In houses and along roadsides in central Vientiane revellers enjoyed dancing to a song called ‘ Low ' over the Lao New Year ( Pi Mai Lao ), a runaway hit by a new singer from Florida called Flo Rida together with rapper T-Pain.
Most teenagers playing water games along the roadside would have danced to this song at some time during the celebrations.
“They came to my shop to buy the song to play at their friends' houses. They were using large speakers and playing many songs, especially Low , while singing and dancing and waiting to throw water on groups passing by,” a Nongduang Chinese Market CD shop owner, Mr Seng, said yesterday.
He said in his experience most teenagers were not concerned about the lyrics but were attracted to the rhythm rather than the content of most songs.
“Drinking, singing and dancing is better than driving drunk and causing an accident,” a teenager from Dongnaxok village, Mr Khounmany, said last Tuesday.
He said where he lived people didn't throw coloured water or water bombs on vehicles driving by but kindly asked them to slow down so that they could pour some water over them.
The song My Hump by the Black Eyed Peas
Mr Seng said last year many customers were buying copies of Smack That from New Jersey R&B singer Akon, and the most popular song during Lao New Year in 2006 was My Hump by the Black Eyed Peas.
“R&B and hip hop are the most popular music genres among teenagers in Laos . People like these songs not because of the words or meaning, but because of their infectious rhythm,” said Maga Studio producer Mr Mee.
Others play Lao R&B and hip hop songs during the festivities, but not as commonly as foreign music.
Probably, our teenagers like these songs because some english words sound similar to Lao words such as "My hump = Ma hao", "Low = probably they repeat as "Loong = get down or go down". That I just guessed.
Yes, the rhythm is the most important thing for them, no doubt.
I wonder why our song editors do not edit the songs to promote Lao Pee Mai in a way that the songs can encourage our teenagers to play Pee Mai traditionally or politely and with modern rhythm that suits them, of course.
You know this one one of the American street culture or should I say music/trend/style/fashion that other countries should not mimic. I am not very proud of it.
