Lam Mahachai: Text and Style People’s Democratic Repub

Abstract

Research on Lam Mahachai: Text and Style People’s Democratic Repub, aims to study: 1) the Characteristics of Lam Mahachai, 2) the Characteristics of the Lam poem text, and the Lam Mahachai poem style. Qualitative research methods were used, including document and field data collection. Field data collection was interviews, observations, and focus groups in Lao PDR, with 14 key informants providing information for verification. The research used triangulation to ensure accuracy in analyzing data according to the set objectives and presented the research results in a descriptive and analytical form. The findings showed that the characteristics of the Lam poem text include the Lam Phaya poem style with content divided as follows: The poem text pays homage to teachers, professors, and listeners and portrays interactions between male and female Mor Lam. Lam melodies, or Lam Mahachai style, are associated with specific language accents and can be divided into four main melodies which are: Lam Mahachai Phonewa (original melody), Lam Mahachai Phonemee (middle melody), Lam Mahachai Yao (Mahachai Nong Bok), and Lam Mahachai Tha (or Lam Mahachai along the Mekong River). Additionally, the Khan melody helps punctuate the rhythm, allowing Mor Lam performers to contemplate verses and rest their voices between performances. Each Khan is also responsible for setting the tone for the Mor Lam performance, as the Mor Lam's sound serves as the foundation. Mor Khan must select a Khan with a sound that matches the scale of Mor Lam. Therefore, for each performance, Mor Khan must prepare a Khan corresponding to the number of Mor Lam's sound scales. The structure of the Lam Mahachai melody is divided into four parts: 1) The lead melody, which is a specific melody played by an introduction Khan performer, sets the tone for Mor Lam. 2) Lam Kern serves as the beginning of Mor Lam, consisting of a short dance of approximately 3 - 10 verses in harmony with the melody of the Khan. The content of the Lam poem text serves as an introduction to connect with the subsequent section. 3) The main Lam story shares the same melody as Lam Kern but is longer and includes verse content extending from Lam Kern. 4) The ending of the Lam shares the same melody as the beginning and the main Lam story but comprises only one stanza. Characteristics of the Lam melody and Khan melody of Mahachai are similar throughout the whole poem text, with only some differences, including 1) The lead melody consists only of the Khan, with no Lam. 2) A descending rhythm occurs at the end of the introductory melody. Both the sound of Lam and the sound of Khan shift to the 4th tone of the group of melodies. 3) The ending melody of the Lam is only one stanza long. The last stanza slows down the rhythm and changes the melody to the 4th tone of the Lam Mahachai melodies group. There are two types of sound-producing media: the singing voice and the Khan voice, which is a free-tongue instrument. The Khan's voice uses a five-tone system similar to the Pentatonic System to create a melody that connects with a steady rhythm and slows down at the end. The beginning and ending melodies of the skin are characterized by Homophony Drone Harmony, with a regular rhythm and no rhythmic instrument used.