Criticism on Hmong Karaoke

CONTENTS

Discussing: Contemporary Issues

Challenging: Women Issues

Reading: Research Article

Learning: History

Guessing: Proverbs & Riddles

Studying: Literature

Visiting: Photo Gallery

Admiring: Art Gallery

Listening to: Hmong Radios

Enjoying: Tales for Children

Taking: Courses of Cult & Language

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CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Criticism on Hmong Karaoke

Keywords: educational materials, Hmong videotape, karaoke, visual art, music, video production, artist, singers

Joing the Discussion Group on Teaching Hmong Culture and Language

I love Hmong oral literature and modern songs. My passion is not only limited to entertaining. I also spend time, money and an infinite treasure of curiosity to follow singers, new artists and news songs. While writing my Ph.D. thesis, I remember spending days and nights to listening to Luj Yaj (Lu Yang), Tsab Mim Xyooj (ChaMee Xiong), Npav Ntsuab (Green Card), Pov Thoj (Pao Thao) or Pheej Lis (Pheng Lyfoung). Their voices and words enchanted my life and gave me inspiration to write and to think about issues. They offer a world full of dreams, hopes and love. I believe music like art is food for mind and soul. One of my favorite pieces is this exquisite song:

"Ua ib hnub koj hais tias [...]     One day you said [...]
Hnov dheev koj cov lus              Once I heard your voice
Kuv lub siab luag ntxhi               My heart smiles
Yuav zoo, zoo lub siab [...]"        How happier I am [...]

Singer: Luj Yaj
Read the whole song, click here

Although my positive regard on Hmong production of modern songs, I feel I need to criticize it in order to improve its quality. In this critique, I will emphasize mainly on the production of Karaoke songs.

When did Karaoke production start?

The production of karaoke starts in 2000 because in the mid of 1990, there was yet no karaoke vodeo tape. There are two types of karaoke: the mo-lam style and the modern song style. The Mo-Lam are songs of which music has been borrowed from Lao or Thai. The composers borrow the music and write the lyric. As for the modern songs, it is very similar to Western songs, with the exception of the language.
Two of the first karaoke tapes of modern songs that I found are "The Bee Xiong. Karaoke Musis Video #1", 2003 and "Tau hlub tsis tau yuav" with Maiv Huas Hawj, Music video Vol.2., 2003. In these tapes, there were songs that have similarities with the Mo-Lam style.

The Issues
During summer 2003, while teaching Hmong language, I have had the opportunity to attend the famous Hmong Festival July 4th in Twin Cities, Minnesota where I have spent time to look for videotapes. I did find some karaoke with sophisticated features. The visual quality is really. But, apart Maiv Huas Hawj's karaoke tape, the other tapes were not appropriate to teach to students. Students belonging mostlyto the 2nd and 3rd generations do not know a lot about all musics and lyrics, and less on the mo-lam singing style. This is mainly the motive of this short essay: II would like to bring up producers and composers' awareness of the need to answer the need of new generations. In fact, these karaoke creations are mostly for 40's, and not the 20's. The content doesn't fit the young generation; the content, the topic, music and lyric do not fit their time.

Needs for Karaoke songs
Here are the various aspects that will need improvement regarding the production of Hmong karaoke:

1. Videotapes with popular songs and their very well-known lyrics and music. If people know the lyrics, they can sing the song without any difficulties. I would mainly recommend songs from Xanakee (Lis Yeej & Ntaj Lis), Tsab Mim Xyooj, Dawb Thoj, Luj Yaj, Maiv Muas or Paradise, White shadow and Sounders, especially Lis Pov, Lis Pos and Tou Ly Vakhue whose songs are the most popular of the 80's.
2. Videotapes with singers who have good voices that haven't a high pitch. I would not recommend famous some of the singers to sing their own songs because their beautiful voice would be an obstacles for people. My students usually stood silent and lost while watching a karaoke song sung by a voice too beautiful. For example, the videotape "Vim kuv hlub koj", (date of production unknown) with MaivNeeb Thoj, was very difficult for my students because she has such a wonderful voice with such a high pitch.
3. Videotapes with Hmong sung poetry (Kwv Txhiaj): there are hundreds of videotapes but I did not see any "karaoke kwv txhiaj". "Producing karaoke Kwv Txhiaj" will be such a wonderful and powerful tool to teach Hmong language as well as to preserve Hmong culture. There is truly need of that kind of material.
4. Videotapes with meaningful stories and more landscape background, and contemporary stories in the West.
5. Videotapes with bigger printing letters with good and appropriate writing spelling. Do not replace "NK" by "G", "NTS" by "J". The raison is that Hmong French or Hmong Lao cannot read words with these spellings. In addition, they do not belong to the standards of the Hmong alphabet.
6.There are some very good videotapes that just need to add the words:
   a. Valentine Kuamuag Poob, Tsab Mim Xyooj, Moonlight Production
   b. Xanakee Music Video 1, Lis Yeej Xanakee, Apple production
   c. Lu Yang Music Video 2, St Video Universal Video.
7. Videotapes with less love affaire issues: it is not appropriate towards children.

In conclusion, I hope these remarks will help producers, composers, and singers to find some better ways to fulfill the needs of Hmong people living in double cultures. I think it is important to share critics so that one learns from another on how to promote creation and culture preservation. Without critics, there is no way to improve.
Personally, I hope to find very soon more appropriate materials to teach and awake student's interest and passion toward the Hmong culture.

For any information, please feel free to email me at hmongcontemporaryissues@yahoo.com

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Copyrights © 2005 Kao-Ly Yang
All rights reserved.

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