Molam has long been a cultural force in Isaan and produced many legendary molam artists for generations. Today, the cultural legacy lives on through young molam artists.
But in a fast-changing world, how do traditional molam artists adapt to connect with their audience? At Buddhist events these days, modern-era molam artists turn to beating drums and exciting melodies.
We sat down with Bunjong Mattayarak, a traditional molam artist who’s adapted her lam singing technique to be more exciting, yet still filled with life lessons. “While we can’t do it all, conserving the tradition this way is better than letting molam disappear for good.”
