Looking for Molam songs

Fans of this music, do you have any good links where we can download some great tracks? Thanks in advance

DM me your email address, I’ll send you some tracks and links on the topic ;)

OK, done. Thanks!

Hey Georges,

Maybe you know this Ocora record? It has a gorgeous 45-minute mo lam piece.

Cheers, 321

Lam Saravane / Music for the khène

Hey M'sieur Boum',

DM me your email address again, I'll send you some tracks and links on the topic

Can I send you my address too so I can check them out?!

Later, 321

Alright, 321 and Olivier, I'll send you the few tracks I have that come close enough to what I hear when I'm there—short enough to email. But what I've got (downloaded) isn't really the "true and pure" stuff.

I also have some videos from DVDs (the "shows"), but they're huge.

No, I don’t know it—I think this record is only available in France or Switzerland?

There are so many different styles of lam, but I love lam saravane. 😉

Hi there,

You also have this record from the *Inédit* Collection, published by the Maison des Cultures du Monde: http://www.mcm.asso.fr/site02/inedit/cd260137.htm

Also pretty enjoyable in my opinion (though I get that some people might not like it, or even can’t stand it!): some 70s "electric" mo lam. I’d recommend starting with vol. 2 (you can listen to samples on the US Amazon).

Cheers, 321

.

Thanks Michel 🙂, there’s a booklet that looks really interesting (took me a while to download).

Awesome and exhilarating, absolutely! 😎Oh, sh*t, that p*sses me off!

So I went looking on a site called 4shared.com and typed "molam" in Thai. That's the trick—if you search using Roman letters, you find nothing, but typing in Thai gives you instant access to all the Thais (and their friends) who upload their files to sharing sites. I downloaded half a dozen really amazing and authentic tracks; it feels like you're right there in the village! The downside is that they're often really long, so it's not possible to send them by email.

Hey Georges,

Thanks for the mp3s. Whoa, that’s some good stuff—totally transports you! Seriously, it almost gives you the blues!

Later, 321

type "molam" in Thai

Any chance you could share your "secret"? Though I’m not sure Thai characters can be posted on the forum...

No worries! :) But I know it can be a real downer.... Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes.....

Okay, here’s how to do it. This is on the file-sharing site 4shared.com, here’s the link:

www.4shared.com

You’ll probably need to create an account, but that’s pretty straightforward—I won’t explain it. The main thing now is to find the word “molam” in Thai. If you can’t type it yourself, look it up somewhere else. After a few random tries on YouTube, I came across this track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shHsVb1phXs

Apart from the fact that it’s an amazing “khaen” solo, the title starts in Thai, and you can copy the first 5 letters of the track title by dragging your mouse. The JPEG shows which letters I mean. Then, paste those letters into the 4shared.com search bar (the “search” button at the top right of the 4shared.com window), hit search, and you’ll see a whole list of tracks you can now “open” and download. Just click and try. You can also click on the artists (“by: …”) and sometimes you’ll find they have loads of other tracks you can download.

And while we’re at it, here’s a lam saravane (a chill version) on YouTube. The video quality isn’t great, but it sets the mood!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt86CtAZZ0Y

And how about this hidden gem?😉 http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related

There are tons of them—just dive in!😎

Pro tip: Crank it up loud—it’s only really at its best when the neighbors come knocking to complain!

Randomly on YouTube, I came across this track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shHsVb1phXs

Hey Georges,

Funny, that’s Jonny Olsen, the "Falang lao" that salsa3 was talking about HERE. What an amazing guy, how he’s blended into a culture so different from his own.

Anyway, kudos for the guide. It’s perfect. And I totally agree: you can’t stop listening to this stuff!

Later, 321

Hey M'sieur321, sorry I wasn’t around much but yeah, sure—even though I couldn’t help Georges, I’ve got a couple things on hand I’ll send his way if it works out 😉

This is Jonny Olsen, the "Falang lao" that salsa3 was talking about HERE. Amazing guy, how he’s blended into a culture so different from his own. - --

Really? Absolutely incredible, I’m taking my hat off to him—way, way down! 🙂😎😇 Glad to see my advice led to the results I wanted.

Thanks, got it! 😎😉

I’ve ended up with 3 hours of molam on my iPod—better be careful and limit my listening, or I’ll end up in the loony bin, hahaha! 😉 But I know some folks who’ll welcome me with open arms even if I’m completely nuts, somewhere between Bangkok and Vientiane! 🙂

Hey Georges,

In case you missed it last year like I did: Thailand, 1970: Pop in the rice fields

Luk thung, molam, and more from the late '60s to the '70s, with some political context—it's in the excellent show "Juke-Box" (formerly "Métronomique") by Amaury Chardeau. Listen online or via podcast.

Later, 321

Hello, a bit late since I’ve been on the road! I couldn’t get past the “list” (not being well-equipped), but I did jot down the names Banyen Rakkaen and Dao Bandon. They’re old-school molam purists, highly appreciated by connoisseurs. In the last few years before retiring, I listened to molam on repeat (with a dash of Luk thung) and especially Banyen: a soft, smooth, hypnotic voice. Totally trippy music. I still wonder how I managed to handle that at work!

Hey Georges,

The topic isn’t specifically about molam, it’s not exclusively about Thailand & Laos, and I haven’t listened yet, but I thought you might be interested:

The summer music series - Mekong: the "turbulent river" that nourishes Southeast Asia https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/la-serie-musicale-dete/chansons-deau-douce-55-mekong-le-fleuve-turbulent-qui-nourrit-lasie-du-sud-est

Hey Georges,

The topic isn't specifically about molam, it's not exclusively about Thailand & Laos, and I haven't listened yet, but I thought you might be interested:

The summer music series - Mekong: the "turbulent river" that nourishes Southeast Asia https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/la-serie-musicale-dete/chansons-deau-douce-55-mekong-le-fleuve-turbulent-qui-nourrit-lasie-du-sud-est

Nice, this. It's been a long time! 🙂

The Mekong really deserves to be discussed, which France Culture does so well. There's still that weird English song, almost Irish in style, used to illustrate the Myanmar-Laos border—it makes you wonder! 😇

The comments about Thailand's "Siamization" of Isaan, which has a mainly Lao soul, are very accurate. Those who still don’t know—or who refuse to acknowledge it and deny it (I’ve met some)—should really listen.

Along the same lines, it’s worth noting that Saigon was Khmer until quite recently. The aggression of some peoples toward others... let’s move on!

When you reach the Laos-Thailand border, France Culture obviously mentions molam. But thankfully, they avoid subjecting us to "molam sing," that modern, often quite horrible and vulgar variation that doesn’t really do it justice. Instead, we get some traditional molam passages ("borahn"), like the "lam" around the 35-40 minute mark. Close your eyes and imagine dancing for hours, hypnotized! 😎😉

With all this, you can really feel yourself drifting far away, down the river!

The traditional stuff is enchanting, but I also love luk thung. The ultra-popular and too-soon-gone Phumphuan Duangchan—that’s Thailand to me. Lek Carabao has tracks that totally blow me away.

Have you had the chance to discover the incredible modern wave that started around the mid-2000s?

The traditional is enchanting, but I also love luk thung. The ultra-popular and too-soon-departed Phumphuan Duangchan—that’s Thailand in my eyes! Lek Carabao has tracks that totally blow me away.

Did you get the chance to discover the incredible modern wave that started around the mid-2000s?

Hello! Is VF back? That’d be great!

Yes, of course—Phompuan Duangchan, a true star of luk thung. But there are also more recent names. Tai Orathai and Siliphorn Amphaiphong are big classics. There are so many others; I could come back with more recommendations.

I like Carabao too, but that’s not luk thung—it’s more *pheua chiwit*, which leans toward rock/pop with a touch of Georges Brassens.

We're back... well, those of us who made it back!

If you haven't already, check out Lipta, Scrubb, Skykick Rangers, Groove Riders, Musketeers, and so on. Around 2003-2005, Thailand suddenly jumped from the 50s/60s to the 80s/90s, and this wave wasn't just a simple copy of what Westerners were doing. There was a simultaneous emergence of truly talented artists, giving us some pretty successful pop, jazzy, and romantic songs. I assume all of this mainly came to light in Bangkok, among young people from affluent backgrounds.

I stumbled upon this by accident on YouTube while searching for more traditional songs, and now I alternate between different compilations, which gives me more variety.

At first, it feels a bit strange, but on one hand, the vibe of these songs is really pleasant and easy to listen to—it's some really solid studio work—and on the other hand, it's also part of Thailand... today's Thailand.

Other than that, there's no obligation, but if one day you put together another little travel journal about Thailand, it would make at least one person happy. I learned a lot from your writing.

Best regards,

Joel

We're back... well, those of us who made it back!

If you haven't already, check out Lipta, Scrubb, Skykick Rangers, Groove Riders, Musketeers, etc. Around 2003-2005, Thais suddenly jumped from the 50s/60s to the 80s/90s, and this wave wasn't just a simple copy of what Westerners were doing. There was a real explosion of genuinely talented artists, giving us some pretty successful pop, jazzy, and romantic songs. I assume all this mainly emerged in Bangkok, among young people from affluent backgrounds.

I stumbled upon this by accident on YouTube while searching for more traditional songs, and now I alternate between different compilations—it gives me more variety.

At first, it feels a little strange, but on one hand, the vibe of these songs is really pleasant and easy to listen to—it’s some seriously good studio work—and on the other, it’s also what Thailand is today.

Other than that, no pressure, but if you ever share another little travel journal about Thailand, it’d make at least one person very happy. I learned a lot from your writing.

Best regards,

Joel

Ah, nice to know VF is back! Yeah, there’s a lot of interesting and enjoyable music in Thailand. And as you said, it really helps you understand the country better—so many people talk about it while knowing so little!

I might come back with another story about Thailand someday. But I also have a lot to say about Mexico, India, and Brazil—countries I’ve traveled to a lot since COVID.