The objective of this article is to study E-san identity through online social media. The study data and information are collected from 15 E-san folksongs that broadcast in online social media selected only songs that earn more than 10 million views. It is found that folksongs on online social media, to date, has much influenced E-san identity, since online social media is easily connected with common people. As a result, people no matter where they live are able to acknowledge and understand E-san identity.
E-SAN FOLKSONGS: E-SAN IDENTITY AND SOCIAL MEDIA Hataiwan Maneewong Ph.D Student of Thai Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand /Lecturer of Nakhon Ratchasima RaJabhat University Rattana Chanthao jratta@kku.ac.th Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Abstract The objective of this article is to study E-san identity through online social media The study data and information are collected from 15 E-san folksongs that broadcast in online social media selected only songs that earn more than 10 million views It is found that folksongs on online social media, to date, has much influenced E-san identity, since online social media is easily connected with common people As a result, people no matter where they live are able to acknowledge and understand E-san identity Key Words: Identity, E-san, Online Social Media, E-san Folksongs Introduction E-san region is the largest region of Thailand, so E-san identity study is interesting, as E-san region aspect is different from other regions in many ways Importantly, E-san region consists of various groups of people such as E-san-Laotian, Laotian from Laos, Kuy, Nyaw, Tai Phuan, Phu Thai, etc These groups of races have their own history and tradition before There are sources providing information for the identity study especially from anthropological study such as legends, tales, rituals, and folksongs E-san Folksongs Thai songs has evolved for a long time from native folksongs, lullabies, Pleng Kiaw Khao, Pleng Mho Lam Mho Kan, Pleng Bog to present folksongs (Kingkaew Attakorn, 1976) These songs contain different contents and melodies according to environment and way of life of each locality particularly folksongs which is one of the literatures that narrate local stories efficiently Wit Sivasriyanon (1971: 95-97) stated that literatures and society influence each other, since literatures recorded stories of a society in that time intentionally or unintentionally by the creators of literatures Therefore, folksong literatures can be accounted as a method in recording and depicting stories of local life Sa-nga Kanchanapan (2003: 46) said that Thai folksongs have been influenced by native folksongs and traditional Thai songs of which words and lyrics can be understandable easily, and the melodies are both adapted from the traditional songs and newly arranged and composed Most of them are easy listening, and uttering is used for 449 singing The contents of the songs are widely related to Thai society value and the local way of life, for not only the folksongs reflecting the local life in agricultural way, but also indicating the strong bond between the people and tradition, culture, religion, and belief These are the key leading the listeners to understand the local Thai society identity E-san folksongs is remarkable in word expression, melody, content, and literary style which is highly valuable in literature As well, E-san folksongs carry on beliefs, values, ideas, traditions, and social ideals which are considered as a local heritage (Lakkhana Suksuwan 1978: 59) People that appeared in the songs mostly are rural or poor, and they describe their love, working, housing, dressing, dietary, entertainment, and sometimes the reflections of belief and the reflections of the belief and value system of their locality like superstition and astrology, nation, religion and monarch It is also included the materialistic values in wealth and properties, values in estates and power, values in city life, values in allurements and feminine It is sometimes reflected in some songs when a female lost virginity or beguiled by a man from a city, the woman will be blamed, etc E-san folksongs change accordingly through ages To be clarified, when a cassette recording business losted its popularity, the investors had their singers recording their songs, only one or two, as a ―single‖ to estimate the sales If any single earned well reputation, that singer then had a chance to release a compilation or a long-play consecutively Later on when the digital period had come up, Thai songs imitated foreign songs, or they was called string songs Luk Krung songs gradually faded away, and Thai folksong business were very marginally Business was fully covering Thai music The advancement of technology raised its role in the business There was no longer recording that recorded all instruments in one time, since it changed to be partially recorded Besides, there is an online broadcasting through social media instead of releasing as a single There is a motion picture for a song or a music video, so listeners can appreciate the content of a song through the acting in a music video, instead of listening the song only There are many songs that are interested and imply social culture within Online Social Media Online social media is a media that a sender shares the formation that in various formats to the receiver through online network in which they can interact to one another or between sender to receiver, or one receiver and another receiver Online social media is divided by frequent using including Blogging, Twitter and Microblogging, Social Networking, and Media Sharing To date, online social media role affects the life of people in the society much It is obvious that we can simply access or use online media via communication devices like computers, mobile phones, tablets, or other devices that can access to internet connection or mobile phone networking From a report of ETDA (Electronic Transactions Development Agency (Public Organization)), Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, that surveyed internet usage behavior of Thai people in B.E 2017, it is found that the top three of the most popular online social media were Youtube at 97.1%, Facebook at 96.6%, and Line at 95.8%, respectively 450 Image 1, Source: https://www.etda.or.th/content/thailand-internet-user-profile-2017.html Folksongs and Online Social Media The role of online social media does not affect only the way of life of common people in communication but also E-san folksongs in identity distribution of the northeastern people to be known and understood widely As mentioned above, now Thai folksongs are in the digital age, so be E-san folksongs To be clarified, access to E-san folksongs does not longer require any cassette or any CD People can get an access to E-san folksong easily and fast including the motion picture that help people to be more understood and acknowledged the condition of E-san society especially through the most popular online social media like YouTube and Facebook, which publishing E-san folksongs and make the songs to be popular as well To be an example, I pick up one of E-san most popular folksongs this time around, which contains not only attractive melody, but its content and music video as well It is very interesting because this song can represent E-san people‘s lifestyle including beliefs, tradition, culture, and their living The song is named Tao-Ngoi by Jintara Poonlap The story of this song is about a girl from Tao-Ngoi District, Sakon Nakhon provice, who has been waiting for her lover from the same district, and it is described in the song that she keeps thinking of him until it causes her body lean Simultaneously, in the lyrics, there is an implication of E-san identity of people in Sakon Nakhon province including their belief that Tao-Ngoi statue can be blessing and give one fortunate, the origin of E-san rocket (Pha Daeng Nang Ai), etc other than the lyrics, the music video also shows the locations and a worshipping tradition in this region 451 Image 2-3, Song “Tao-Ngoy” by an artist named Jintarha Poonlap Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oppMTue4gRE There is another popular song that can be a good example as well, the song called OLa-Nor by an artist named Kong Huai Rai It is a story of a local E-san boy who tried to change himself according to the fashion trend of Korean dressing style, listening to modern music, and living as modern as city life does, but finally he fails to change because of his E-san blood inside his body brings him back to the reality In the end, he accepts his identity The words of the song reflect E-san society nowadays that E-san teenagers or new generation are trying to keep away their identity including tradition, culture, living style, etc., but finally there is no E-san offspring can leave E-san identity The music video shows precisely clear images of E-san lifestyle and culture even in a few minutes 452 Image 4-7, Song “O-La-Nor” by an artist named Kong Huai Rai Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3AFM-MSASM Conclusion and Discussion From the sample songs above, we can see that online social media performs it role against E-san folksongs in E-san identity very well, for online social media, to date, has diversity and is the fastest and easiest media to access as well as it can be approaching most people Therefore, online social media is initially important in E-san society identity distribution to public to understand and connect Reference Electronic Transactions Development Agency How Thai People Use the Internet in Year 60 [Online] Source: https://www.etda.or.th/content/thailand-internetuser-profile- 2017.html [19 March 2017] Hathaiwan Maneewong (2012) Metaphors Related to Males and Females in Esan Folksongs Master of Arts Thesis Khon Kaen University Jintara Poonlap Pleng Tao-Ngoi [Online] Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oppMTue4gRE [19 March 2017] Kingkaew Atthakorn (1976) Folkloristics Education Supervisory Document Issue 184 Bangkok : Supervisory Unit Kong Huai-Rai Pleng O-La-Nor [Online] Source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3AFM-MSASM [19 March 2017] Lakkhana Suksuwan (1978) Folksong Literature Master Degree Thesis Srinakharinwirot University Pichit Vichitbunyarak (2001) Online Social Media : Media of the Future Executive Journal Year 31 Issue (October-December) Page 99-103 Somchai Srinok (2010) Belief Development and Valuables that Influence Belief of Goodness and Sin in E-san Folksongs Buddhist Studies Thesis Journal Page 320-330 Sugri Charoensuk (1989) How to Appreciate Music Bangkok : Ruenkaew Ruenkwan Printing Waew Palangwan (2002) E-san Folks Bangkok: Ruenpanya 453 ... receiver and another receiver Online social media is divided by frequent using including Blogging, Twitter and Microblogging, Social Networking, and Media Sharing To date, online social media role... Conclusion and Discussion From the sample songs above, we can see that online social media performs it role against E-san folksongs in E-san identity very well, for online social media, to date,... 96.6%, and Line at 95.8%, respectively 450 Image 1, Source: https://www.etda.or.th/content/thailand-internet-user-profile-2017.html Folksongs and Online Social Media The role of online social media