Collaborative Local Governance in Supporting the Elderly’s Activities to Preserve and Adapt Local Wisdom – Sin-Sai Folksinger

Abstract

           This study aims to 1) seek to understand the history of traditional Sin-Sai folk singing in Huai-Wah Village, Non Khong Sub-district, Ban Fang District, Khon Kaen Province 2) investigate the aging of traditional Sin-Sai folk singer and consequent impacts; 3) seek to highlight guidelines on building local collaboration in the support of elderly activities in protection and application of Intangible cultural heritage of Sin-Sai folk singing, and 4) propose policy recommendations for takeholders regarding the protection of Intangible cultural heritage of Sin-Sai folk music. The research employed qualitative methodology using a participatory action research process. The study revealed that the history of traditional Sin-Sai folk music in Ban Huai Wa (Huai Wa Village) began around 1957 (B.E 2500. There were two of traditional Sin-Sai folk music groups, namely the Boo Buntengsil Band and the Chalee Buntengsil Band. However, around the year 1965 (B.E 2508), traditional Sin-Sai folk singing began to lose popularity and was replaced by the era of Mor Lam Plearn (traditional Isan folk singing), with the establishment of three Mor Lam Plearn bands.

          Finding regarding the local history include: 1) Ban Huai Wa is truly a community of Mor Lam 2) Mor Lam was an important activity in promoting and developing youth in the past 3) Mor Lam and the income raising of the community in the past 4) expanding the worldview from traveling to perform Mor Lam in various places. In terms of the impacts and the aging of the performers of traditional Sin-Sai folk singing, it can be concluded that  1) elderly traditional Sin-Sai performers suffer health problems; 2) disapproval and unreadiness of the elderly audiences towards the traditional Sin-Sai folk singing; 3) the attitude of family members against the traditional Sin-Sai folk performers 4) no prior existence of elderly groups of the traditional Sin-Sai folk singers in the village 5) an absence from the traditional Sin-Sai folk singing causes to forgetting the poem 6) negative attitude of the elderly Sin-Sai performers towards the new generation of children and youths; traditional Sin-Sai folk singing towards the new generation of children and youths; 7) positive attitude of youths towards the elderly Sin-Sai performers; 8) relevant agencies lack clarity in their role in protection and application of Intangible cultural heritage of Sin- Sai folk singing 9) budgetary concerns in promoting elderly activities for protection and application of Local Intangible Cultural Heritage 10) lack of a key leader in increasing activities for protection and application of local intangible cultural heritage in the village.
      Guidelines for building local collaboration in the support of elderly activities comprise:
     1) searching for local historical and cultural information 2) the process of raising awareness and acknowledgement of local history and culture 3) brainstorming and planning for protection and application of Intangible cultural heritage of Sin-Sai folk music,particularly through the network-based approach 4) concrete action taken by the network 5) working in collaboration on assessment.
     Policy recommendations for stakeholders in the protection of intangible cultural heritage of Sin-Sai folk singing consist of: 1) building collaboration on local tourism management through the cultural capital- based approach 2) safeguarding and revitalization of Local intangible cultural heritage at both provincial and sub-district levels 3) formulation of a plan for the development of local intangible cultural heritage 4) enhancing networks for protection and application of Intangible cultural heritage of Sin-Sai folk singing.