The origin and history of mohori are unclear, although the word itself is generally associated with a type of bird.

Musically speaking, mohori refers to an ensemble composed of all types of instruments, but today, the term applies to a small ensemble primarily composed of string instruments. The Sam-Ang Sam ensemble on this recording features wind, string and percussion. The usual manner of performing mohori is that the vocalist and the ensemble alternate in the performance. The vocalist generally sings one or two verses and the ensemble echoes with one or two cycles of music.