Tai Oratai
I was asked if I can provide a Lao song to be play at a fundraising. Money are raised from different community so they want to play songs from different community. I think I will give them Tai Orati. Tai (Rabbit) is popular in both the Lao and the Thai community. The language used in her songs covers both the Lao and the Thai, the Lao-Thai, and the Thai-Lao. The old saying always rang true, Thai and Lao are relatives.
Tai has been popular for a few years now. I think about 10 years or so. I am not sure. In America, Tai is won a lot of hearts. When Tai came to my community 2 years ago, I heard but didn’t paid it no mind. My had a chance to listen to Tai Oratai came when I was working on my mom’s deck. I worked alone so music was my companion. I had Manit playing as I work. After a while, I need something else. Mom has Tai’s special album, Yu Nai Jai Smur (always in my heart). I asked to borrow Tai to switch out for Manit. When Unai Jai Smur came on, I stopped and listned. When the part, Unai Jai Smur hu boh (do you know, will always be in my heart) came on, I was touches. I listened on and continue to work. After listened to Tai’s words in the songs, I realized, “No wonder pi Meow (Mr. Cat) was so crazy about her.” Mr. Cat hangs out with my cousin. She told me how he had picture taken with Tai and framed it, with the permission of his wife of course.
Tai talks to people through her golden voice. It touches people’s heart. Tai and many other like her are like the savors of the poor people of Isan and Lao regions. The songs gave relief and comfort to the tiring souls. A lot of songs in Yu Nai Jai Smur are life songs. It talks about how difficult life is without love, money, family. It talks about a difficult life in the big city, being away from home having to fight everyday to eat, send earning back to their hometown. I see genius in those who composed Tai’s music especially Unai Jai Smur Album. Weather it’s musical genius or power of marketing, I don’t care. It’s the message that is loud and clear. Salvation is in play. Those guys are the grand masters. Beside Buddism, the people have music that ease their pain.
I posted the first song of the album and the fifth song. The first song is about how she greatly appreciated everyone for supporting her. I mean everyone. She expressed how fortunate she was to have come this far because of the love and support from everyone. The second song I posted is actually the fifth songs in the album. I posted it because it has a rythm of Lao lumvong. People can dance in the lumvong style to this song. The song is about the moon and love and whatever else that can be associated with the moon and the love between people. She sings about how people can meet under the moonlight. It doesn’t matter if you are a world away, as long as your hearts are together, it’s all the closure you need.
Tai has mon (magic) in her voice. She is definitely a Heaven Sent.
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I like listening to her as well. Her voice is timeless and beautiful, very touching and poignant.
I am in love with her voice.
I really didn’t expect LT and DL to know Tai. I thought they only have dune of sand in Arizon and only cows in Texas.
You see, how our kins will follow us everywhere we go. If we Laotians go to the moon, they will join us there too. Not for long, right? Space traveling is coming up next.
Truthfully, I just start listening to her. I was naiev to not to before. You know why? It was because, I thought she sings dirty songs. A lot of kon Lao and kon whatever use her song to turn it to something kinky and kind of purversion. Yoy all know that song? Meu lang lang boh? Meaning, are you going to wash tonight? Washing you know where. In the end, I admit that they were just having fun good ole fashion way.
Amphone, I never heard the dirty version of her songs! Hey, I understand Thai!:)
Teacher, what I meant was, people change the word whang which is available to lhang which is wash. Meu lang whang boh? Are you available this evening. People changed it to meu lang lhang boh? Are you going to wash this evening? They do that in all a lot of Lao or Thai songs so it sound kinky and dirty. Another example, pai sai ka si kon, meaning, anywhere I go it’s 4 of us. So si in Laotian sounds like you know what, so they change it to you know what. You are innocent, so now you know.
People often thinking Thai and Lao are separate language. It is in a way but it is not because if you live in the region closed to Laos, your ancestors are probably next of kins. Name changing and name calling segregate people from being who they really are. People of the regions are family tie. You know what I mean? That’s why they say Lao and Thai ka pen pee nong kun. It’s just that modern Thai and Thai education system are very advance, even in their written language. Thai and Laos aren’t that much different. In Thailand, they have regional languages and dialect out the honey bund.
I watched a film about Africa’s Rwanda, two tribes killed each others without mercy. They just cut each other down. The goal was to wipe the other off the face of the earth. I was like, wait a minute, what is the different between those two tribes? From where I am sitting they look the same.
My whole point to this is language use in Tai song is Thai-Lao. When people said, that’s a Thai dong, true politically. The word Thai is self means people. Like people this people that. Thai this and Thai that. You may have heard Laotians saying Thai banh dai, meaning, which village are you from? Okay I am teacing my teacher here. I shut up now. Don’t hit me…
Hahhahaahahahaha! OMG! Funny Amphone you are right, I get it now! that pai sai ka si kon does sound like you are saying something else! I am naive sometimes!
It’s okay, I am too lots of time. You ok now?
Even I know about Tai in the Netherlands.
Here are some of my favorite songs by Tai:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2jAFFPIl98
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEQVfpk2gHE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfFSDsnLK0c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwVNM7UgXgE
Tai is very popular in Laos and the relatives in Vientiane told me she is very sweet in person. She came to the US a couple of years ago for a concert tour and if you didn’t get a chance to meet her, then hopefully she will be in the country again for the 4th of July or something.
I hope I get a chance to meet and she “mee tae ai, kit hot tae ai, Toe ha tae ai, and kin kao num tae ai,” I like all the songs you linked. All of them are on that album I mentioned except Toe ha nae dur.
i didnt know her when im were broken hearted i was listed to her song. i didnt know who that was and i keep on listening to her. everytime i listen to it, it make cry so i decide to looked her up on the site. i finally found her, that she was a very beautiful singer and i also has look it up alot of her song. i love most of her song and make me think of my old friends and family that distance away from you. it make me wanna dance.
Tai sing very well. All the words in the songs have meaning to a lot of people. I am glad her singing makes you happy. That’s what artist and entertainers suppose to do. Don’t cry too much, okay?
Sabaïdee,
I take the opportunity of this post to ask for a lao song I heard when I was about 15. Heard from a tape of my lao friends, in about 1975-78 in France.
It is a slow song, starting with : “Ma, ma, ma ….”, song by a women . If I remember well, it was a peason song, talking about rice or rice fields, or about the work at rice fields.
Can you help me to find a .mp3 version of this song ?
Thanks,
Tony
Sabaidee trex58, do you have a Lao name? Song during that period which involved working in the rice fields,hmmm
Sorry, not enough information. However, I think you are talking about the song by the People Democratic Republic of Laos encouraging people to be more active in farming. I think . You should try youtube.com. They have all kind of posting of Lao song now and then. Best of luck. Again, sorry for not being very helpful.
Hi Amphone.
No, I do not have a Lao name.
I’ve searched YouTube, but nothing.
If you are not afraid to hear me singing… I’ve put a short record of my voice singing my memory of this song.
Listen at: http://tony.reix.free.fr/WordPress/MaMaMa.wav
This could help. If you have time, for sure.
Thanks,
Tony
Sabaidee Tony, your singing was great. I do not know this song I promise you. In the year 1975 I was very young. If I have heard the song, I would surely can help you find it. Again, sorry.
Tony,
I heard this song before. I do not know the name or lyric. I think it is Ai Nong (Pathet Lao) propaganda music. You are correct it is a peasant song. I will look around to see if I have it. If I don’t, I will ask other that might know. I will keep you posted.
NotKhoneLao
Hi NotKhoneLao,
I wrote “peason” instead of “peasant”. Sorry for the mistake. My native language is French and I use English mainly for working (computer Science). So I have not so many occasion to use “peasant” while talking about my projects !
Yes, it could be “Pathet Lao” song. I remember my lao friends and I we talked about them. At this time (I was 15-18), I knew few things about the world. Propaganda music… Year, probably. But I liked it, and -more important- I was able to remember the song during… 30 years !
Thanks for your help !
I could ask my lao friends in France, but they are so busy… Making money is their main goal, plus family. So they do not have so much time. They move from a lao world (enjoy life) to a occidental world (make money…).
30 years ago, I loved the Khene music. But now, no more. I recently bought some CDs about lao music, but I love only the “lam” songs. And, in my opinion, the way Thaï and Lao people sing now is too “sugared”. But I guess it is linked to the traditions and -probably- I did not heard the right lao singer. It’s like you talk about French singers and say that Johnny Hallyday is the best French singer, and you forget to talk about Jean Ferrat, or Alain Bashung, who’s songs are much better, deeper, stronger…
I’m a little talkative, sorry… but I take the opportunity of discussing with lao guys to talk about other things.
I’m now reading books by Taslima Nasreen, describing her youth in Bangladesh. Her books are wonderful, describing the real life of people in a Muslim country. And I then will read a book by a famous (lady) writer from Vietnam. But, about Laos, I never found any book like this. I found some very simple books about lao legends, for children. But it seems that there is no lao autobiographic book, describing the life in Laos from the eyes of a child, that has been translated in French (or English maybe, but I hate reading books in English). So, if you have an author name, and a title, I would be very pleased.
Also, I have a French friend who lives in Louang Prabang, married and 2 young children, and -one of these days- I’ll go and visit them. But I hate traveling… And he’s busy too.
Too much talkative, I said…
Where do you live ? Vientiane ? Louang Prabang ?
Regards,
Tony (Grenoble – France)
(year, I can see snow in the mountains from the window of my bedroom ! It never disappears, even at the end of summer)
Tony, I assume that all your friends and family call you Tony. You sounds like you like the song a lot.
NotkhoneLao, at first I thought Tony may have missed spell peasant. I thought he meant to spell pleasant.
Well I hope you both enjoy Tai Oratai as much as everyone else. Her songs are mostly about struggles and life challenges. Most people of her region do not born bon kong yhern kong thong (born on top of the pile of money and gold). Some of her songs do talk about love. On the song kin kao la yung (have you eaten yet), it talks about caring for someone she loves. But the video shows how hard life is, once again, not being rich and have to work under a boss who is cruel beyond normal. Life is hard for her people. It always has been according to the songs lyrics.
Tony, I have no idea how and why Ai Nong song is so special to you. But I hope those were your happier time. I know a lot of people from those era may feel differently. So, what is your favorite music these days?
NotkhoneLao and Tony, I hope you two get together and share those memories together. Best of luck.
Tony,
I am sorry for not getting back to you sooner on the answer. I’ve been busy with work and school. In the past few days, I sat and listen to all the cassettes full of the songs I had from 1975-1980. I am sorry I did not find your song on any of them.
I like to read too but not non-fiction. I like to read Scifi-Fantasy genre from the author like J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Ring) and Frank Herbert (Dune). I do not know of any Lao authors or their books.
I am Lao-American. I live here in America. Tai Orathai is a great singer. I love her voice probably more than Amphone. I like morlum music of Lao and Isann people too. find many of them on YouTube. I preferred morlum that have fast beat and tradition musical instruments.
Good luck to you on finding your song. I am sorry I can not be any help to you.
Hi NotKhoneLao,
Thanks for searching on your old cassettes. You have probably spent a lot of time to hear them. However, you may probably have enjoyed to hear them. No problem about not finding the song. I’ll have to visit the mother of my lao friends. She lives in the middle of France. She probably reminds it (she’s 75 I think).
Dune ! Yes, I read it long time ago… Do you know Dan Simmons ? He wrote several wonderful Scifi books ! Hypérion ! “Carrion Comfort”, and others.
No lao book author known…. bad. Oh, you live in America. I didn’t catch it. I know Boston and Austin TX (“don’t mess with Texas !”).
I have to hear more lao artists !
Thanks for searching my song !
Tony
I LOVE Tai Orathai! I’ve been living here in Thailand for six years and her voice is the best I’ve heard. I actually saw her in concert in Bangplee a few months ago and gave her a rose and she said, “Thank you very much!” What a thrill.
There’s something about some of her ballads that just touches my soul (and I don’t even understand the words!)
Too bad more “farangs” don’t know enough about her…
¡ Hello everybody !
I am writing here only to let you know that a Spanish man ( and living in Spain ) can also love Tai Oratay songs.
I had the luck of discharge some of her songs, using e mule, while I was looking for music from Thailand, and they made me feel deep emotions ( quite wonderful, because, as you suppose, I don’t understand Thai language ).
Two weeks ago I travelled to Bangkok ( my seventh visit to Thailand, but the first in six years )and I could buy several of her discs and videodiscs.
After that I am even more interested for Tai, and that was the reason to arrive to this place.
Thank you for your information.
You are welcome. Best of luck to you. Happy happy day.