Similarities in performance features of lyrical folksongs in daily lives of Tay and Thai ethnic groups

Abstract

As a cultural and spiritual heritage of two ethnic groups which share many characteristics, the lyrical folksongs in the Tay and Thai groups’ daily lives also contain many similarities. In terms of singing performance, it is the similarity in the order of ‘challenge-response” singing and the involvement of music in the performance. Through conducting a survey, we discovered that the singing performance of the lyrical folksongs in the Tay and Thai groups’ daily lives strictly followed a three-stage sequence of greeting and offering – expressing oneself – saying farewell and the operation of music in the performance at two levels. Such similarities in performance features have their roots in culture, common human psychological laws and the development level of the two Tay and Thai ethnic groups.