The traditional folk music of the region is known as Morlam Music. Generally a song will tell a story of the region or the people.
The singer to the left was singing at a Feast to remember the life of the late head of one of the village's top families and ex-head man (Pu Yi Baan) of the village. On the evening that the picture was taken she sang a song about the life and achievements of the late Pu Yi Ban.
I have heard an American Blues song written about events that I had been involved in, but to hear a beautiful song about a such well respected man was a wonderful experience. It isn't like the "one verse and ten choruses" modern Western music, it was about 15 to 20 minutes of beautifully sung music, a full biography put to music.
The accompaniment for traditional music will always have the "Kaen" - an instrument made of bamboo pipes seen in the picture below right.
'The percussion section will generally have a "long drum - positive proof of the links with the rest of the Indo-China region, since it is a direct derivative of the Vietnamese long drum.
The long drum is extensively used in the bands who play at many festivals and
celebrations in the villages
of the region. In most cases though, these small (but
excellent) bands use an electronic keyboard instead
of the kaen.
Also in the traditional band you will have the 'pin',
a string instrument resembling a guitar, but with a dragon's or serpent's head
instead of the rectangular slotted panel used on the guitar for holding
the machine heads.
(This can be clearly seen in the picture to the left).
There are regular Music Extravaganzas in all the major cities in the region. These
feature the top stars - generally performing the Isaans popular music closely based
on the traditional Morlam. As well as a multitude of top stars there are always a
group of comedians performing sketches in a cross between UK pantomime and Monty
Python's Flying Circus - and the traditional western circus clown antics.
The regular characters include a naughty monk with an eye for the ladies - and a love for an excess of Mekhong, his novice attempting, (and failing of course), to keep him in order, a drunk with a 'tarty' girl-friend and a nagging wife. Isaans humour is identical to that of the English person so there is no need to understand the Thai or Lao language to have tears of laughter rolling down one's face.
Entrance to one of these events is about 60 Baht (UKŁ1.00), and it is excellent value for money. The last one I attended started about 8pm and was still going at lunchtime the next day. A little more 'value-for-money' than a concert with one of the UK pop-stars at UKŁ60 - for about 40 minutes performance by the star of the show.