Folk dancer Wang Te mourned
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The death of 1988 National Artist Wangdee "Wang Te" Nima - who died early on Monday - was a great loss for Thai culture.
His funeral was held at a mosque in Lat Lum Kaew in Pathum Thani. The late lam tad artist received royally granted soil as his body was buried yesterday.
Wangdee, the 1988 National Artist for performing arts (lam tad folk dance), passed away at the age of 87. He was hospitalised last July with liver cancer, lung cancer and heart disease.
The funeral was attended by Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome, government officials from Pathum Thani province and artist friends including female lam tad artists Kwanchit Sriprachan and Piras Sung-woributr.
As Wangdee was a National Artist, the Culture Minis-try allocated Bt20,000 for his funeral with additional funds of up to Bt150,000 allocated for publishing books about him.
Wang Te was a symbol of traditional lam tad and a major force for promoting the arts. He was known among fans for his talent in using the Thai language beautifully. His troupe “Lam tad Wang Te” entertained Thai people for generations, his wit bringing laughter for over 40 years.
The folk dance features impromptu antiphonal singing. Two groups perform with dual-meaning, often including obscene words to tease the audience.
Wang Te was recognised as a teacher who passed the art to a new generation of lam tad artists.
News about the artist’s departure has been on social media since early yesterday morning. Fans have offered condolences on various sites including pantip.com. Some have expressed concern for the arts after Wang Te’s death.
