Transmission of traditional Lanna music in Chiang Mai: Continuity and change in a contemporary urban environment

During the latter decades of the 20th century, academics, musicians and groups of Lanna music enthusiasts succeeded in reconstructing historical performance traditions and adapting them for sustainable transmission in Chiang Mai's shifting social environment. Today, traditional Lanna music is possibly reaching more learners and listeners in the city than ever. In considering selected examples of contemporary transmission of traditional Lanna music in Chiang Mai, this article aims to document, understand and analyze these examples for connections to historical transmission practices. This research finds that links between old and new types of transmission have enabled the transmission of traditional Lanna music in contemporary Chiang Mai to reflect both change and continuity. This mix of volatility and persistence creates a nurturing atmosphere for the maintenance of Lanna music culture in the modern-day urban center of the region.

► We describe the transmission of traditional northern Thai music in Chiang Mai through observations and interviews focused on the city's spaces of musical transmission. ► We examine changes in transmission that have brought renewed attention to traditional music culture in the region's urban center. ► The research shows a creative and diverse environment for the transmission of traditional music culture in the city. ► Adaptations to traditional types of transmission have helped re-assert the relevance of traditional music culture in Chiang Mai.