Thrilling music of the ages

It was certainly a concert to remember for many years to come. “Klom Krung”, organised by A-time Showbiz at the packed Royal Paragon Hall last weekend, featured 11 celebrated singers who have rarely appeared on stage together and might never again.

The veteran singers – considered the “cream of the crop” in the genre of luk krung (urban music) – have a combined age of 785. The oldest among them is Sawalee Phakaphan, who is 83, and the youngest Daojai Paijit, 60. 

Between them are Suthep Wongkamhaeng, 80, Ruangthong Thonglanthom, 77, Jintana Suksathit, 76, Thanin Intarathep, 71, Sisalai Suchartwut and Settha Sirachaya, both 70, Rungrudi Paengpongsai, 68, Winai Panthurak, 67, and Jittima Juajai, 63.

They all are household names, with numerous awards and honours and several thousand – if not millions – of fans all over the country.

The concert’s name can be loosely translated as “lulling the city”. Most of the luk krung tunes performed are considered classics, some of them being composed before World War II, and many have been covered repeatedly, though younger listeners often mistake the latest versions for new songs.

More than 10,000 people watched the two shows on Saturday and Sunday, according to the organisers. An orchestra of more than 20 musicians played 50 instruments, including the Thai ranat, tapon, ching and khlui. There were also six dancers.

The 11 singers took turns, each performing three to five of their original hits, and some of them also had duets – Settha and Winai of band the Impossibles, Suthep and Sawalee, and Settha and Sisalai. 

Suthep sang “Piang Kham Diew” (“Just One Word”) and “Rak Khun Khao Laew” (“I Already Love You”). Sawalee, the first actress to play Pojaman Sawangwong when “Ban Sai Thong” became a stage play in 1951, sang that tune in addition to “Chamloei Rak” (“Prisoner of Love”), another song from a popular drama.

Thanin sang “Khad Chan Laew Ther Ja Roo Suek” (“You Will Suffer When You Lose Me”) and “Pom Took Sai Rai” (“I am Vilified”). Jittima performed “Tha Huajai Chan Mee Peek” (“If My Heart Had Wings”). Ruangthong wowed the audience with “Jam Dai Mai” (“Do You Still Remember Me?”). And Rungrudi shared her crystal-clear voice on “Ao Kwam Khomkhuen Pai Thing Mekong” (“Dump the Sorrow into the Mekong”).

Settha and Winai together sang a few hits from their Impossibles days, including “Nueng Nai Duangjai” (“Only One in My Heart”). Winai then sang “Choo Thang Jai” (“Lover in Mind”) and Settha performed his signature song “Pen Pai Mai Dai” (“It’s Impossible”).

Jintana sang her award-winning tracks “Fak Rak Ao Wai Nai Pleng” (“Put Love in the Song”) and “Kid Ja Plook Ton Rak Sak Ko” (“Think of Planting a Love Tree”). Daojai, in a long, bright-red dress, mesmerised the audience with her powerful voice on “Suan Kern” (“An Excess”) and “Thammai Thueng Tham Kab Chan Dai” (“Why Did You Do This to Me?”). Sisalai, in her trademark hoarse voice, performed classics such as “Keb Rak” (“Collecting Love”), “Rak Kam Khob Fa” (“Love Beyond the Horizon”), and “Kon Diew Nai Duangjai” (“Only One in My Heart”).

In the finale, all 11 singers were onstage together to sing “Jai Prasan Jai”, which was released in 1985 and was the newest song performed at the concert.

Many of the singers can still perform with a clear voice and confident tone, but some have shed some of the vigour of their heyday. Nevertheless their fans seemed happy to simply see these “living legends” performing live right in front of them. Many in the audience sang along to their favourite songs, albeit not as energetically as they do at concerts by younger singers.

This one, naturally, had a lot of senior citizens in the audience, a rare sight for a public performance in a modern setting like Paragon. Some came in wheelchairs and many moved with the help of walking sticks or the support of younger family members. Many of the younger people in attendance had brought their parents or other elderly relatives. 

One good thing about being among an older crowd is that there are far fewer annoying shrieks and shouting. But the concert lasted more than three hours, with no intermission, which can’t be very healthy for elderly viewers who require more trips to the washroom than younger people.

Regardless, for virtually everyone in attendance, the music made this a concert to remember.