''Lam saravane'' (, ) is a popular folk song originally from the southern province of Saravane Province of

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, but popular throughout the Lao-speaking world, including the

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...

region of Thailand, but it is also regarded as a traditional folksong and dance of

Khmer culture Throughout Cambodia's long history, religion has been a major source of cultural inspiration. Over nearly two millennia, Cambodians have developed a unique Cambodian culture and belief system from the syncreticism of indigenous animistic belie ...

. It is possible that the melody was borrowed from the Khmer or related Mon-Khmer groups and later re-popularised later by its recent rise of popularity in Laos and Isan. Like in most ''

mor lam Mor lam (Lao language, Lao: ໝໍລຳ; Isan language, Isan: หมอลำ ; , , ) is a traditional Culture of Laos, Lao form of song, song originating in Laos that is also popular in Isan, where the majority of the population is ethnic Lao. ...

'' melodies, the primary instrument is the ''

khene The ''khaen'' (; spelled "Khaen", "Kaen", "Kehn" or "Ken" in English; , ; , , ; , ; – ''Ken''; Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''khèn'' or ''kheng'') is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a s ...

''.Miller, Terry E. and Chonpairot, Jarernchai. Untitled. Review of ‘Laos: Musique pour le khene/Lam Saravane’ by Brunet, Jacques. Ethnomusicology, Vol. 25(3), (Sep 1981): pp. 561-563. The popular versions of the song have lyrics which explain what should be done, much like an American squaredance. The song is quite popular, for its melody, and for its associated lyrics that make it a favourite at weddings, parties, and festivals.

References

External links

Lao version of 'Lam Saravane'.
Mor lam Music of Laos {{music-genre-stub