Showing 1 - 7 of 7
Rhythms of the Northeast
Life, John Clewley, Published on 21/02/2026
» The first Maha Morlum Festival, a showcase soft power event, was held in Maha Sarakham from Feb 13-14 and World Beat travelled to the Isan province to enjoy the two-day, one-night immersive experience promised by the event's organisers.
Roi Et culture, loud and proud
Life, John Clewley, Published on 25/03/2025
» World Beat was out and about in Isan recently for a visit to the annual Boon Pha Wet Festival in Roi Et.
Satanic sounds from the jungle
Life, John Clewley, Published on 02/07/2024
» In the 1960s in Peru, a funky popular style emerged in the oil-boom cities of the Amazon. It was largely based on Colombian cumbia and Andean tropical music but using the pentatonic scale of Andean music. Additional ingredients include highland huayno, Cuban percussion, psych and surf rock (especially twangy guitars, with as many as three playing together) and plenty of spacey keyboards.
The beat goes on
Life, John Clewley, Published on 19/12/2023
» Molam continues to evolve with time. Musicians, especially from Isan, are experimenting with new musical combinations, creating new hybrids and sounds.
What 2020 has already brought
Life, John Clewley, Published on 07/01/2020
» Likay in Klong Toey seemed like a good way to kick off the New Year. I spotted a very small stage while I was down at the market earlier last week. It was in the old part of the market, which is about to be upgraded. I asked around and was told that the likay troupe Mere Da Tam was performing last Saturday, in the early evening.
All there at the square
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/03/2019
» Busy Victory Monument, with its buses, taxis and motorcycles, is one of Bangkok's few traffic circles (or roundabouts, as we call them where I come from). It's a busy intersection of roads that lead to all points on the compass.
Likay lives on
Life, John Clewley, Published on 07/08/2018
» My first experience of popular theatre in Thailand was a likay performance in the main market in Chumpon. I had not been in Thailand for long and was on my way back from a trip to Malaysia, travelling by local bus and train.