Model Development of Isan Country Song Compositions

Journal of Social Sciences 6 (3): 474-477, 2010
ISSN 1549-3652
© 2010 Science Publications

Model Development of Isan Country Song Compositions
for Economic, Social and Cultural Value-Added

Nipinth Suwanrong, Khaentaphon Samdaengdech and Thaksina Krairach

The Research Institute of Northeastern Arts and Culture,
Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, Thailand 44000

Corresponding Author: Nipinth Suwanrong, The Research Institute of North Eastern Arts and Culture,
Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, 44000 Thailand Tel: +66-43-721686134

Abstract:

Problem statement: Country Song was related to history, society, culture and economic.
The objectives of this study were: (1) the historical background in composing the Isan Country Song,
(2) the current situation and problem of composing style of Isan Country Song and (3) the development
of composing pattern the Isan Country Song for elevating the economic value.

Approach: The research area consisted of Isan Region including Chiaya Phume, Ubon Rachatani, Amnat Charoen and
Sri-Sa-ket Provinces. The samples providing information included 170 persons. The instruments using
for collecting data included: The Survey Form, Interview Form, Focus Group Discussion and
Participatory Workshop. The data were classified into groups. Qualitative data were analyzed
according to the specified objectives. The research findings were presented in descriptive analysis.

Results: The research findings found that the historical background of Isan Country Song, reflected
lifestyle, social situation, ideal, and Thai Culture with the rhyme developed from traditional Country
Song blending with Big Brand Music Band mixing with the local singing words and rhythm. The
current situation and problem after listening to the Country Song was more increasing popular since
there were many song composers and chords. There were advertisements through the media as radio,
television, mobile phone and internet network. Therefore, the buying and selling of song were easier
and quicker. For the song composing, the text of a song didn’t focus on the rhyme and lacked of
morality enhancement. The supplementary music sometimes lacked of beauty based on aesthetic
principle. For the commercial problems, there were many violations of right. Consequently, the
entrepreneur sometimes faced with the lost. For development, the god points of Isan Country Song
were analyzed both of the text and rhyme. The composed song model was created by bringing
Pentatonic scale mixing with message of Dorian Mode. The musical instrument using for playing
consisted of Isan Country Song and Western Music.

Conclusion/Recommendations: Isan Country
Song was still necessary for opposing the entertainment like the villager representatives. Besides, it
could be developed for beauty based on music principle. In some viewpoints, it could be used as
commercial usefulness. Therefore, in order to maintain the identity of Country Song which needed to
be studied for knowing the development of song work, it would be good. This research could be able to
be a model for new style Country Song.

Key words: Development, Isan country song, compositions, economic, social, cultural, value-added

INTRODUCTION

Country Song or country song was a song with
evolution from local song or villager song. The theme
of Country Song reflected Thai lifestyle, although the
western musical instruments were used for playing
rhythm. Considering the local song, origin of Country
Song, found that the local song was a literary work with
text of a song in real society and life of Thai People in
each locality in simple musical tune. The song content
showed the thought with worldview toward society,
culture and environment. The text of a song, rhythm
and music were in simple style.
It could be concluded that Isan Country Song had
continuous Thai Cultural Development. Isan Country
Song was easy to understand and remember. The
audiences listened it not many times, could sing it in
general. As a result, Isan Country Song was popular
only in a short time, or famous only from one song in a
short time, or was declined of popularity in very short
time. Consequently, it was boring and people would
search for new things in Isan Country Song. The causes
of prominent Isan Folk Singers gaining or decreasing
popularity consisted of: The factors of producer artists
and creators of Isan Country Song including the
composer of singing words, rhythm and singer, the
business owner of song band. For the singing word
composers, they weren’t delicate in composing the
singing content. They produced too much songs for the
singers without considering the quality of song. As a
result, the text lacked of power in motivating the
audiences. Some singing word composers composed
the song text by using impolite or impertinent words,
pornography, some words with ambiguous especially
the words conveying ambiguous in sense. Some words
were impolite and pornography in order to be joyful,
attractive, tasteful. It was very concern that since it
affected on the good image of Country Song. In
addition, the composer of content and rhythm was the
same person. Some of them didn’t have knowledge in
music. So, they composed song by their feeling.
Consequently, the rhythm wasn’t smooth based on
principle of music academic. For the folk singers, some
of them were not trained from the school teaching in
singing Country Song. Most of them came from contest
stage in singing Country Song, or applied for
participating in music band of Country Song travelling
in the provinces. The song business owners were too
much trading benefit oriented by producing new songs
continuously. As a result, the performance and quality
were lower down. In the present, Country Song and
string would be more blending together until it was
difficult to identify which one was Country Song or
string.
According to the above reasons, the researcher was
interested in studying and conducting research in
“Development of Song Composing Model in Isan
Country Song in context of development in Thai
Entertainer from new viewpoint in future.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The studied area was the Isan Region by selecting
4 provinces including: Chiayapume, Ubon Rachatani,
Amnat Charoen and Sri-Sa-ket Provinces. Qualitative
Research Method was administered in this study. Data
were collected from samples by Purposive Sampling
including: 33 experts, 50 key informants, 60 general
villagers, total of 143 persons. The instruments using
for collecting data were: the Interview Form, the
Observation Form, Focus Group Discussion and
Participatory Workshop. Data were investigated by
using the Triangulation Technique based on specified
issues in the study and presented in descriptive
analysis.

RESULTS

The findings were as follows:
· The historical background of Isan Country Song
might develop from Mo-lam and local song from
other regions as well as traditional Thai Song. It
started to play its role after the second world war
by Isan Composers and Singers in 1957 which was
more well-known in 1971-1981. It was a prominent
period being very much popular which might
involve with population playing role in economic
in big city. Most of singing words and rhythm was
Isan Identity. There were many singers and song
composers

· For current situation and problem in model of Isan
Country Song Composiing, the song composing in
both of singing content and rhythm were not based
on the artists. But, it was related to the market
need. Therefore, there were more complex
entertainment business units. There were
competitions in seeking an opportunity for both of
composers and singers. Besides, there were
changes of the audiences’ taste. The used language
for composing wasn’t smooth, with simple rhythm
by using electronic music in many song styles
including joyfulness, love and disappointment and
expression in frustration of livelihood. Most of the
songs depended on social value

· The model development of Isan Country Song for
increasing the economic value in composing the
Isan Country Song, the standardized language
principle and villager language should be
emphasized by considering the prosody of Isan
Country Song as well as the model in developing
the Isan Country Song Rhythm by using 3
techniques: (1) the song content should be
composed first, (2) the rhythm should be composed
later, (3) the singing words and rhythm should be
simultaneously composed. Moreover, Isan Song
Rhythm and International Song Rhythm should be
harmonious by considering most of Isan Country
Song Model as A, B, A or A, A, B, A which
needed the high experience chord composer. For
the creation of additional value, the song value, the
work standard, as well as capital and profit, should
be considered

DISCUSSION

According to the research titled “Development of
Model in Isan Country Song Composer for increasing
the economic value, there were issues for discussing the
findings as follows:

For historical background in composing Isan
Country Song, it was developed from Mo-lam and local
songs in other regions. The composed song content
showed material relating to the approach in religion and
belief, lifestyle, working, nature, value and love in life,
spouse and country. So, the song was a representative
of society and culture being able to convey the human
beings’ understanding in the same culture.
Chaiyatorn et al. (2010) described a model for
setting the cultural tourism as Home Stay in future
including the economic, social and cultural aspects with
sustainable existence as well.
The purposes of the later study were to: (1) the
history and background of Reed Mouthorgan Musical
Instrument, raw material in manufacturing Reed
Mouthorgan in Esan Region. (2) The State of problems
in conserving, rehabilitating and developing the raw
material and manufacturing Reed Mouthorgan in recent
time. (3) The application of local wisdom in
rehabilitating and developing the raw material and
manufacturing Reed Mouthorgan for creating the
additional cultural value (Sithisak et al., 2009).
The songs consisted of various and broad content
since the composer was optimistic. So, he didn’t have bias
worldview toward the person or thing. For the composed
art, most of them was like the verse. For the use of
wordings and eloquence, it was appropriate, causing the
inspiring words according to the conveyed language style.
Therefore, it was valuable in literary work. Furthermore,
there were various songs with the useful content and
material for people, society and country. In the past,
ancient people who mastered this field did not hand down
to the public but only handed down to the members of
family or relatives so it was un appeared in case of
nobody carried on it (Chansuwan et al., 2009).
For current situation and problem of model in
composing the Isan Country Song, the song composing
was related to the economic. So, the song composing
was profit oriented. So, there was a search for identity
of each locality as presented thing through the song
both of singing words and rhythm. It could be seen
from brining the identity of ethnic group. Later on, it
would be composed with chord blending with
traditional Thai Song, global song rhythm and the
composed content in trend. It was supported by
Sooksuwan (1978) conclusion of findings of the study
in “Country Song Literary Work,” the findings found
that: (1) Thai Song extended to be different kinds of
song with cultural reasons. There were 5 kinds of Thai
Song: (1) Local Song was the song using during the
recreation during professional working or leisure time
of Thai People in former time, (2) Traditional Thai
Song, (3) Thai Song, (4) Universal Song, (5) Life Song,
(2) the Country Song occurred by searching for
warmness of country people entering for earning their
living in the capital in order to deceasing their home
sick, (3) the Country Song as mixed Traditional Thai
Song and local song and other songs, (4) the content of
Country Song consisted of every kind: stating for love
both of public love including: Country, religion, the
King and love between male and female which led to
happiness and misery, interesting moral teaching,
stating for country life in different aspects, social
problem, recent situation, some situations in some parts
of History, as well as sense of humor, (5) there were
different types of Country Song including: The word
use, easy words to be greatly satisfied were used,
imitation of natural sound and exclamation words,
repeated words, playing on words, the use of new
adjective, sweet sounding words, saying and proverb,
idiom. Consequently, the audiences had common
understanding as the composer’s need, (6) there was a
close relationship of society and Country Song because
the Country Song was influenced by society. So, it was
quickly and broadly disseminated many values to
people in society and (7) the Country Song congruent
with the audiences’ taste included the song including
content in love, different situations in society and sense
of humor.
For development of the compose in Isan Country
Song for increasing the economic value, development
of song pattern, various styles would be studied. The
modern technology was brought in. The value was
studied which led to development of song pattern. So, it
was indispensable for the development in improving to
be adequate with the age or period. It was supported by
Komkrish (1999) findings that Pog-lang was developed
from Lo Clapper or Ko-lo, which was an instrument
using for hitting for informing different signs of
villagers as well as for chasing the bird and crow in the
farms. At the beginning, there were 6 balls. Then they
were developed into 9 balls and 12-17 balls
respectively. There were 3 parts of Pong-lang: Ponglang
Piece, Pong-lang stand and Pong-Lang hitting
stick. There were 2 steps of production: The step in
preparing the material and instrument and the step in
producing Pong-Lang including the picture raising, the
cutting of Pong-Lang Ball, the comparing of sound, the
drilling hole for string threading and the hitting for
sound test. For keeping Pong-Lang, it had to be kept in
ventilation place. Pong-Lang could played in 2 styles:
Single playing and 2-person playing. For 2-person
playing, the first one had to play the song rhythm called
“Mo-ko” or “Mo-sep”. Another one had to hit for
making rhythm as a chord called “Mo Serb”. Pong-
Lang combined with the other musical instruments.

Pong-Lang made from Ma-had wood consisted of 17
balls, one band including the sound C, D, E, F, A and
B. The one consisted of 13 balls, two bands, including 6
sounds as C, D, E, F, G and A. The one with 12 balls,
one band, including 5 sounds as C, D, E, G and A. The
structure of the stripes consisted of pattern led by the
ball, repeated playing and ending ball. The movement
of rhythm used steps as: Pair 2 and movement of
jumped in pair for 3 pairs and 4 and 5 pairs
respectively. The pair 6 and 7 were very few. The
direction of movement, it gradually high up until
reaching the highest level of sound in playing the short
string. Then, it was moved down meet with the playing
at sound A. The falling ball or important sound in
playing included E sound (Mee) and A (La). It was
supported by Aesthetic Theory, Science of Beauty
aiming to revealing and eliminating the orders or
principles of beauty. There were 2 techniques in
searching for beauty: Objectivism and subjectivism:

· Aesthetic included the technique as objectivism
since it was focused on different objects such as
architecture, printmaking, music etc. On behalf of
beautiful thing, it searched for general beautiful
characteristic and other characteristics of those
objects as well

· Aesthetic included the technique as subjectivism
since it attempted to search for the meaning of
what was called the audience’s aesthetic
experience. It attempted to find the differences and
relationship between aesthetic experience and other
kinds of experience

CONCLUSION

According to this research, both of public and
private sectors should play role in being responsible,
encouraging and promoting the academic by
determining the policy in order to take part in moving
the activity of city development for being peaceful city,
peaceful community in cultural dimension and local
administrative organization which would appropriately
affect the local administrative organization in managing
the culture based on academic principle as well as
community need as well as expansion into the other
regions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The research has been supported generously by the
Mahasarakham University Research Fund. The
researchers would like to express their sincere
appreciation for all of the support provided

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