Yo bro! Laos youth hip-hop to a local beat

December 13, 2007



By Margareta Astaman

VIENTIANE (Reuters Life!) - Usher's "Can U Handle It" fills the hall where the teenagers in baggy pants, chains jingling from their necks, greet each other with "Yo" and "Whazz-up". Lao youth have embraced hip-hop with a passion, turning the gritty urban music associated with African-Americans into their own.

Radio stations playing hip-hop and rap songs by local groups and in the local language are filling the airwaves in cities such as Vientiane, Savannakhet and Pakse, where nightclub DJs spin these tunes to a packed house.

"Lao hop" is also slowly replacing Thai music, which has long dominated radio programming, as more groups churn out tunes.

"There were no Lao songs before, only Thai songs, but now almost all teenagers listen to Lao songs in hip-hop style," said Anouluck Pathammavong, founder of IndeeRecords which now manages 20 hip hop artistes.

"Previously, modern music was either Thai or Western, and we often received complaints when we put hip-hop on the radio," added Douangmany Soliphanh of recording firm Lao Art Media.

Pele, a member of hip-hop group LOG who wants to be identified by his stage name, said he was introduced to the music through albums given to him by cousins who live in Australia and the United States.

"I liked it immediately because I was different, and we could identify with the music," he said, sporting the unofficial uniform of rap stars, baggy pants, oversized T-shirts and lots and lots of chains.

Sone, 19, got hooked on hip-hop after his friends told him it was the "in" thing. He is now a member of local group Happy Boys. "My friends said it's more modern, so I switched and am now a hip-hop artist," he said.

YO! CULTURE




Even though communist-ruled Laos is slowly opening up to the West, the government did not take well to Lao hip-hop at first.

Aj Photisane who performs with Laobangfai, the country's first hip-hop and break-dancing troupe, said the group was chided by officials after a concert three years ago.

"What are you dancing? There isn't anything like that in the history, nothing like that in the culture, so what are you doing?" Photisane said, imitating the officials.

Somkiethtisack Kingsada, a Culture Ministry official, fears hip-hop is slowly killing off traditional music.

"Modern songs become more and more powerful and it causes the number of Lao youths who know traditional songs to go down," Kingsada said. "But the government has limited experience and funding to maintain and impose our tradition."

Officials said the only thing the government could do was ensure the lyrics of the songs, and the costumes worn on stage, did not go against "traditional culture". Cursing is not allowed, nor are revealing clothes.

"The wordings must be in line with the Lao way of speaking and if the performances are broadcast live or during formal functions, the artists must dress politely," said Somsavath Songvilay of the Fine Arts Department that regulates performances and music production.

But for many Lao youth, hip-hop is just the vehicle the country needs to put itself on the world map.

"Foreigners don't think it is possible to have hip hop in Laos. In their opinion we are just poor," said Photisane.

"But when they see that we can dance, they appreciate us."