Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to more than 20 players. Prior to a performance the players offer incense and flowers to
the
đà·pohn
.
The standard Thai scale divides the eight-note octave into seven full-tone intervals,
with no semitones. Thai scales were first transcribed by the Thai-German composer Peter
Feit (also known by his Thai name, Phra Chen Duriyang), who composed Thailand's na-
tional anthem in 1932.
Ceramic sculptures
FRANK CARTER / GETTY IMAGES ©
Lôok Tûng & Mŏr Lam
The bestselling modern musical genre in Thailand is
lôok tûng
(literally 'children of the
fields'), which dates to the 1940s. Analogous to country- and-western music in the USA,
it appeals to working-class Thais. Traditional subject matter are tales of lost love, tragic
early death, and the dire circumstances of struggling farmers. The plaintive singing style
ranges from sentimental to anguish and singers are often backed by Las Vegas-style
showgirl dancers.
