Chronicles of the kingdom in music and art
One of Thailand's best known composers pays tribute to HM the King with a music and art project
Celebrated composer, songwriter and arranger Pongprom Snitwong Na Ayuthaya extends his birthday greetings to His Majesty the King with his latest “music and art” project, ambiguously titled “Nitarn Pandin” (“The Chronicle of the Land”).
“To me, it doesn’t really matter whether the English title is given as ‘legend’ or ‘chronicle’, as both have more or less same meaning. In the end, it’s all in our heads anyway,” explains the brain behind the popular 2006 composition “HM Blues”. “Bedtime stories in the West are based on both true and fictional stories. This is a Chronicle of the Land.”
Pongprom had planned to come out with this work to mark the King’s 84-year birthday anniversary last year but put his project on hold because of the severe flooding. His house was also badly affected and he ended up moving to Chanthaburi province.
The project is made up of two main parts. The first part is a song called “Nitarn Pandin”, which narrates the meaning of “king” or “raja” in different eras and features lyrics not in Thai but in ancient languages. The first verse focuses on days of yore when the land was governed by elders then moves to the reign of Ashoka the Great, who embraced Buddhism and propagated the religion, becoming known as the “dharma raja”. It ends with the Rattanakosin kingdom. At the heart of the song is how the country can surmount several crises through the greatness of the monarchy.
“The hardest part was writing the ancient language,” says Pongprom, who have spent a full month writing the song after studying Thai history as well as Indo-European languages and listening to the Buddhadasa’s explanation of “raja” on tape.
Pongprom sings the original version of “Nitarn Pandin”, with Yuenyong Ophakul, the frontman of Carabao, taking over for the five-minute orchestral version. The song is also re-arranged and re-interpreted to match the various corners of the Kingdom, with Suntree Vajanon with her daughter Lanna Commins and Patinya Tangtrakul singing the Northern version, Pongthep Kradonchamnarn the Northeastern and Su Bunlieng and Keetanchalee featuring Hammar member Aree Prathan doing the honours for the South.
“The orchestral version opens with folk music and follows with the full orchestra and ends with a choir. The Isaan version features the ponglang, (wood xylophone),” says Pongprom, adding that due to the small budget, the orchestral sound is created by computer.
“This song is free but all the proceeds from downloading whichever version you choose must go to Chaipattana Foundation,” he says.
An animated music video, he adds, accompanies the song and will help explain the hard-to-understand language of the lyrics.
The second part, dubbed “Niwet Silpa” or “Land Art” features original installations that are being created for the occasion by Sakarin Krue-on in Khon Kaen, Nopadon Viroonchatapun in Nakhon Nayok, Amrit Chusuwan in Songkhla, Thongchai Srisukprasert in Chiang Mai, Pairoj Wangbon in Trat, Panya Vijinthanasarn in Sukhothai, Preecha Thaothong in Ayutthaya, Suriya Namwong in Chiang Rai and Kamol Tassananchalee in Bangkok.
The land art in Nakhon Nayok and Khon Kaen was completed last month and stayed on show for seven days. Thongchai’s Chiang Mai installation went on show on Wednesday and can be seen until Tuesday, Amrit’s Songkhla work is on display from June 8 to 14, Pairoj’s Trat work will be exhibited from June 17 to 23, Panya’s Sukhothai work from June 26 to July 2, Preecha’s Ayutthaya installation from July 5 to 11, Suriya’s Chiang Rai piece from July 14 to 20, and Kamol’s Bangkok creation from July 23-29.
“I had no idea what the land art should be initially so I consulted Dtac chairman and art collector Boonchai Bencharongkul,” Pongprom says. “We are trying to use the materials that don’t harm the natural environment and have asked local communities to help producing the pieces of art. The villagers help by digging soil and carrying materials.
“My aim is for everyone to be happy with what they are doing for the King, just as the King does so much for us. Our budget was insufficient at just Bt8 million but the project has still gone ahead because I believe in miracles,” he says.
In addition to the music and art, “Nitarn Pandin” is also an app on iPad, allowing everyone to learn about the royal projects and contribute towards the land art. Simply select the location, add to the installation then share it on Facebook.
Network art
The story of “Nitarn Pandin” will be aired on Thai PBS every Sunday at 10.30am from July 1 to September 30.
To find out more or to be a volunteer for any of the land art projects, visit Facebook/nitarnpandin.
