All posts tagged: Music

A Dream of Rainbows: An Interview with Noi Sengsourigna

Noi Sengsourigna is a Lao musician, artist and educator. She grew up in a family dedicated to the preservation and the teaching of Lao culture and is actively continuing the tradition while pursuing many other pursuits in Vientiane.  An architecture graduate from RMIT, Australia, her passion is Lao culture, music and dance and sharing them with children. In pursuit of that passion she became a songwriter, producer and performer in live concerts, on television and in recordings. She has been a news reader on Lao National Television, and volunteers with many community projects to help the Lao people. Many of our readers had a chance to meet her in the United States during her nationwide tour in 2009. She recently celebrated her birthday, and Little Laos on the Prairie caught up with her recently to discuss her latest projects.   Can you tell us a little about yourself? And where are you headed these days? I’m a singer and song writer. I was born in Vientiane, Laos. Currently I am taking a Diploma Course in Sathya Sai …

On tour: MN metal band debuts “The Color Clear”

Minnesota-based metalcore band, Reflections, officially released their third album, The Color Clear, on September 18, 2015. The four person band features two Lao Americans, guitarist Patrick Somoulay, and bassist Francis Xayana. LLOTP caught up with Francis to find out more about their latest album and life on tour. Tell us a little bit about Reflections. Who’s in it? How did it get started? Reflections has been a band since 2010, but didn’t get active until 2012. It started off as a project between our guitarist, Patrick Somoulay, and our vocalist Jake Wolf. I came into the picture soon after and also our drummer, Nick Lona. I play bass for the band, but I also take care of the business and branding aspects. Our genre is metal. What’s it like to be a Lao American kid in a rock band?  I never once felt like I ever had a disadvantage in being in a band because of being Lao American. I suppose it doesn’t really make me feel special or different than anyone in that sense. But as of …