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188<br />
LAOS IN DEPTH<br />
9<br />
A PATCHWORK OF ETHNICITY<br />
<strong>The</strong> large population <strong>of</strong> Lao people living<br />
in France and the USA means that<br />
there are also singers playing hybrid forms<br />
<strong>of</strong> Lao and western music, be that genres<br />
as international as rap or heavy metal. This<br />
is a relatively new phenomenon in <strong>Laos</strong><br />
itself since until as recently as 2003, “modern”<br />
music was virtually against the law<br />
since the seriously unhip ruling politburo<br />
thought it was a capitulation to decadent<br />
Western values.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a vibrant live music scene in<br />
Vientiane. Bars such as <strong>The</strong> Wind West<br />
(p. 239) feature very skilled musicians<br />
playing both Western covers, Lao pop, and<br />
traditional music.<br />
<strong>The</strong> people <strong>of</strong> <strong>Laos</strong> are ethnically diverse,<br />
though a truly authoritative survey <strong>of</strong> all<br />
ethnic groups has never been conducted.<br />
Before the wars in the ’60s and ’70s, more<br />
than 60 different groups were commonly<br />
identified. <strong>The</strong> 1985 census listed 47<br />
groups. Some <strong>of</strong> these were made up <strong>of</strong><br />
only a few hundred people. A lot <strong>of</strong> this<br />
huge variation in estimated numbers was a<br />
result <strong>of</strong> disagreement about what actually<br />
represents a separate ethnic group. <strong>The</strong><br />
1985 census also defined three general ethnic<br />
group classifications defined by origin<br />
and language. Defining ethnicity in <strong>Laos</strong><br />
still remains an inexact science.<br />
<strong>The</strong> lowland Lao, or Lao Loum, make<br />
up the majority <strong>of</strong> the population, 66% in<br />
total. In turn they are made up <strong>of</strong> a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> different sub groups. All Lao Loum<br />
speak languages <strong>of</strong> the Tai-Kadai family;<br />
Lao, Lue, Tai Dam (Black Tai), and Tai<br />
Deng (Red Tai). <strong>The</strong>y stay in the river valleys<br />
and engage in wet rice cultivation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> distinction between Thai and <strong>Laos</strong> is<br />
a political one rather than an ethnic one.<br />
<strong>The</strong> vast majority <strong>of</strong> people who could be<br />
classified as Lao actually live in the northeastern<br />
provinces <strong>of</strong> Thailand.<br />
DANCE<br />
Although <strong>Laos</strong> shares traditions <strong>of</strong> classical<br />
dance with both Thailand and <strong>Cambodia</strong>,<br />
it is not an art form that has been particularly<br />
nurtured over the last 40 years. This<br />
is largely as a result <strong>of</strong> relentless conflict<br />
and a population generally prioritizing<br />
survival rather than the arts. Unlike in<br />
<strong>Cambodia</strong> where dance was very nearly<br />
dramatically and murderously wiped out,<br />
the Lao government has been largely indifferent<br />
to the slow decline <strong>of</strong> some traditional<br />
arts. That doesn’t mean that all<br />
dance is dead. <strong>The</strong> lamvong, the national<br />
folk dance in which participants dance in<br />
concentric circles, remains very popular.<br />
5 A PATCHWORK OF ETHNICITY<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lao <strong>The</strong>ung, or midland Lao,<br />
account for about 24% <strong>of</strong> the population<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Laos</strong>; they were originally displaced to<br />
higher ground by the migrations <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Lao Loum. <strong>The</strong> cultural and linguistic<br />
variation among the numerous Lao<br />
<strong>The</strong>ung groups is more pronounced than<br />
those <strong>of</strong> the Lao Loum or Lao Sung, or<br />
upland Lao. Groups range from the Khmu<br />
and Lamet in the north, to the Katang and<br />
Makong in the center <strong>of</strong> the country, to<br />
the Loven and Lawae farther south.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lao Sung, <strong>of</strong>ten called hill tribes,<br />
make up about 10% <strong>of</strong> the population.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se groups are Miao-Yao or Tibeto-<br />
Burmese speaking peoples who migrated<br />
relatively recently from Southern China.<br />
In <strong>Laos</strong> most highland groups live on the<br />
upper slopes <strong>of</strong> mountains in the north<br />
farming rice on steeply stepped terraces.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> these groups have been resettled<br />
in lowland areas since the 1970s. <strong>The</strong><br />
Hmong are the most numerous <strong>of</strong> these<br />
hill tribe groups, with villages spread<br />
across all the Northern provinces. Mien<br />
(Yao), Akha, Lahu, and other related<br />
groups are fewer in number and tend to be<br />
located in more restricted areas.