Hulusi (Cucurbit Flute)
The hulusi, a gourd free-reed pipe, in five languages — hulusi, Kürbisflöte, flûte calebasse
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 葫芦丝 |
| English | hulusi (cucurbit flute / gourd flute) |
| Italian | — (no settled term; hulusi is borrowed) |
| German | Hulusi (Kürbisflöte) |
| French | hulusi (flûte calebasse) |
The hulusi is a wind instrument of the Dai and other Yunnan peoples. A gourd wind chest holds three bamboo pipes: the central melody pipe carries a metal free reed, while the side pipes usually drone. English writes hulusi, also called cucurbit or gourd flute; German Kürbisflöte and French flûte calebasse name the gourd image. Italian has no settled term and borrows hulusi (a common practice).
Watch out: the hulusi and the bawu are both free-reed instruments, but the hulusi has a gourd wind chest and three pipes, while the bawu is a single bamboo pipe played transversely; neither is an edge-blown duct flute: the reed itself vibrates.
Read deeper → Hulusi
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与形制，参《中国音乐词典》（人民音乐出版社）及 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Hulusi"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.