SUMMARY
In this series documenting the MOLAM culture of the Esan people (Northeastern Thailand) and the international scam selling "an fake idea of it" to tourists. I describe how some people from Australia, Japan, France,Thailand and USA... manage their filthy business without any kind of respect and with very little clue about THE MOST IMPORTANT POPULAR MUSIC SCENE IN HISTORY!
Many album covers and photos from my personal archives as well as some fun videos illustrate and document each parts... None of the "self claimed specialists" of course ever showed any photos they took at molam concerts in Esan as they generally DON'T attend any!
Those scammers also never promoted live Esan music and never supported Esan musicians in any way! It's purely a business and there is no time for respect in such business. As you will notice, I don't have much respect for such people while I deeply respect Esan people and their amazing cultural Heritage!
Those scammers also never promoted live Esan music and never supported Esan musicians in any way! It's purely a business and there is no time for respect in such business. As you will notice, I don't have much respect for such people while I deeply respect Esan people and their amazing cultural Heritage!
ประเพณี ศิลปะ วัฒนธรรม มรดก อีสาน
Traditions, arts, cultures, Esan heritage!
This introduction feature for the first time a description of the molam scene. Nothing here is anywhere close to anything that spread in western medias during the last 10 years...
PART 2: THE GENESIS "HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA"
How could a simple tourist despoiled the musical culture of the victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide, started a business selling and performing this music... An inspiring business.
PART 3: R.A.T.S IN JAPAN "EM records"
A duo of Japanese tourists offer their very own revisionist point of view on Esan music.
PART 4 PART 4: THE MISANTHROPE: "Dj MAFT SAI"
How could a man with no clue about Thai culture and music and no links with Esan people at all created an international scam business... And pretends to be the specialist of Esan music!
PART 5: BACK STABBING AT THE ZOO "peter doolan"
From blogger to human zoo promoter... How could some random amateur musicians became a tourist attraction.
PART 6: CTRL C / TRANSLATE / CTRL V: "james leonard mitchell"
A pioneering description of a pioneering university teacher selling a pioneering book...
PART 7: WHAT THE FUNK? "edouard degay delpeuch"
A self claimed "ethnomusicologist" offer "mindblowing" descriptions of his friends scamming business... Partner in crimes or fooled idiot?
VOCABULARY:
R.A.T.S: As there are many respectable westerners who documented music, I avoid any confusions and use the acronym for "Researchers on Asian Traditional Sound" to describe the self claimed specialists I mention here.
TOURISTA: As many surrealist terms such as "INSTRUMENTAL MOLAM" are used by scammers to describe the fake Esan music they produce, I suggest to call the distinctive "music" genre they sell TOURISTA. Tourista is the french word for "Traveler's diarrhea". As it basically smells like it, looks like it and sounds like it... As it's the kind of troubles tourists easily get in Thailand it's a perfect description and a good way to avoid confusion between molam and some simple minded crap for tourists!
Feel free to message me if you have any questions on the subject.
