Thailand karaoke
PANUWAT TANASANSKULWONG / Shutterstock.com
Karaoke is a form of musical entertainment that is increasingly popular in Thailand, especially for Thais, but also for foreigners. A music CD is shown on a television screen where the sound of the singer is turned down and the pseudo-singer sings the song, accompanied by the music from that CD.
Karaoke is a Japanese word, which comes from the words "kara" = empty and "okay", an abbreviation of ōkesutora = orchestra. Drawn together it means an empty orchestra, or rather a virtual orchestra.
History
Musical entertainment while eating or going out is traditionally a custom in Japan. In the Taisho period, it was customary for customers to sing in an “Utagoe kissa”, a song coffee shop. In the 70s, singer Daisuke Inoue was asked to make tapes of his songs without his voice. He started renting out these recordings with a kind of jukebox with which the first mechanical karaoke machine was born.
This new form gradually became popular in Japan and abroad and in 1984 Philips introduced a so-called “sing-along amplifier”. “Karaoke bars” appeared, but it never really became popular in the Netherlands. In Belgium and Germany there seem to be a number of such bars.
To sing
Singing is excellent for relaxation. In the first place it is good for your own entertainment, but often you can do others a favor with it. Singing is also good for breathing control. Did you know, for example, that people who have difficulty coming out of certain words (stuttering) often have no difficulty singing at all? From my own past I remember that my late wife suffered from hyperventilation at one time. The attack was sometimes so severe that she "lost" her voice, (trying to) sing often brought relief.
Thailand karaoke
As mentioned, karaoke is popular in Thailand. Here in Pattaya you can indulge yourself with the many possibilities of karaoke. There are the usual beer bars where guests can sing, especially at parties
being used. Sometimes with music from a CD, but sometimes also with a live band where the singer gets the lyrics projected on a television screen. Usually in the Thai language, but when I drive through Soi Diana, for example, “My way”, “Rhinestone cowboy”, “Roses are red” and the like regularly blare through the air. Sometimes not to listen to but it's about the joy of singing, isn't it?
Another option is the more private clubs where karaoke is available. Yes, karaoke is possible there, but it is more of a cover for other activities because the ladies present will be happy to serve the guests in several ways.
Karaoke in the Isan
Karaoke is also popular in rural Thailand, often the only means of entertainment. Around the village where my wife comes from I have visited several karaoke bars, although it hardly deserves the name karaoke bar. A bare shed with some chairs and tables and a - often second-hand - karaoke jukebox, that's it. From a black-thumbed catalog you choose a song, only Thai or Lao, and sing while enjoying a drink and food. Why acoustics?
Karaoke at home
This noble form of singing is also regularly practiced at my house. Just with a bunch of friends, my wife sings like she's a born artist. If I'm not there I'm fine with it, but when I'm home I kindly but urgently ask the group to move the activity to the bedroom anyway.
I? To sing?
If the Thai text on the screen is also shown phonetically and I'm in a jolly mood, I sometimes try to sing along. That is a laugh for the Thais because my pronunciation and musical feeling are nothing like it. I don't venture into English songs either, I always get out of it by demanding Dutch sing-alongs, which are of course not available.
Yes Gringo it is indeed true that a stutterer does not stutter while singing, then I immediately wondered, how does a stutterer sing along with a song like "My Generation" by The Who or this "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman- Turner Overdrive?, because as you may know there is a lot of vocal stuttering in these songs (but okay, to the point).
It is also customary in our family to visit a Karaoke bar during our stay in Thailand, I even bought a karaoke device at home in the Netherlands, always fun at a birthday party. Then all Thai songs including tearjerkers are taken out again, you know them from Bird, Pann, Da, Ying Lee.
My Thai songs have to be "Welcom to Thailand" by Carabao, and "Sabai sabai" by Bird just because I've heard them hundreds of times, and because I'm especially good at the chorus, that's because I know the rest of the songs. can't sing along (not when I'm sober that is!), because after an hour with some beer and a piece in my collar I'm already starting to lament along.
And as the evening progresses, and after having some more cold Freddie's, I switch to my favorite song (that drunk guy, with his hangover) I dance and sing the whole song along, "Mun Tong Thorn" by Poyfaii Marlaiphorn (AMAZING!!) You probably know it, (yes that one!, the one with the chicken dance), so if you go to a Karaoke bar one of these days then this is the text,….
nye nye nak nak…man pek nye nye nak nak…(ooh) x2 man tek ke er ka ak…man tek ce ce cak cak…man tei jatei cak kak… man tei kok kuk kok kak… dum dum dum dum dum dum… x3 pum pum pum pum pum pum pum… yang sei mangtong konnnn…x3 (ngekek)x2 song long seng ling…man peng song long seng ling…x2 man ping polong meleng… man peng dosong bok keng.. man ping bikin seng seng. .man ping onlong ling leng… dum dum dum dum dum dum…x3 pum pum pum pum pum yang si montong konn…x3
Have fun.
tingng
We first came to Thailand in 1994 and it was already very popular then.
Especially for Dutch tourists.
It is great entertainment and when we are out with our Thai cycling club, or just on the road, the equipment is sometimes taken with us.
Singing and dancing is best for the whole body.
Keep enjoying.
Nice story.
When I came to Thailand as a steward, we sometimes went to the Karaoke bar of our hotel. Usually we sat in a room with about five or six colleagues and we sang like crazy….had a lot of fun.
One evening the rooms were all fully booked and we had to sing in the café area… everyone could come along. It was nice and cosy. Suddenly a Thai walked to the podium. He had been around for some time and had heard us amateurs sing… Well, when he started I didn't dare stand up anymore. A great voice!
Too bad we were assigned a new hotel a little later. That was on the Silom Road and in the evening nobody stayed in the hotel anymore because everything was closer from there than in the old hotel.
My wife, colleagues and girlfriends also like to do karaoke. Not the men. They really must have some Regency in their collar if they want to grab the microphone. That also counts for me. But how my wife and girlfriends can sing out of tune. And they don't realize it themselves. It's not for listening.
A long time ago I also visited the Philippines a lot. Karaoke is also very popular there. The big difference, however, is that Filipinos are much more musical than Thais and are also much more familiar with music from the rest of the world. I could enjoy that.