Overview
Learn about the most popular genre of music in Thailand and how it came to be. Find out where it originated and has changed over time to become the music many people love today.
Luk Thung
Evolution
The beginnings of Luk Thung started around the 1930s to 1940s when Western music was starting to gain popularity. This resulted in classical Thai music being combined with western instruments to form a new genre of music. But it wasn't until after World War 2 that it started to gain popularity. Luk Thung, in the early 1950s, started with mainly traditional Thai instruments, and the lyrics focused on rural hardships and political issues. Then towards the late 1950s to early 1960s western instruments like the guitar, organ, and drums were added, but were played using the Thai scale which gave it a unique sound, unlike Western music. Luk Thung had its first big boom in the 1960s when many rural workers moved into the cities and played their music to share the hardships they faced. Luk Thung remained like this until the 1990s when it had a second boom due to official recognition as a genre, national prosperity, and investment from record companies. Here the music took on more of what we hear today with the upbeat, electrified tempo and lyrics focused on the hardships nowadays. At this time Luk Thung started to resemble Mor Lam a lot, and while Luk Thung did take a lot of influence from it, they are still different in the singing techniques and themes presented in the lyrics.
Defining Characteristics
Luk Thung is often referred to as the country music of Thailand, but to label it as such would be an injustice. It has a sound so unique that it deserves to be its own genre. Luk Thung falls under the category of phleng Thai sakon which translates to international-style Thai music. This is what makes the instrumentation of Luk Thung so unique, it takes
Western instruments such as the guitar and keyboard, and uses the Thai scale. Most Western music uses a heptatonic scale whereas Thai music uses the pentatonic scale which results in the music having a classical Thai and a modern western sound. In terms of the lyrics, Luk Thung tends to be more poetic with a focus on hardships of life, political issues, religion, or traditional culture. These are usually written in a counterpoint style which is when there are two or more melodies, or singers, that complement each other, but can also be performed independently. The singers also are very important in creating the unique sound as they use a lot of vibrato and sing with a distinct country accent that harmonizes with the instruments. To tie it all together, if performed live, it's not a Luk Thung concert if there isn't an over-the-top stage with backup dancers in large feathered costumes. When all these elements are put together it makes the unique sound that has
made it the most popular genre in Thailand.
Citations
Baker, Chris. “From the Field to the Protest.” Bangkok Post, 21 Sept. 2015,
https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/700840/from-the-field-to-the-protest.
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"Luk Thung". Dbpedia, 2023, https://dbpedia.org/page/Luk_thung. Accessed 12 Mar 2023.