Characteristics of the music of Thailand

Thailand retains cultural connections with the two great centers of Asian civilizations, India and China. Though Thailand was never colonized by Western powers, pop music and other forms of European and American music have become extremely influential. The two most popular styles of modern Thai music are mor lam and luk thung, which have important influences from Laos and other neighboring nations.

Aside from the Thai, minorities of Laotians, Lawa, Hmong, Akha, Mien, Lisu, Karen and Lahu peoples have retained traditional musical forms.

A distinctive Thai culture did not exist until 1257, when the kingdom of Sukhothai was created. Music was an important part of life during this period, and what is now known as Thai classical music arose during the Ayuthaya period. Music flourished for the next few centuries, in spite of occasional oppression from monarchs like Rama I.

Pleng luk thung

Pleng luk thung, or Thai country music, was invented in the early 1950s to reflect daily trials and tribulations of rural Thais. Ponsri Woranut and Suraphon Sombatjalern were the genre's first big stars, and helped incorporate influences from Latin America, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and, especially, American film soundtracks and country music (including yodelling). Many of the most popular pleng luk thung stars have come from the central city of Suphanburi, including future megastar Pompuang Duanjan, who adapted pleng luk thung to 1980s string and pop music by making a dance-ready form called electronic luk thung. When Pompuang died in 1992, many observers felt that luk thung would die with her, but it persisted and, with the advent of the first all luk thung radio station in 1997, soon saw a major revival.

Mor lam
There is a large minority of Laotians in Isan, the Northeastern region of Thailand, and they are known for mor lam music. Mor lam has long had an affinity with luk thung, and many of the genre's biggest stars, like Chalermphol Malaikham and Jintara Poonlarp, are heavily influenced by luk thung. Mor lam is a distinctively Laotian genre, and can be characterized by rapid-fire, rhythmic vocals and a funk feel to the percussion. Mor lam is played by a mor khaen, who plays the khaen, and a lead singer also called a mor lam.

There are about fifteen regional variations of mor lam, and there are modern versions as well. Mor lam sing is the best-known of these, nad has become popular all over Isan, as well as in Laos. Some conservative Laotians have criticized this as the commercialization of traditional cultures.

Kantrum
The people of Isan are also known for kantrum, which is much less famous for mor lam. Kantrum is played by Cambodians living near the border with Cambodia. It is a swift and very traditional dance music. In its purest form, cho-kantrum, singers, percussion and fiddles dominate the sound. A more modern form using electric instrumentation arose in the mid-1980s. Later in the decade, Darkie became the genre's biggest star, and he crossed into mainstream markets in the later 1990s.

Pop and rock

By the 1930s, however, Western classical music, showtunes, jazz and tango were popular. Soon, jazz grew to dominate Thai popular music, and Khru Eua Sunthornsanan soon set up the first Thai jazz band. The music he soon helped to invent along with influential band Suntharaporn was called pleng Thai sakorn, which incorporated Thai melodies with Western classical music. This music continued to evolve into luk grung, a romantic music that was popular with the upper-class.

By the 1960s, Western rock was popular and Thai artists began imitating bands like Cliff Richard & the Shadows; this music was called wong shadow, and it soon evolved into a form of Thai pop called string. The following decade saw Rewat Buddhinan beginning to use the Thai language in rock music, and by the 1980s, this had evolved into what was called string. The 70s also saw the rise of protest songs called pleng phua cheewit.

Classical music
The earliest Thai ensembles were called piphat, and they included woodwind and percussion instruments, originally in order to accompany the theater. Another ensemble type, khruang sai, added stringed instruments, while mahori further added melodic percussion instruments.

The Thai scale includes seven equal notes, instead of a mixture of tones and semitones. Instruments improvise around the central melody.

Different musical instrument of Thailand Plucking : plucked string instruments

Bowing : bowed string instruments

Striking : percussion instruments and hammered dulcimer

Blowing : wind instruments

Different factors that influenced of the music of Thailand

Thailand music owes its origins to its giant Asian neighbors- China and India. The influence of the two countries are distinct in every aspect of traditional Thai music. The country of Thailand was never colonized. The western influence upon the music of Thailand is purely voluntary and is a part of acquired knowledge and taste. Contemporary Thai music is heavily influenced by North American musical trends. European musical instruments are widely used in Thai popular music. The popular traditional music of Thailand include famous audible variants like luk thung and mor lam. The traditional Thai music was purely oral in culture. The traditional music of Thailand have no written notational styles. The music is also comparatively new when compared to its counterparts in Asia. Thai music is assumed to be not more than 600 years old. The first historical evidence of Thai music was found during the reign of the Ayuthaya kingdoms around the 14th century. The development of Thai classical music reached its nadir during the Bangkok period of Thai history. Music flourished in Thailand during the 18th century. Contemporary Thai music is a harmonious blend of the old and the new genres of music.

Art and culture of Thailand

Thai visual art was traditionally primarily Buddhist. Thai Buddha images from different periods have a number of distinctive styles. Thai temple art and architecture evolved from a number of sources, one of them being Khmer architecture. Contemporary Thai art often combines traditional Thai elements with modern techniques. Literature in Thailand is heavily influenced by Indian Hindu culture. The most notable works of Thai literature are a version of the Ramayana, a Hindu religious epic, called the Ramakien, written in part by Kings Rama I and Rama II, and the poetry of Sunthorn Phu. There is no tradition of spoken drama in Thailand, the role instead being filled by Thai dance. This is divided into three categories- khon, lakhon and likay- khon being the most elaborate and likay the most popular. Nang drama, a form of shadow play, is found in the south. The music of Thailand includes classical and folk music traditions as well as string or pop music. The culture of Thailand incorporates cultural beliefs and characteristics indigenous to the area known as modern day Thailand coupled with much influence from ancient India, China, Cambodia, along with the neighbouring pre-historic cultures of Southeast Asia. It is influenced primarily by Animism, Hinduism, Buddhism, as well as by later migrations from China, and southern India.

Different elements of the art Painting of the Classical period was limited to temple and palace decorations and book
illustrating. Murals were the highlight of the artistic expression because they were thought of as crucial in the process of making a temple or a royal residency visually perfect.

Sculpture was dominated by Buddha statues, who are considered to be the finest in the
Buddha depicting. Various method, dimension and material choices were used in order to captivate the true essence of Buddha - his tranquility and kindness. The Buddha statue came in all sizes - from an 11 meters high sculpture created during the Sukhotai period to 1centimeter high ones that were worn as good luck charms.

Pottery - the famous Ban Chiang archaeological site and home of the ancient Ban Chiang
civilization revealed a vast collection of carefully made pots as old as 5000 years. The tradition of celadon making began in the 13th century when the king brought 700 Chinese masters of pottery to enhance the Thai pottery tradition.

Music - the Thais have been known as masters of instrument making ever since the ancient
times. Whether they created their own instruments or borrowed ideas from their neighbours, they were bound to make perfect musical devices, some of which have spread to all parts of Asia. Heavily influenced by the Mon and the Khmer culture, the Thais continued developing what they learned from others and mastered the art of music quite easily, leaving an enormous heritage in form of instruments and songs.