เพลงร้องของกลุ่มชาติพันธุ์ในเขตภาคใต้ของประเทศสาธารณรัฐประชาธิปไตยประชาชนลาว The Vocal Music of Ethnic groups in Southern Laos, the Lao PDR

Abstract

Abstract

            At present, traditional music of many ethnic groups have been existed in Laos. People, however, in their nowadays modern life, have generally neglected to preserve their music culture from which its trend reflects popularity lose. Though the Laos people fail to preserve their music cultures, the performance commonly still practice. Musical contexts and music characteristics should be investigated and documented by means of the qualitative research.

From the research, it is found that two main ethnic groups have been inhabited in the southern area of the country identified as lowland Laos and middle Laos. Most of the vocal music of these two ethnic people are in the form of strophic structure, repeating of a similar short melodic section. Variation might be appeared during performing by ornamental elaboration. Each section song texts are improvised by a singer. The meaning of the text content is depended on circumstance or any particular topic presenting such as native history, natural context, religious faithful story, courting, or teaching of moral.  The performing of the singing is generally in moderate or fast tempo and mostly accompanied by Khan playing. The seven-tone diatonic scale system is used in lowland Laos melodic line while the pentatonic is prevailed among the ethnic groups of the middle land Laos people. In addition, the function of the lowland Laos’ vocal music is customarily applied for entertainment aspects. On the other hand, for the middle land Laos, the vocal music is mostly employed in the religious worship.