SEARCH

Showing 1-10 of 163 results

  • News & article

    The sound of a new era

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 16/01/2024

    » It's been eight years since Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band released their last studio album Planet Lam, in 2016. This followed their debut album 21st Century Molam, released in 2014. In early December, the band soft-launched a vinyl version of their new album Arayalam on the Zudrangma Records label.

  • News & article

    Cumbia comes to Bangkok

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/11/2019

    » Amaru Tribe, a Latin cumbia band based in Melbourne, Australia, made their full-band debut in Bangkok on Oct 23 at Studio Lam. The six-member outfit come from Australia, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela, but all have been resident in Australia for many years.

  • News & article

    Farewell to a maestro

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 10/04/2024

    » The world of molam has been in mourning since news emerged that Thailand's greatest phin player Thongsai Thap Thanon passed away on March 20 at his home in Warin Chamrap district, Ubon Ratchathani, at the age of 77. The phin is a two- or three-stringed Isan Lao lute that is part of the trinity of molam instruments, along with the iconic khaen (free reed bamboo mouth organ) and the sor (fiddle).

  • News & article

    Musical dissent

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 26/03/2024

    » Award-winning singer Kiran Ahluwalia was nearly lost to music fans 20 years ago. The Indian-born Canadian musician had completed an MBA and was all set to move forward with a career in finance, but she had misgivings about working with leveraged buyouts and her heart was not in it.

  • News & article

    Echoes of Isan

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 12/03/2024

    » Sombat Simla is one of Thailand's top khaen players. He's been bending the notes of his khaen baet (eight rows of double pipes, sixteen in total) for more than 50 years.

  • News & article

    Celebrating three decades of discovery

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 27/02/2024

    » World Beat celebrates 30 years on the music trail this month. The column started in Feb 1994 when Chuan Leekpai of the Democrat Party was in his first term as Prime Minister.

  • News & article

    Fusing different musical worlds

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 13/02/2024

    » Klezmer is the music of Ashkenazi Jews, who created the music in Central and Eastern Europe in the 16th century. Although mainly instrumental, the music is usually sung in Yiddish. It was hugely popular before the destruction of Yiddish communities in Central Europe during the Holocaust. Professional Klezmer musicians who escaped to the US founded large klezmer orchestras in the first two decades of the 20th century, who competed with jazz ensembles and Irish big bands in New York.

  • News & article

    A tribute to Jamaican heritage

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 30/01/2024

    » Studio One, one of Jamaica's most influential recording studios and labels, was founded by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd in the 1950s on Brentford Road, Kingston. His first recordings were made in 1963 and for the next 20 years, he would help reshape Jamaican popular music and propel it around the world.

  • News & article

    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.

  • News & article

    Country comes to the city

    Life, John Clewley, Published on 31/01/2023

    » The All-Thidsa Molam Band was in Bangkok this past weekend to perform at the Thailand International Jazz Conference. World Beat caught up with band last Friday when they played two sets at Isan Spicy BBQ, a rooftop bar at the Jim Thompson Art Center.

Your recent history

  • Recently searched

    • Recently viewed links

      Did you find what you were looking for? Have you got some comments for us?