Mekong River Songs: The Nation-State Borders, Memories, and Shared Cultural Consciousness of People on Both Sides of the Mekong River

Abstract

This academic article aims to study the phenomena presented in Mekong River songs by applying the concepts of nation-state borders, shared cultural consciousness, and social memory. The study analyzes 5 songs with content related to the Mekong River that address themes of national borders, memory, and cultural consciousness. These songs include: Song Fang Khong by Suliwat Lattanasavanh, Won Pu Sri Suttho by Poyfai Malaiporn, Om Kot Khemarat by Phusilp Warinrak, Siang Chak Lao by Nok Pornpana, and Ram Wong Lam Khong Lam Rak by Thatree.

The study found that the 5 Mekong River songs address the following themes: 1. the Mekong River in relation to legend and the construction of sacredness, 2. the Mekong River as a national border and the shared memory of people on both sides of the river, 3. rituals and ceremonies that temporarily dissolve national borders, and 4. the Mekong River as a means of fostering a shared sense of ethnic identity.