 mor lam (thai/isan: à¸«à¸¡à¸­à¸¥à¸³ ) 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 and mhor lum. in laos, the music is known simply as lam (àº¥àº³); mor lam (à»à»àº¥àº³) refers to the singer. the characteristic feature of lam singing is the use of a flexible melody which is tailored to the tones of the words in the text. traditionally, the tune was developed by the singer as an interpretation of glawn poems and accompanied primarily by the khene, a free reed mouth organ, but the modern form is most often composed and uses electrified instruments. contemporary forms of the music are also characterised by quick tempi and rapid delivery, while tempi tend to be slower in traditional forms and in some lao genres. some consistent characteristics include strong rhythmic accompaniment, vocal leaps, and a conversational style of singing that can be compared to american rap. typically featuring a theme of unrequited love, mor lam also reflects the difficulties of life in rural isan and laos, leavened with wry humour. in its heartland, performances are an essential part of festivals and ceremonies, while the music has gained a profile outside its native regions thanks to the spread of migrant workers, for whom it remains an important cultural link with home. ==instrumentation==  many genres (including the khap of northern laos and lam gon and lam phuen in isan) are traditionally accompanied only by the khene, but ensembles have become more common. most commercial artists now use at least some electric instruments, most often a keyboard set up to sound like a 1960s farfisa-style organ; electric guitars are also common. other western instruments are also becoming popular, such as the saxophone and the drum kit. many of the traditional instruments associated with morlam are reflective of laos and the isan region and are not found outside these areas, despite the great similarity across southeast asia, and are also commonly found in classical genres and court music of the region. traditional instruments used in mor lam ensembles include: * pi (àºàºµà», à¸à¸µà¹, ipa: piË), bamboo oboes of various kinds and sizes. * vot (à»àº«àº§àº, à¹à¸«à¸§à¸, ipa: voËt), a circular panpipe. * khuy (àºàº¸à»àº
Mor_lam