Music & Label
Mo Lam
Music from Isan, northeast of Thailand, the short end of the stick. Own language and culture, about 21 million inhabitants. Part of Laos until 1893. The poorhouse of Thailand.
If you carry a phin or khaen in Bangkok, people think you´re there to beg or play at the train station.
I’m not gonna tell you when Mo Lam originated, what styles exist, how the music developed, the whole background thing, and all that stuff.
It´s music, just give it a listen.
It’s rhythm and poetry.
It´s about life. Life in the countryside. Hard graf. Leaving home to find work. Disdain and pride. Buddhism. Joy and beauty. Men and women. Love and a one-way street.
The Queen of Mo Lam.
She kicked off her performing career at 18 and hasn’t stopped since.
Every now and then, far too rarely, I attend Mo Lam shows and make a few recordings.