Musical Canal Tour of Bangkok

The tour is musical, not the canal.

The musicians in the boat are called "gong yow." They're traditionally called upon to partake of the festivities when... when... well, whenever.

On this occasion they were involved in a temple's annual celebrations, which coincided with Chinese New Year's. After the trip through the canal the band marched right up to the temple's door where they had to take their shoes off to go inside, before they ever stopped playing their instruments.

A couple weeks ago I watched a "gong yow" accompany a groom and all his friends through a city slum to the bride's house, where he requested the bride's hand in marriage before they went to the temple together to get married.

In the northeast, especially during harvest season, the "gong yow" form mini-parades going through the streets with the villagers coming out to dance or simply join the procession. This type usually includes large speakers mounted on a pick-up truck, or maybe a tractor. They're so popular that I've even seen two in the same day before, starting in different villages.

You can have a "parade" of your own when you come to Thailand, too. I'm more than happy to contact the musicians for you.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bangkok
• canal
• musical
• drums
• cymbals
• Thai
• boat
• temple
• festival
• Joey
• Jon
• Intrepidly
• Touring
• Thailand
• gong
• yao
• ก้อง
• ยาว

[DRGQ]

/\_/\

(0.0)

|_|_\ very good.