A wonderful collection of videos featuring Angkhanang Khunchai singing traditional Loa-Isaan songs outlining the Life of the Buddha.
They are illustrated with modern paintings of the subjects, and some of the songs have been recorded at the historical sites they refer to.
The style is called Mor Lam or Moh Lum and developed in NE Thailand and Laos. Here is a description of the style re-edited from Wikipedia:
Mor Lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isaan. Mor Lam means expert song, or expert singer, referring to the music or artist respectively.
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.
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.
There are 28 videos in the series, and I present them in two playlists:
1. Recommendation
2. Introduction
3. Mahamaya’s Dream
4. The Birth
5. Name Giving Ceremony
6. Youth
7. Three Palaces
8. Divine Messengers
9. Rohini River
10. Going-Forth
11. Anoma River
12. Kapilavatthu
13. Anupiya
14. Ascetic
15. The Struggle
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1. Floating Lights
2. Defeat of Mara
3. Awakening
4. First Discourse
5. Yasa
6. Sariputta and Moggallana
7. Sakyan Princes
8. Forty-Five Years Teaching
9. The Last Meal
10. Kusinara
11. Parinibbana
12. Cremation
13. Conclusion
if this video is no longer available please leave a comment so I can update the page