Where to see traditional Thai music?

[hitthegroundrunning]

Hi there,

I was hoping you could advise me where to see live Luk Thung, Mor Lum or Thai Classical Music in Chiang Mai?

I know there are bars with rock, blues and jazz, etc, but I want to see older, more traditional Thai music.

Thanks,

HTGR

[thai3]

Don't know about CM but if you are in just after 7PM channel one (31) have a good tv luktung/ morlam contest on every weekday. Compare Fon, judges Rung Suriya, Sala and Gingrid Khow. Worth a look if you can't find much live performances.

high standard

Edited July 21, 2016 by thai3

[hitthegroundrunning]

Awesome! Thanks very much. This will keep me going until I find it live somewhere.

[thai3]

Don't think there is much morlam up there but I do recall some hotels with cafes in them, must still be around

Have a listen to fm 90 it's the best radio station now any taxi will play it

Edited July 21, 2016 by thai3

[Saladin]

You will hear some in Walking Street, Sunday nights in the Old City

[Greenside]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music? I listen to many different kinds of World Music and find most Thai traditional very difficult to appreciate, especially if not accompanied by dance. Chinese Opera is pretty tough too

[AlQaholic]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music? I listen to many different kinds of World Music and find most Thai traditional very difficult to appreciate, especially if not accompanied by dance. Chinese Opera is pretty tough too

You mean that Plink ploink plink ploink music and the screaming in false tones in totally wrong rhythm compared to the supposed rhythm of the Plink Ploink? No I can't say I understand or appreciate it at all......

[thai3]

why post in a thread about something you don't appreciate and don't understand? seems pointless

[Trujillo]

Try Khum Phaya Resort.

[narkeddiver]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music? I listen to many different kinds of World Music and find most Thai traditional very difficult to appreciate, especially if not accompanied by dance. Chinese Opera is pretty tough too

I've got a couple of Lanna albums my wife picked out for me that I enjoy listening to

Music is very much down to personal taste so don't be surprised if a few of us like it

For me Death Metal is the death of music but I have friends who really enjoy and good luck to them

For traditional northern music my wife suggests Huan Soontaree

Edited July 22, 2016 by narkeddiver

[Greenside]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting it's artless or inferior to any other kind of music, it just happens to be a particular form I don't get.

[BadBouy]

Catch the show at the old cultural center, just google it

[Johpa]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music?

I like the traditional Thai/Isaan folk music such as luuk thuung and mor lam. I really like the sound of the khaen played in that folk tradition. Use to be able to catch a bit, without the khaen, at some of the old "cantinas" out near Mae Jo and Mae Rim, with the ladies in the mini skirts and fishnet stockings both pouring drinks and singing. Most of those establishments are long gone, replaced with awful karaoke joints. It is the Thai classical music, including court music (oh mods, please don't ban me for saying that) and classic Lanna music, that is difficult for me to process for any length of time. Although at the old Tha Naam restaurant they use to play live classic Lanna music in the background and that wasn't too bad as long as one didn't sit too close to the band.

[The manic]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music? I listen to many different kinds of World Music and find most Thai traditional very difficult to appreciate, especially if not accompanied by dance. Chinese Opera is pretty tough too

I love morlam sing and play it when home. I used to go to morlam after hours clubs on Pattaya. I go to the Issan Bar on WS Pattaya. Two interesting albums are from the 60s/70s entitled Sounds of Siam which which fuse western music with Thai music. I believe a member of PIL did a dub/morlam project. The best morlam I have seen was in Issan during the Bun Bang Fai season . Totally great.

[Johpa]

Here you go.

[thai3]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music? I listen to many different kinds of World Music and find most Thai traditional very difficult to appreciate, especially if not accompanied by dance. Chinese Opera is pretty tough too

I love morlam sing and play it when home. I used to go to morlam after hours clubs on Pattaya. I go to the Issan Bar on WS Pattaya. Two interesting albums are from the 60s/70s entitled Sounds of Siam which which fuse western music with Thai music. I believe a member of PIL did a dub/morlam project. The best morlam I have seen was in Issan during the Bun Bang Fai season . Totally great.

It's morlam cing to be pedantic, after the English word for racing- fast non stop. These days a lot of lam cing shows are actually more luktung than morlam, the latest hits. Then of course the sexual friction between the male and female singer is popular along with the risque dance moves. I doubt very much if the OP will see anything like this in CM, or on the TV

Edited July 23, 2016 by thai3

[thai3]

Fairly typical lam cing show, they even get a Carabao song in! normal sort of crowd, apart from the lack of a fight Nice version of gulap deang to start of with

Edited July 23, 2016 by thai3

[thai3]

I would recommend anyone to see or, if having a celebration, to hire these sisters. Job and Joy are still top drawer entertainers, here with lam phoot Thai I think, now with sangravee entertainment.

Edited July 23, 2016 by thai3

[Puwa]

Great topic.

[elgenon]

I too miss the days when it seemed every bar and restaurant had several live Thai singers who would alternate.

If you ever go to Pattaya there is a bar at the start of Walking Street that has a show w girls singing and dancing. Also there is a bar area on the West side of 2nd road that has a small stage and usually a singer w a couple girls dancing.

Good luck!

[thai3]

cafes are certainly a lot less these days, but some still survive, Issan lam cing last Sunday Rama 9 bkk, not bad

Always get to the front !

Edited July 24, 2016 by thai3

[WinnieTheKhwai]

cafes are certainly a lot less these days, but some still survive, Issan lam cing last Sunday Rama 9 bkk, not bad

Any reasonable ones left in Chiang Mai?

I didn't go very often but when I did it was always enjoyable.

[thai3]

Sorry don't know about CM only been twice years ago

[MickeyMaow]

What is traditional Thai music? I could identify traditional Lanna (played on walking street) and Issan music, but to me traditional Thai music would be something like what's played a Mauy Thai.

I would think videos posted above are more Thai pop music.

[thai3]

Videos are luktung then morlam cing and morlam, not pop. This is Kantrum, seen mostly in Surin, sung in Khamin, closely related to Cambodian as part of the Khmer empire before

Another one is ramwong, dancing girls for hire, officially created in the 40's

Edited July 25, 2016 by thai3

[Oscar2]

Just out of interest (and not directed at the OP) do many of you really like Thai traditional music?

I like the traditional Thai/Isaan folk music such as luuk thuung and mor lam. I really like the sound of the khaen played in that folk tradition. Use to be able to catch a bit, without the khaen, at some of the old "cantinas" out near Mae Jo and Mae Rim, with the ladies in the mini skirts and fishnet stockings both pouring drinks and singing. Most of those establishments are long gone, replaced with awful karaoke joints. It is the Thai classical music, including court music (oh mods, please don't ban me for saying that) and classic Lanna music, that is difficult for me to process for any length of time. Although at the old Tha Naam restaurant they use to play live classic Lanna music in the background and that wasn't too bad as long as one didn't sit too close to the band.

i appreciate all types of music as well. but i also have a problem with Lanna music. during the many times i've gone with friends to see/listen to Soontharee and other traditional Lanna singers, there is something about the tone of the voice singing Lanna songs that is just anti-musical. it's the similar feeling of scratching nails against a blackboard. i can't really explain it but the tone seems just not right.

[thai3]

Try likay, once the most popular type of entertainment with over 10,000 troupes touring the country, used t be all males originally. Morlam mu nicked the glamorous types of outfits about 60 years ago. These days some likay shows incorporate luktung before and have more contemporary jokes, respectable crowds, fighting and boozing rare.

[Johpa]

Another one is ramwong, dancing girls for hire, officially created in the 40's

A few of us have been around Chiang Mai long enough to remember the ramwong girls at the old Hennessy Club off Huay Khao, but for some reason (probably lao khao) I don't remember exactly what type of music was played, only that it was played real loud, even louder than the over-amped music at Thai weddings. But I did run into some somewhat traditional ramwong girls at a local tambon (sub-district) temple fair out past the Prem school a few years ago. So these traditional shows are still around, but for some reason (probably lao deng) I don't remember exactly the current cost of a dance.

[thai3]

Ramwong is played at ramwong concerts, the dancing is usually by books of tickets, works out about 5-10 baht a dance. Some cafes not playing ramwong used to have a ramwong stage with the girls and the tickets. Best I saw was Tankay Issan in Rachada, wonderful, but closed 9 years ago due to it being on Land owned by a certain Mrs T. For some reason cowboy hats and songkran type shirts are often sported at real ramwong events TIT.

[thai3]

Lukrung can be considered traditional music, music of the city more sophisticated than country, you won't hear the khean or phinn in lukrung. Owalee surely the greatest female lukrung singer ever

The easiest place to see lukrung used to be hotels is Issan - Udon Thai cafe 15 years ago, don't know about now, probably all korean pop

Edited July 25, 2016 by thai3