"Lam" Thai in Muong Ham
(baonghean) -According to the lam artists in the Muong-Ham region (Chau Cuong commune, Quy Hop district), there are two ways of singing "lam," corresponding to two different khen flute melodies: The first way is called "lam tien con," which is sung with a rhythmic, jumping motion; the second way is "lam dot doi," which is sung slowly, gradually, leisurely, and calmly.
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To have a "lam" performance, there must be a reason. No one spontaneously plays the flute to invite someone to a "lam," nor does anyone spontaneously decide to "lam" alone. The reason for a "lam" performance must be something joyful (such as: holidays; New Year's Day; weddings; visitors from afar; housewarming celebrations...). No one ever "lams" during sad times, because "lam" is a form of courtship singing. "Lam" has a strangely powerful impact on the listener's soul. The "lam" (a type of Vietnamese folk song) touches people's hearts like the gentle breeze of a quiet midday, like the sound of a flowing stream in the evening, like the mournful song of a cuckoo or a nightingale in the melancholic night... As night deepens, the "lam" becomes more poignant, like an underground stream of love, burning between people, seeping through the sound of the bamboo flute and penetrating deep into the hearts and minds of the Thai men and women of the villages—hardworking, gentle, simple people who love labor, value humanity, and always prefer a peaceful and tranquil life.
In the entire Muong-Ham region today, very few people still know how to play the "lam" properly, and even fewer play the lam flute, most of them over 60 years old. Preserving and developing the "lam" as well as other Thai folk melodies today faces a major challenge, one that is difficult to overcome without knowing or truly appreciating this form of folk music.
Text and photos: Thai Tam
