Mor Lum’s Adaptation amid Cultural Changes in the 21st Century

Abstract

Adaptability is one of the unique characteristics of Mor Lam, a traditional music performance found in northeastern Thailand and Laos PDR. Now, Mor Lam folk music becomes a part of mainstream music culture. Being considered local entertainment in the past, art performance has established itself in the mass music industry. Mor Lam has also been adapted to be in music trend with the remaining characteristics of music art. To conserve Mor Lam culture, the author attempted to explain the interaction between Mor Lam and society in 2 aspects: 1) Mor Lam and the world, Mor Lam performances worldwide reflecting the entertainment culture that represents the soul and dynamic of Mor Lam culture supporting its cultural mechanism and 2) The world and Morlam, the way music bands modernize Mor Lam reflecting the trends of world alternative music that seeks originality. Particularly, the originality of Mor Lam could considerably be the way artists apply melodies, rhythms, instruments, and sound creation to the ideal of Mor Lam – “Whatever the Isanists Dance to” – as presented nowadays