Various Artists - Begging the Moon: Phleng Thai Sakon & Luk Krung, 1945-1960

Death Is Not The End

£12.60

Format: Cassette
Catalogue No.: DEATH063
Barcode: 5050580794276
Release Date: 28 Oct 2022
Genre: World/Reggae/Asia

01: It's Not Raining All over the Sky - Somyot Tassanphan
02: Deceived - Wongchan Pairot
03: Wedding Tomorrow - Ruangthong Thonglantom
04: Begging the Moon - Wongchan Pairot
05: Touch - Songphan Kwanphoon0
06: Majesty Above the Sky - Komin Nilwong
07: Look - Poonsak Pattayakosol
08: Sorry Letter - Phongsri Woranuch
09: Frightening - Phon Pornphakdee
10: One Love - Thanongsak Phakdithewa
11: Lonely - Wongchan Pairot
12: Swan and Crow - Ruangthong Thonglantom & Winai Chulabusapa
13: The Farmstead Awaits You - Phongsri Woranuch
14: Poor Homeless People - Chen Yenkhae
15: Love Me for a Long Time - Nanta Pitanilapalin & Naris Aree
16: Beyond Desire - Suwanna Seneewong

Begging the Moon is a collection focused upon an early-to-mid 20th century style of Thai popular song, commonly named Phleng Thai sakon (meaning "song which is both Thai and universal"). With recordings taken from the end of WWII until the start of the 1960s, many of these tracks may also be referred to as Luk krung (meaning "child of the city") a more urbanised style of popular song that is in contrast to the Thai country music known as Luk thung ("child of the field").

Following the Thai cultural revolution of the 1930s and the following reign of west-leaning premier Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Thai culture began to adopt more and more western influences - with Thai traditional and classical music starting to incorporate western notation and particularly Jazz-orientated themes. Thai folk melodies were also adapted to create "ramwong" - a merging of popular western dance music styles such as the tango or rumba, spear-headed at the time by the pioneering Suntaraporn band.

In the years following the end of WWII, the Phleng Thai sakon began to gradually develop sub-genres such as phleng talad (market songs) or phleng chiwit (life songs) focused on rural topics, and sung with rural accents. A little while later this would lead to a formal demarcation in the music - with the polished and western ballad-orientated music known as Luk krung, and the more traditional/country style now dubbed Luk thung. The gap between the two would then widen, both musically and culturally, right up to the present day.

The recordings compiled here can broadly be categorised as being in the former Luk krung style, though some tracks may touch on rural subjects and motifs. However that is not to say they are overpowered by western musical influence - many of these tracks display potent aspects of traditional Thai music within their beguiling and romantic arrangements.

Thanks to Peter Doolan/Monrakplengthai.