A LITERATURE REVIEW OF COMMUNITY MUSIC ALONG KHLONG SAEN SAEB: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURAL SPACE

Abstract

This article presents a literature review on the musical culture of the communities along Khlong Saen Saeb in Bangkok, by focusing on an analysis of the canal’s area as a “cultural space” shaped by ethnic diversity, historical layers, and contemporary urban dynamics. Within this space, community music in the surrounding area has played critical roles in ritual practices, entertainment, and wisdom transmission. Driven by urbanization and shifting lifestyles, these musical forms and practices have undergone significant changes in content, structure, and production, reflecting the community's response to social transformations. This article argues that cultural sustainability in music requires collaborative efforts involving community participation, policy support, and localized cultural knowledge systems. By engaging the frameworks of Cultural Space and “Cultural Sustainability,” this research study provides a deeper understanding of music as a living heritage, and a basis for preserving and developing local music culture in the context of urban transition and its long-term continuity.