Expression on the Social Media: Nang Talung Songs Reflect Society in COVID–19 Pandemic

Abstract

            Expression of mood, feeling, and some information normally involves the use of words, facial expressions, gesture, and other means depending on the recipient and messenger whose message conveyed. But, during COVID–19 Pandemic, face – to – face communication cannot be conducted as usual. As a result, social media has thus become popular for expressing and sharing personal thoughts and issues. Likewise, Nang Talung artists got affected by this and had to applied their show to online platforms so as to make the shows available for public audience.

            This article aims to explain the expression via songs and folk rhyming that reflect the problems happened in society during COVID–19 pandemic by Nang Talung artists. The songs were also used to give education and suggestion on healthcare and self-protection. All of these have been presented through online platforms. The most discussed problems were the financial issues and difficulties in making a living which were considered closely relevant to people’s daily. In addition, the online shows also discussed online learning and teaching of students and teacher as well as other problems including debt, car payment, house mortgage, and implementation of state measures. Furthermore, online presentation of the shows demonstrated an adaptation of Nang Talung in dynamic societies which changing from on site or CD to online. Another feature that could be observed was language usage. The reduction of dialect and increase of central Thai language usage resulted in making the shows more approachable to wider group of audience. That is to say former identities of Nang Talung still remained but with adaptation to suit society trends of online communication during the pandemic.