A Study of Transformation Process of Vietnamese Music in Thailand

Abstract

This article is a part of a thesis entitled “A Study of Transformation Process of Vietnamese Music in Thailand”. Its aims are 1) to examine the continuity of Vietnamese musical communities in Thailand and 2) to investigate the cultural transformation of Vietnamese music within the Thai sociocultural context. The research employs a qualitative methodology based on ethnomusicological. Fieldwork was conducted to collect data, including interviews with experts, as well as both participatory observation and non-participant observation. The data were analyzed and presented using descriptive analysis. The findings indicate that Vietnamese Buddhists migrated to Thailand from the Thonburi to the Rattanakosin periods and established religious institutions that have continued to the present. Currently, there are twenty-four temples in Thailand and three meditation centers. To ensure its cultural sustainability, Vietnamese ritual music has undergone adaptive transformations. Changes in ensemble formats can be divided into two periods: earlier ensembles followed Thai musical models, while contemporary ensembles incorporate Chinese and Western instruments in response to audience aesthetics and competition with Chinese Buddhist in ritual ensembles. The musical repertoire has diversified, beyond traditional Vietnamese melodies by including Teochew Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai classical, and Thai folk song melodies used in ritual chanting. Additionally, Thai performance techniques, including luk-thao and melodic variation derived from Thai classical music, have been incorporated into performance practice. Despite these transformations, chants continue to be performed in the Vietnamese language. This reflects both cultural identity and harmonious coexistence within the multicultural society of Thailand.