Overview
Discover the rich history of the music from Isan, the North Eastern part of Thailand with a heavy influence from Laos. This section will delve into how Mor Lam has evolved over time, but was able to retain its unique sound that makes it so recognizable.
Mor Lam
How it Originated
There is no official record of how or when Mor Lam originated, but it is speculated that during the 18th century when Thailand was extending into Laos, which is now the part of Thailand called Isan, is when Mor Lam was introduced. There are two theories about how Mor Lam performances originated. The first is that it was part of a religious ritual, in which while they were praying to deities they were reading ancient scriptures. These scriptures mainly consisted of stories, and so over time instruments and singing was incorporated. The second theory is that it was used as a form of social gathering in which the people of Isan would share their stories from their day. This served as a form of entertainment to relax and lift their spirits.
Evolution
Early Performances
These early performances were called 'lam puen' (ลำพื้น) and often were stories either from Buddhist literature or even just local stories. The people who were considered the best storytellers in society would draw in crowds and eventually became the people who performed Mor Lam. Traditionally it was performed by one man, accompanied by the Khaen (แคน), a free-reed mouth organ. As it became more popular, more instruments were added like the seung (ซึง), a plucked fretted lute; the saw u ( ซออู้), a bowed string instrument; and the pi (ปี่), a quadruple reed oboe.
The Khaen being played
Performances Today
Mor Lam continues to be an important part of festivals and ceremonies in Isan, but it has changed. Now, there is usually more than one performer, and can be of any gender. This has allowed for there to be more storylines, mainly the use of romance stories. As Western music gained popularity instruments like the guitar, keyboard, and drums were added giving the music a more electrified sound. The performances as a whole became much more extravagant too as the costumes and sets are now very glitzy. Mor lam has even been able to
extend into the rest of Thailand. During the 1970's many Isan workers migrated across Thailand and shared their music with the rest of the country. Even though Mor Lam has changed a lot over time, it has been able to retain its unique sound through the distinct timbre of the country's vocals.
What Makes It So Unique
Mor Lam is known for being one of the most recognizable music in Thailand becauseof its unique instrumentation and timbre of the vocals. In the music of Mor Lam there is a flexible melody as it changes to fit the tones of the words. Traditionaly the tempo was much slower and the lyrics focused of the hardships of rural life in Isan with some wry humor mixed in. Today there is a much quicker, upbeat tempo and electrified sound that focuses on unrequited love. Some consistent characteristics that give Mor Lam its defining sound are vocal leaps, singing in a conversational style, and a strong rhythmic accompaniment.
Citations
"Mor Lam – The Spirit Of Isan – Thailand Foundation". Thailandfoundation.Or.Th, 2023,
https://www.thailandfoundation.or.th/culture_heritage/mor-lum-the-spirit-of-isan/. Accessed 11 Mar 2023.
"Mor Lam". Academic Dictionaries And Encyclopedias, 2023, https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/271287.
Accessed 11 Mar 2023.