muay thai instrumentals

[rxis]

Anyone know where I can dl muay thai instrumentals?

[Tom Yum]

Instruments that perform muaythai for you?

That's lazy!!!

Just kidding. Are you talking about the oboe, mandolin and bongo-like instruments they use?

[William]

This is from an article that was originally sent to me by my good friend, Krabi-Krabong and Muay Thai instructor,
Ajarn Steve Wilson (aka: Chalambok). Still makes me laugh when I read the whole article.

"The orchestra at a Thai boxing match consists of three very ancient and venerable men playing even older instruments; drum, cymbals and
flute. Their job is to provide a noise like a train wreck, only louder and more prolonged."

I believe he also (jokingly) described it to me once as a group of guys playing "symbols, a chain-saw, and swinging a cat around by the tail." If you want to read the whole article, go to the Muay Thai Humor posting on my blog.



William

[rxis]

theres actually a cd titles muay thai instrumentals or something.
I was actually wanted the ram muay song but i've heard variations titled wai kru and ram muay that sounded like ancient stuff from my old country. Kinda confused because I thought it was always the same song over and over again.

i don't think it sounds like a train wreck. It brings back memories of my father. so blah blah blah..tahts why i was interested

[William]

no offense was meant...

....i don't think it sounds like a train wreck. It brings back memories of my father. so blah blah blah..tahts why i was interested

The article that makes mention of the music is tongue-in-cheek.

To many outside of Thailand who hear it for the first time it doesn't make sense and find it a little hard to listen too. Once you understand what they are doing and how they flow with the fight, it makes more sense. After many years, a fight just doesn't feel right to me if I don't hear the band playing.




William

[chalambok]

That story William mentioned is actually an article that was in the Bangkok Post, which I have posted entirely before in a separate thread, some time in 2002 or 2003 I think. In Thailand they have tapes of the slower, ram muay music, and the B side is faster, which many people here in the US play during the fight itself. However, when I looked for it in Thailand, the tape was sold to me as ram muay music and Krabi-Krabong music, and Master Chai indicated this as well. This really confused me because at the Buddhai Swan we always trained to drums, and demonstrations were with drumming also. As far as fight music goes, and the reason it sounds so attractive and so discordant at the same time, was explained to me by Master Chai thusly: the human body has 5 naturally occurring rhythms. So, there are 5 different instruments playing together but apart, kind of...lol Anyway, if you take the ram muay seriously and forget about yourself, get into the music enough to find the rhythm that works for you at that moment in time, you can fight naturally and comfortably. The best fights can be when both fighters are on the same rhythm, and also when they are on complimentary rhythms, and even when they are on antipodal rhythms. Sounds like a win-win situation. And if there is a live band, and the fight is starting to drag, the conductor stands up, the band speeds up, the betting heats up and our faces light up with great big grins because it can be the most amazing, beautiful spectacle. Historically, it harkens back to battlefield control; different weapon groups being commanded by a different instrument, necessarily loud. In the Eurocentric traditions the equivalences are bugles, drums and bagpipes.