Mor lam
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Mor lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan. Mor lam means 'expert song', or 'expert singer', referring to the music or artist respectively. Other romanisations used include mor lum, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam, mhor lum, and molum. In Laos, the music is known simply as lam (ລຳ); mor lam (ໝໍລຳ) refers to the singer.
A khene player in Isan
The xo ou (BGN/PCGN)/so u (RTGS), the low-pitched fiddles common in some styles of lam from southern Laos and most of northeastern Thailand.
A lanat ék/ranat ék (BGN/PCGN)/ranat ek (RTGS), a xylophone used in some varieties of khap and lam. The many types of lanat/ranat are also used in classical Lao music.
Mor lam performance-the men are playing the khene and wearing pha sarong
Isan language
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Isan or Northeastern Thai refers to the local development of the Lao language in Thailand, after the political split of the Lao-speaking world at the Mekong River at the conclusion of the Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893. The language is still referred to as Lao by native speakers.
Portions of an ancient legal text written in the Tai Noi script on a palm-leaf manuscript. The script was banned in the 1930s but survived in Laos as the modern Lao alphabet.
Geographic distribution of Lao dialects within Northeastern Thailand.
Screenshot of a karaoke VCD from molam singer, Chintara Phunlap. In the Lao script, the lyrics seen would appear as 'ໜີໄປບວດໃຫ້ມັນແລ້ວສາບໍ້'.
An example of the Tai Tham alphabet formerly used in Laos and Isan for religious literature.