Jonny Olsen grew up in California where he used to be a sponsored skateboarder and singer for a punk band called L.A.O. (Life's All Over- in a positive way) What an interesting omen that the band name also spells Lao.
Even though Jonny did not have a clue back then where Lao is or what the khaen is, he found out about the khaen when he bought it as a souvenir.
The sound of khaen is a frequency that really connects with Jonny's heart and spirit. He loves to entertain people by performing the khaen and singing his Lao folk pop, and hip-hop songs.
Jonny Olsen became the first westerner khaen champion of Khon Kaen, Thailand in 2005. He studied the khaen with all the great masters like Sombat Simlah. He learned Morlum Folk music from Ratri Sivilai. Jonny has performed the khaen all over the world. If you want to invite Jonny to perform for you, email jonnyplayskhaen@gmail.com