This Saturday (March 27) is the luk tung superstar’s 30th birthday. I love her voice and her songs, although I haven’t a clue what Tai Orathai is saying in the songs, only that it’s the usual story of unrequited love. Although she does sing about her home village, her fans and other very related subjects.
I really like other Thai singers, too, both male and female, but I don’t even know their names. There’s just not much on the web in English about these Isaan- and Lao-speaking singers and their works. Or so I thought.
I came across a reader submission at Stickman a few days ago by “Peter.” His Thai Music, Part 2 (published March 3) was all about the singers’ relationships with their fans and the rather generous gifts of money and flowers they bestow upon their favourites right at the stage. The artists are judged by how they accept the gifts and what they do with them. Apparently many singers carefully take the gifts to the back of the stage for holding and take them home. Yes, the money goes right into the singers’ pockets but some give it away. (And why shouldn’t they keep it since most of the audience probably bought pirate CDs.) The flowers and related gifts are taken home and cherished. Some will get the giver’s name and phone number, and even call them on their birthdays, according to Peter.
Peter goes into detail on the source of Thai country music, which has its roots in Laos, which is famous for mor lam music, a similar country music. He goes through some of the older stars and their musical styles. He appears to be the author of even lengthier opuses on Lao and Thai music at Teakdoor.com, under the nickname of Crazy Dog. The wording and style are the same as the Stickman submissions, and so are the images and video links.
A rather anonymous website called Morlam-Luktung has pieces that are very readable and extremely helpful in discovering the past and present of what is probably the biggest music segment in Thailand.
As I write this I’m listening to 95 FM in Thailand, an all-luk tung station. The link is for thairadiotoolbar.com, which I wasn't able to get to work on my Mac, but the promo website for the toolbar provided audio link to different radio stations. The sound was superb and the announcers speak, to my ears, perfect central Thai. Or maybe it’s because it’s a sexy Thai girl DJ.
LINKS:
- By Thai38, subject Thai Music, focusing on the Lao source of luk tung, January 2009, at Stickman.
- By Thai38, Thai Music part 2, focusing on the singers and their fans, March 2010, at Stickman.
- Quick bio on Tai Oratai at Thai Guide to Thailand
- Of course, Facebook has Tai Orathai fan club pages.
- Many photos of Ubon Ratchthani-born Tai Orathai at her official fan club site, linked off her record label’s site, Grammy, which is where I got the photos:
- Crazy Dog’s posts at Teakdoor.com on Lao music, Thai singers and their fans and links to luk tung music.
- The website Morlam Luktung offers concise history, albums reviews and general remarks, but overall, lacks evidence the author has kept up with the music and even less so the site. And there’s no About page or even source of the material and dates of posts. However, it’s still very useful.
- Thai radio toolbar, which has 95 FM, an all-luk tung station, but did not work in my Safari browser because I didn't have a certain something or other, according to a dropdown notice after I selected 95 FM on a (attractive) toolbar button.
