Abstract
In the late 1930s–1950, during the period when Thailand was being reformed by values of civilization, music was reciprocally infused by such conceptualization by adopting Western music forms and instruments into their semi-folk songs while still retaining traditional melodies. Elucidated in numerous catchy compositions, Luk Krung is the earliest-evidenced type of song that explicitly shows musical integration among Thai composers and songwriters of the time. Some even were amended to be more cognitively facile yet uphold the core connotation, predominantly such as Nok Khamin, illustrating simplification of musical taste along with the societal ideals of civility, whereas Thai traditional music was lamentably treated as archaic and elusive, thus difficult to access through conventional norms. By the contemporary time of the 21st century, the Thai traditional form of music, nevertheless, has transformed into a classical genre as part of the Fine Arts of the Nation and plays more crucial roles in Thai society, most evident in The Overture film, which cultivates the values of Thai music among the Thai community. A number of Thai-Pop songs, which integrate melodies and instruments from Thai classical music, have become popular and widely appreciated among both youth and older cohorts; prominent pieces include Kham Waan, Si Da (The Rube), and Thosakan. These works not only demonstrate an empirical transformation of musical outlooks within Thai society but also stand as a testament to the distinctive reinterpretation of Thai culture. This study compares the valuation of musical forms in Thai society under different circumstances.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
THAI MUSIC, THAI SOCIETY, LUK KRUNG, THAI-POP SONGS, THAI CULTURE
