Mor lam (Lao: ໝໍລຳ; Thai/Isan: หมอลำ ; , , ) is a traditional Lao form of song originating in Laos that is also popular in Isan, where the majority of the population is ethnic Lao.
Morlam (or molam) is a traditional storytelling and entertainment form in the Southeast Asian country of Laos, and the northeastern part of Thailand (formerly part of Laos), known as Isaan.
The term molam is a combination of the term mo, meaning “master,” and lam, meaning to sing in a style called lam. Literally then, molam means “master of the lam singing style,” but the term is also used more generally to performances in the lam genre. It refers to both the music and the artist. Other romanisations used include mor lum, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam, mhor lum, and molum. In Laos, both the music and singer is called mor lam (ໝໍລຳ), and when referencing the subgenre/ region of origin, the term "lam" is used, followed by the subgenre/region name.
The characteristic feature of lam singing is the use of a flexible melody tailored to the tones of the words in the text. Traditionally, the tune was developed by the singer as an interpretation of a klon poem and accompanied primarily by the khene (a free reed mouth organ). The modern form is frequently composed and uses electrified instruments. Traditional forms (and some Lao genres) use a slower tempo than the quicker tempo and faster deliveries of more modern lam music. Strong rhythmic accompaniments, vocal leaps, and a conversational style of singing distinguish lam from American rap.
Typically featuring a theme of unrequited love, mor lam often reflects the difficulties of life in rural Isan and Laos, leavened with wry humour. In its heartland, performances are an essential part of festivals and ceremonies. Lam has gained a profile outside its native regions from the spread of migrant workers, for whom it remains an important cultural link with home.
Appellation In Laos, morlam / mor lam/ molam /mo lam refers to the traditional folk music genre and also the singer, and when referencing the subgenre, the word ລຳ, lam is used followed by the specific genre/beat/region name, ex: lam salavan. In northern Laos, the regional folk music styles are referred to as ຂັບ, khap , and signifies 'to sing' or a 'song'. The Lao-speaking people across the river in Isan call the music หมอลำ, mo lam, , Laos, the equivalent term ໝໍລຳ, molam Lao ໝໍ and Isan หมอ, both mo , (as well as Thai หมอ, mo ) refers specifically to an 'expert', 'shaman', or 'doctor'. The northern Lao terms ขับ, khap and mokhap , are not used in Isan, but are likely still used in some Lao-speaking parts of Loei, Uttaradit, and Phitsanulok that were settled by people originally from northern Laos, however, khap is understood as a rarer word for 'to sing' or 'song' and in reference to specifically northern styles of lam. Northern Lao areas refer to the khène/khaen player as the mokhène/mokhaen just as in the rest of Laos and Isan.
In standard Thai, the music and the singer, as adopted from Isan usage, is also known as หมอลำ, molam, but because of the tone differences is generally pronounced . It is also common to "correct" or "translate" the Isan term into standard Thai as หมอรำ, mo ram , as Thai รำ, ram , is cognate to Lao ລຳ and Isan ลำ and shares the same meaning. Although Thai ขับ khap
Instrumentation As the lowland areas of Laos and Isan are essentially one shared cultural region of Lao people, few differences, especially at its most traditional level, are present to distinguish traditional forms on either side. Throughout the Lao-speaking heartlands, the only accompaniment to performances of khap and lam was the local free reed mouth-organ, the khène (BGN/PCGN)/khaen (RTGS). Similar in many ways to the function of the bagpipe in the Scottish Highlands, the khène/khaen provides not only the melody but can also be used to provide a drone as it is played with circular breathing. So important is the khène/khaen in Lao music, the instrument even came to be used in the Lao classical music ensemble known as sép noy (BGN/PCGN)/sep noi (RTGS), where most of the instruments are influenced by the veneer of Indian musical traditions as well as classical musical traditions of neighboring Thailand, Cambodia, and Java.Miller, T. E. (2000). p. 184.
In lam styles of central and southern Laos and most of Isan, traditional performances often included ensembles. Most northern khap styles relied solely on the khène/khaen, except for a few styles, such as those from Luang Phrabang, many of which were adaptations of the local classical music traditions as the city was the seat of the Lao monarchy until its forced abdication in 1975. The southern lam styles, heavily influenced by the ancient musical traditions of the Mon-Khmer peoples, such as the Mon, Khmer, Kuy and Bru that either were the former inhabitants or continue to live amongst the Tai peoples that now make up the majority in the Lao-speaking region.
Most modern styles, including the northern khap varieties, are generally heard with ensembles consisting of a mixture of Western instruments and traditional ones. Contemporary ensembles often feature instruments such as:
Electric Guitars (Effects: Chorus, Wah Wah / Technique: Tremolo) Electric Bass (Technique: Slap, Expressive, Slide (either as sound effect/VST or glissando on the instrument) Drum Kit / Drum Set (tends to pan in the audience perspective because of the drum VST), Percussion (known to have congas, cowbells, ching, and chab) Accordions (Sound: Musette or Detuned) Saxophones (Type: Alto, Tenor / Techniques: Vibrato, Trill) Violins, and/or String Orchestra (Type: Slow or Sustain Strings / Technique: Legato) Keyboard/organs (such as the Hammond for Rock genre use, Farfisa Combo Organs, and Yamaha YC Combo)
+ Traditional instruments in mor lam/lam LaoLaoBGN/PCGNLaoThaiRTGSIsanThaiDescription pi ປີ່ pi ปี่ ปี่ Class of four-reed oboes. vôt ໂຫວດ wot โหวด โหวด A circular panpipe. khouy ຂຸ່ຍ/ຂຸ່ຽ khlui ขลุ่ย ขลุ่ย Class of reedless, single- or double-reed flutes. hun/hune ຫືນ chongnong หืน (RTGS huen) จ้องหน่อง Bamboo Jew's harp or jaw harp chakhé ຈະເຂ້ chakhe จะเข้ จะเข้ A type of zither. xo ຊໍ so ซอ ซอ Class of fiddle instruments. Most common is the xo ou/so u ຊໍອູ້/ซออู้ or Thai and the xo i/so i ຊໍອີ/ซออี (RTGS so i), known in Thai as the ซอด้วง . hai xong ໄຫຊອງ hai song ไหซอง ไหซอง Series of different sized earthenware jugs with a taught string over its mouth which are plucked or struck. Traditional lam performances often feature a female dancer that pretends to play the hai xong/hai song. kachappi ກະຈັບປີ່ krachappi กระจับปี่ กระจับปี่ A two-stringed, four-coursed lute no longer commonly used. sing ສິ່ງ ching ฉิ่ง ฉิ่ง Cymbal-like instrument used for tempo. xap ຊາບ chap ฉาบ ฉาบ Cymbal-like instrument used for tempo but attached with a chord. phin ພິນ phin พิณ พิณ A small mandolin that is plucked with the other hand unique to Lao/Isan music. khim ຂິມ khim ขิม ขิม A hammered dulcimer adopted from Chinese music, but has a distinctly local, softer sound, often used in styles descended from Lao classical music. kap ກັບ krap กรับ กรับ A wooden clapper used to keep the tempo. Also known in Lao as ໄມ້ໂປກແປກ/ไม้โป๊กแป๊ก mai pôkpèk (BGN/PCGN)/mai pokpaek (RTGS) or Thai ไม้โป๊กแป๊ก and takes its name from the onomatopoeia for striking wood with a hammer. khong ຄ້ອງ khong ฆ้อง ฆ้อง A class of small, handheld gong instruments. khong wong ຄ້ອງວົງ khong wong ฆ้องวง ฆ้องวง Similar to a gamelan, consists of a set of gongs struck with mallets, used in styles of khap and lam adapted from Lao classical music. Usually the khong vông gnai (BGN/PCGN)/khong wong yai (RTGS) and khong vông noy/khong wong noi, or 'large khong vông' or 'small khong vông,' respectively. kong ກອງ klong กลอง กลอง Refers to a class of various drums. ranat/lanat ຣະນາດ/ລະນາດ ranat ระนาด ระนาด A class of xylophone instruments, including the famous pônglang (BGN/PCGN)/ponglang (RTGS) of Isan. mai ngop ngèp ໄມ້ງອບແງບ mai ngop ngaep ไม้งอบแงบ ไม้งอบแงบ A clapper of southern Laos but also contains notched grooves that function like the güiro of Latin America. pông ໂປງ pong โปง โปง A bamboo rattle used as a cowbell by farmers for domestic cattle and water buffalo. ko ເກາະ kro เกราะ เกราะ A small bamboo section of hollow bamboo with a slit cut on one side, struck with a stick. Originally used to call the cattle or water buffalo back from the pastures. sakmong ສາກມອງ krong สากมอง (RTGS sakmong) โกร่ง A large bamboo pestle used for husking or milling rice, played by stamping the floor but can also be tapped with sticks to maintain the beat, also used to keep rowers in long boats in unison.
History In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the music of Laos began to spread into the Thai heartland, extending Lao influence to Siam. Forced population transfers from Laos into the newly acquired region of Isan and what is now Central Thailand accelerated the rapid adoption of mor lam. Even King Mongkut's vice-king Pinklao became enamoured of it. But in 1857, following the vice-king's death, Mongkut banned public performances, citing the threat it posed to Thai culture and its alleged role in causing a drought.Miller pp. 38–39. Performance of mor lam thereafter was a largely local affair, confined to events such as festivals in Isan and Laos. However, as Isan people began to migrate throughout the rest of the country, the music came with them. The first major mor lam performance of the 20th century in Bangkok took place at the Rajadamnern Stadium in 1946.Miller p. 40. Even then, the number of migrant workers from Isan was fairly small, and mor lam was paid little attention by the outside world.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there were attempts in both Thailand and Laos to appropriate lam for political purposes. The USIS in Thailand and both sides in the Laotian Civil War (the "Secret War") recruited mor lam singers to insert propaganda into their performances, in hopes persuading the rural population to support their cause. The Thai attempt was unsuccessful, taking insufficient account of performers' practices and the audiences' demands, but it was more successful in Laos. The victorious Communists continued to maintain a propaganda troupe even after seizing power in 1975.Miller p. 56.
Mor lam started to spread in Thailand in the late-1970s and early-1980s, when more and more people left rural Isan to seek work. Mor lam performers began to appear on television, led by Banyen Rakgaen, and the music soon gained a national profile. It remains an important link to home for Isan migrants in the capital city, where mor lam clubs and karaoke bars are meeting places for those newly arrived. Though Mor lam spread in Thailand, it was popular only among the ethnic Lao people from Isan, and not Thai people, as this type of music was viewed as inferior; In Bangkok, it was viewed as music for the low class or rural people.
Contemporary mor lam is very different from that of previous generations. None of the traditional Isan genres is commonly performed today; instead singers perform three-minute songs combining lam segments with luk thung or pop style sections, while comedians perform skits between blocks of songs. Mor lam sing performances typically consist of medleys of luk thung and lam songs, with electric instruments dominant and bawdy repartee. Sing comes from the English word 'racing' (a reference to the music's origin among Isan's biker fraternity; pai sing means 'to go racing about on motorbikes').
Criticism