clothing is a part of the clans identity and cultural values. A Paj ntaub is a embroidery which shows the Hmong culture from one generation to the next over many centuries. These different patterns and colors allow you to distinguish were that particular families ancestry came from along with the stories behind them.
Most of the traditional clothing, funeral clothing, baby carries, and courtship clothing are designed using a geometric pattern, which is a form of visual language within this culture.
The video below takes a look into the Hmong culture and how the use their clothing as a form of art that honors and keeps the traditions of their people.