The Isan region of Thailand, situated in the northeast of the country, shares much common ground with Laotian culture. What I find particularly interesting is the genre of music named 'Mo Lam', in fact an umbrella term for many sub genres, which has become one of the more famous aspects of Isan. These styles of music began to intergrate with Western influences between the 70s and 80s and I've posted an example below. The two contrasting tones of the man, sometimes men, and woman in 'Community People, Let's Work Together' are combined, creating something that I really enjoy listening to.
Another display of Isan culture is the Phi Ta Khon festival. This event takes place every June and according to Buddhist folklore, a reincarnation of the Buddha was banished by villagers for giving away a white elephant, once their anger had subsided he then returned and the celebrations were so intense that even the dead were awakened. The masks featured in these displays are intricately detailed and highly grotesque, there are countless different styles too. It's understandable why the event has been nicknamed 'Thailand's Halloween' and underneath the photos, I've posted a video of the masks in action.
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