Archived News about Alexandra Bounxouei in the Lao Media.

Vientiane concert goers were in for a pleasant shock on Friday night when they heard foreigners singing Lao songs in their hometown.

Jonas Anderson and Christy Gibson, Thailand ’s hottest country stars, came to perform on the occasion of the 41 st anniversary of Lao-Swedish diplomatic relations at Lao International Trade and Convention Centre (ITECC).

Jonas and Christy joined famous Lao singers, Alexandra and Pan, to sing kou lap Pakxan (rose of Pakxan), a popular country song in Laos. Jonas, himself, also sang yen sa bai xao na (happy working in the farm), surprising thousands of local residents at last week’s friendship concert.

“I have wanted to perform in Laos for a long time and I’m very excited to join in this event. This is my first concert here,” Jonas said. “I also love the culture of this country and I think that it would be wonderful to make a connection with the people or to get together with music. I also want to thank the Lao people for their warm welcome at this concert.”

Christy was also impressed on her first visit to Vientiane to meet her new fans among Lao people, particularly Vientiane residents. “I feel very excited because I wanted to come here for a long time. I met many Lao people at concerts held in Thailand and other countries. I have never come here before,” she said. “One thing that I am learning a lot about is Lao music and dance. I think that there are many things special about the culture here. I sang a lot of mor lam Lao (a kind of country song).”

Crowds thronged the ITECC building from 7pm , causing the traffic to slow down and the police worked hard to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. It was very difficult to enter ITECC with several cars and motorbikes jamming the entrance, carrying fans eager to watch the popular singers; the traffic crawled a few feet at a time, and it took around an hour to navigate the last 100 metres or so.

Although the weather was very hot, it could not discourage Jonas and Christy’s Lao fans who had heard them often on Thai TV programmes.

When Jonas and Christy appeared on the stage for the first time, they were greeted by thunderous roars from the fans, delighted with their rendition of Lao and Thai country songs.

“I used to watch Jonas on Thai TV and I laughed because I could not believe that a foreigner could sing Asian songs. I was very impressed by his character and voice,” a fan said.

The event also provided a good opportunity for parents and their children to get together; there have rarely been such events in Vientiane . Some children climbed onto their fathers’ shoulders for a better view of the singers.

Alexandra and Pan came on with their popular song kha lom hak kha lom luang (sweet words, false words), which clearly touched the hearts of the fans gathered at the event. Alexandra sang some western cover versions, reflecting the ability of a Lao girl to sing songs of other countries.

This is the first time that Swedish Embassy and Lao government got together to hold a concert to mark the 41 st anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The performance by Lao and Swedish singers was expected to further the relationship between the people of the two countries.

Vientiane Times
Somsack Pongkhao
(Published on June 01, 2005)