Luk thung
Encyclopedia
Luk Thung refers to the most popular form of a style of music
found in Thailand. The term is short for pleng luk thung .
Luk Thung songs typically reflect the hardship of everyday life among the rural poor. Tempo
s tend to be slow, and singers use an expressive singing style with a lot of vibrato
. Comparisons are sometimes made with country music
of the United States
.
The form developed in the first half of the 20th century, although the term luk thung was first used in the 1960s. Ponsri Woranut
and Suraphol Sombatcharoen
were the genre's first big stars, incorporating influences from Latin America
, Japan
, Indonesia
, Malaysia and, especially, American film soundtrack
s and country music
(including yodelling). Many of the most popular early luk thung stars have come from the central city of Suphanburi
, including megastar Pumpuang Duangjan
, who adapted it to 1980s string (Thai pop) music by making a dance
-ready form called electronic luk thung. When Pompuang died in 1992, many observers felt that luk thung would die with her. It survived, however, and with the advent of the first all luk thung radio station in 1997 soon saw a major revival.
Since the 1990s there has been much cross-fertilisation between luk thung, string and mor lam
music. String artists have taken to singing luk thung songs, while luk thung singers have increasingly been promoted like pop singers, with an emphasis on youth and looks. The mor lam influence has produced a new genre called luk thung Isan or luk thung prayuk, which incorporates the faster rhythm
s of mor lam.
Music of Thailand
The music of Thailand reflects its geographic position at the intersection of China and India, and reflects trade routes that have historically included Persia, Africa, Greece and Rome...
found in Thailand. The term is short for pleng luk thung .
Luk Thung songs typically reflect the hardship of everyday life among the rural poor. Tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
s tend to be slow, and singers use an expressive singing style with a lot of vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
. Comparisons are sometimes made with country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The form developed in the first half of the 20th century, although the term luk thung was first used in the 1960s. Ponsri Woranut
Ponsri Woranut
Ponsri Woranut is a Thai musician. She first became a star in the 1950s, practicing music in the style of luk thung. Woranut melded the style of traditional Thai folk music to music from outside the region, including various genres of East Asian music, Latin American music, and American country...
and Suraphol Sombatcharoen
Suraphol Sombatcharoen
Suraphol Sombatcharoen was a Thai luk thung singer. Dubbed the "King of Luk Thung", he was one of the first major stars of Thailand's own country music genre...
were the genre's first big stars, incorporating influences from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia and, especially, American film soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
(including yodelling). Many of the most popular early luk thung stars have come from the central city of Suphanburi
Suphanburi
Suphan Buri is a town in central Thailand, capital of the Suphan Buri Province. It covers the whole tambon Tha Philiang and parts of the tambon Rua Yai and Tha Rahat, all within the Mueang Suphan Buri district...
, including megastar Pumpuang Duangjan
Pumpuang Duangjan
Pumpuang 'Peung' Duangjan , or 'Poompuang Moon' as she was referred to in Thailand, was the professional name of a Thai megastar singer, actress who pioneered electronic Luk Thung. She is considered one of the most important Luk Thung vocalists in Thailand. The child of poor farmers, she came to...
, who adapted it to 1980s string (Thai pop) music by making a dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
-ready form called electronic luk thung. When Pompuang died in 1992, many observers felt that luk thung would die with her. It survived, however, and with the advent of the first all luk thung radio station in 1997 soon saw a major revival.
Since the 1990s there has been much cross-fertilisation between luk thung, string and mor lam
Mor lam
Mor lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan.Mor lam means expert song, or expert singer, referring to the music or artist respectively. Other romanisations used include mo lam, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam and mhor lum...
music. String artists have taken to singing luk thung songs, while luk thung singers have increasingly been promoted like pop singers, with an emphasis on youth and looks. The mor lam influence has produced a new genre called luk thung Isan or luk thung prayuk, which incorporates the faster rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
s of mor lam.
See also
- Music of ThailandMusic of ThailandThe music of Thailand reflects its geographic position at the intersection of China and India, and reflects trade routes that have historically included Persia, Africa, Greece and Rome...
- Monrak luk thungMonrak luk thungMonrak luk thung is a 1970 musical-comedy-romance film directed by Rungsri Tassanapuk and starring Mitr Chaibancha and Petchara Chaowarat. Released on May 15, 1970, the film was an enormous hit, playing in Thai cinemas for six months....
- Luk KrungLuk krungLuk krung may refer to:*luk kreung, a word for interracial Thais*luk grung, a genre of Thai popular music...