Performing Arts Spiritual Performances |79
With an unsophisticated lifestyle close to nature, Mo Lam is
considered as a valuable folk performance, important to the Isan
people in the past. It is not only a show for entertainment at festivals or
festive events. Mo Lam is filled with knowledge, ideas, morals, beliefs
and traditions that improve listeners’ intelligence, continue well behavior,
and promote morale and ethics among them and subtly retain social
norms.
The simple quality to reach all kinds of villagers is an advantage
of Mo Lam and makes popularity widespread. As the lifestyle of local
people is close to temples, Mo Lam is regarded as a social philosopher
and a successor of wisdom. To be a good Mo Lam, that person must
have a wide range of knowledge, from history, geography, occupation,
traditions and custom, sins and mercy, folktales, to national news.
A Mo Lam also needs to be clever to respond and solve immediate
problems on stage in a timely manner. In the past, when communication
did not develop as today, Mo Lam played a role in providing updates,
knowledge of political ideology, guidance for understanding democracy,
knowledge of family planning, contraception, and hygiene.
If the proposition of the show is the entertainment for the audience,
Mo Lam is considered as an entertainment full of flavour and spirit of
the Isan people and filled with moral lessons for refining people in the
society and reminding them of good and bad deeds. At the same
time, Mo Lam performances have changed through time. From a
solo storyteller in the early stage of Mo Lam Phuen, it became a duo
performers to add the fun of responsive chorus. Then, it transformed
into a group performance of the Mo Lam Mu and Mo Lam Ploen. They
further formed a band that brought an instrumental band accompanying
with the Mo Lam performances of Mo Lam Sing. Regardless of change,
all types of Mo Lam can reach out the audience. This is an important
part that makes Mo Lam sustained until nowadays.
• In the Thai-Isan tradition of Heet Sibsong Kong Sibsi, there often have the Mo Lam Klon as a protagonist in celebrating the festive event.