"The life of a young sugarcane farm girl from a land with sandy soil, the little girl from a family of ten siblings… To become a star, she had to fight and struggle. No one knew her struggle; they only saw her when she was successful."
~The lyrics of this song reflect the life story of the so-called Queen of Luk Thung (Thai traditional folk music), Pumpuang Duangjan. Although the song itself may not be widely known, whenever Pumpuang performs it, it brings tears to listeners.
~Pumpuang Duangjan, whose real name was Pueng-Rampeung Chit-han, was a little girl who grew up in a large family in Suphanburi province. She was the fifth of twelve siblings. Due to her family's poverty, she had to leave school to help her parents cut sugarcane and sing at events to earn money to buy just a few eggs for her family to eat.
~The girl from Suphanburi, carrying both talent and dreams, aspired to have a pair of 'red high heels.'
~From the day she wore her worn-out shoes—those very shoes that trod on countless sugarcane husks—her journey began. The little bee or ‘Nampueng from the sugarcane field,’ who sold her voice with nothing else at her sides, eventually overcame life's obstacles to become the legendary ‘Pumpuang Duangjan’. She emerged as the queen of Luk Thung and a leading female singer in this genre forever.
Darling, you promised we'd marry this year, but you're still not here. The dowry’s not expensive, so are you just teasing, making me wait and weep?
~Even though she was still a young girl, in her debut song she had to tell the story of a rural girl with a broken heart in the song “Kaew Ro Pee,” composed by Waiphot Phetsuphan, a Luk Thung artist and music teacher who later adopted Pumpuang. However, before this song came to be, Pumpuang needed to spend several years as a dancer in Waiphot’s band.
“At that time, her parents brought her to us. Her skin was very dark. I asked what kind of songs she could sing, and she sang 'Seang Rot Duan Kabuan Sudtai.' The musicians in the band were stunned and stared at her,” Waiphot recalled his meeting with Pumpuang for the first time.
~Her singing talent was so captivating that it made everyone stop what they were doing when they heard her. She started with Waiphot’s band by performing 'Duan Pissawat' by Pongsri Woranuch at his request. However, she didn’t become a singer immediately. Due to her age and lack of experience at that time, she began as a young dancer in the band.
~While working with Waiphot's band, Pumpuang had the chance to perform on stage for the first time at the Lamnarai market in Chai Badan district, Lopburi province. Later, Waiphot composed the song “Kaew Ro Pee” for her to record, using the stage name “Nam Pueng Mueang Suphan” (Honey from Suphanburi). At the age of around ten, with only an education up to primary school year 2 and unable to read or write, she needed Waiphot to lead the singing while she followed along line by line. Although poverty had deprived her of formal education, it was compensated by her exceptional memory.
And if I am not famous, I won’t go back to where I’m from.
~Soon, Pumpuang left Waiphot’s band and had the opportunity to meet another influential figure in her musical life, Kru Mont Mueang Nuea, who would change her life forever by taking her on as a student and giving her a new name. From “Nam Pueng Mueang Suphan,” she became “Pumpuang Duangjan.” Kru Mont explained the origin of her new name:
"Last week, when I traveled north and handed out these everywhere, I reached Saraburi and stopped to pay respects at a temple by the Pa Sak River called Wat Thong Pumpuang. You know, as soon as I saw the temple’s name, I thought of you. So, today, you’ve brought a bouquet of flowers to pay respects to me. How about naming you ‘Pumpuang’?"
"Look up at the sky tonight. It’s the full moon, beautiful but not too bright. Do you know why it’s not bright? Because it’s in the city, competing with other lights. But if it were in the countryside, this moon would shine so brightly, just like a Luk Thung singer—you need to be in the countryside to shine."
~Pumpuang formed a band with the support of her former husband, Teerapol Saensuk, Kru Mont Mueang Nuea, and Karom Komkai (a radio program host). However, the band did not succeed and eventually had to disband. Yet, she didn’t give up; she started another band, but it also faced financial losses and had to disband too.
~After the band failed, Pumpuang joined the Seksan Tape-Record Company. Her work began to gain wider recognition. Later, with support from Prajuab Champathong, a radio show host, and a wealthy investor, along with Pricha Asavareuknand, the owner of a vinyl record company, she formed a new band with Seri Rungsawang, known as the "Seri-Pumpuang" band.
~Pumpuang achieved remarkable fame and success after joining Arizona Promotion. Hits such as Ja Hai Ro Poso Nhai?, Dao Rueang Dao Roy, Sao Na Sang Fan, and Nad Pob Na Amphoe further boosted her popularity.
Are you single? I’d like to know. Should I take a chance or not? With your muscular arms, I might just gently bite them.
~After the Luk Thung music industry faced a decline due to the rising popularity of 'string music' in the mid-1970s, this decline was short-lived as Luk Thung music quickly adapted to the new popular trend. Pumpuang Duangjan emerged as a new phenomenon, marking a significant milestone in the history of Luk Thung music.
~The album 'Uhu… Lor Chang' (1985) brought fame to Pumpuang. Composed by Kru Lop Burirat, the album featured hits like Krasae Kao Ma Si, Uhu… Lor Chang, Sao Na Sang Fan, Nad Pob Na Amphoe, and Hang Noi Toi Nid. With its fast-paced rhythms, string music influences, and playful lyrics that openly discussed sex.
~The song 'Uhu… Lor Chang' adapted the melody and music from Talking in Your Sleep (1983) by The Romantics. Pumpuang changed her singing style for this song, removing the traditional vocal techniques to match the song’s upbeat tempo. Kru Lop even insisted, “Don’t sing too perfectly; sing with a bit of a 'naughty' tone to capture the song’s mood.” When Pumpuang performed this song on stage, she sang and danced at the same time to entertain the audience.
~The success of this album influenced the Luk Thung music industry to incorporate string elements more, which later became a mainstream trend in the late 1970s and 1980s.
~Although many people enjoyed this album, its content clashed with the societal norms of that time, especially with its themes of sex and women approaching men first. This was very different from other female Luk Thung artists of the same period. Most female characters in the Luk Thung industry from the late 1950s to the 1970s portrayed women who adhered to patriarchal norms, where women were expected to be demure, reserved, and always in the passive role. Examples include Mai Khan Mhak by Kwanjit Sriprajan, Kod Mon Non Nao by Pongsri Woranuch, and even Kaew Ro Pee by Pumpuang herself.
~In an interview on the show Si Tum Square, the famous host Wittawat Soonthornvinet questioned Pumpuang's new musical style.
“Were you ever criticized for being the first in the Luk Thung music industry to try a sexy style where women approach men? Some might say it’s not suitable for Thai traditions.”
“At first, I believed that too, that I shouldn’t be doing it. But when it became popular, it showed that everyone liked it. Everyone feels the same way.”
~Even though the new blend of Luk Thung and string music has become very popular, Pumpuang did not abandon her original audience who enjoyed slower songs with traditional vocal techniques. Songs like Non Fong Kruang Fai and Ai Saeng Neon from the same album, as well as Jup Laew La and Roi Lin Chai from later albums, are examples.
~Additionally, Pumpuang Duangjan's efforts to modernize Luk Thung music were not easy. Throughout the 1980s and into the late 1990s, there were numerous events dedicated to preserving traditional Luk Thung music, which resisted the changes occurring in the genre at that time. The success of these preservation efforts significantly impacted Pumpuang’s music during her final three years and created a pause in the development of Luk Thung music. This pause lasted over a decade, slowing the transition of pure Luk Thung music into its string-infused phase
Oh, is this Bangkok? It’s so different from the countryside where I reside.
~It was a phenomenon when the Luk Thung singer Pumpuang Duangjan bridged the gap between urban and rural music. On 18 January 1986, she performed on the grand stage at Dusit Thani Hotel in a charity concert titled "Pumpuang Duangjan in Concert." This event was made possible through the efforts of her husband, Kraisorn Saenganun, who coordinated with Colonel Asanee Saowapap (her rank at the time), President of the Doctor's Wives Association, to arrange the performance for Pumpuang's band. At that time, Dusit Thani Hotel was known for hosting concerts for the upper class. This performance was graced by the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali, and Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha (her title at the time), who attended to watch the show.
~Another memorable moment of this performance for fans nationwide was Pumpuang’s iconic leopard-print outfit, which became one of her signature looks.
~In 1989 and 1991, Pumpuang had the opportunity to perform at the Semi-Centennial of Thai Luk Thung Music event. This event was a result of a collaboration with the Office of the National Culture Commission under the Ministry of Education (which later became the Ministry of Culture), aimed at revitalizing Luk Thung music and honoring the outstanding singers, music producers, and songwriters for their contributions. The event was held twice. In the first event, 50 outstanding Luk Thung songs were selected, and Sao Na Sang Fan was one of them. In the second event, Pumpuang's song Siam Mueang Yim was chosen, and she also had the opportunity to perform a song called Som Tam, a royal composition by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (her title at the time).
~Thus, Luk Thung music was no longer limited to being enjoyed only by people in rural areas who listened to it in the rice fields but began to reach urban audiences who had previously had different musical tastes.
If you go to watch it, let me tag along too. I'll wear high heels and a voluminous skirt, walking around Lumpini park to bewilder young men.
~Apart from the changes in the lyrics and musical style of her songs, Pumpuang also updated her wardrobe, makeup, and hairstyle for every show to maintain her presence as the Queen Bee. Her image was modernized, sophisticated, and accepted by high society, unlike earlier Luk Thung artists who often wore bright, flashy clothes with sequins. With guidance from Kraisorn, who provided fashion magazines and concert videos, Pumpuang invested significantly in her costumes, with each outfit costing from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht.
~Pumpuang often communicated directly with her tailor to specify designs, fabrics, and color matching, and sometimes even sketched the designs herself.
~Kraisorn also sought opportunities for Pumpuang to perform in places where Luk Thung bands had not performed before. He started by contacting General Phichit Kullavanich, arranging for a charity performance in the United States under the Bangkok Christian College Alumni Association, at no cost. Kraisorn was also close to Chao Buranasombat, the owner of the Thai restaurant Thep Rote in Hollywood, who assisted with arrangements, accommodation, and travel for Pumpuang’s performances in the United States.
~Since Pumpuang frequently performed abroad, she had the chance to see international shows before others. She used her excellent memory to note the details of American shows and dancers’ outfits, then used these into her own performances, which captivated her Thai fans. Her costumes became distinctive and unique, and her dancers seemed like they had come straight from Las Vegas. Additionally, Pumpuang had the opportunity to watch the queen of pop, Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ concert, which influenced her significantly.
~Although Pumpuang modernized her image and show style, not all fans appreciated the change. Some preferred the traditional style they were used to, so Pumpuang would carefully choose costumes and show styles that suited each group of her fans and the places she performed.
Don't worry, my love. If you love Pumpuang, everything will be fine.
~Even though Pumpuang passed away over 30 years ago from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), commonly known in Thailand as 'Pumpuang's Disease,' her music continues to captivate her fans. Her unique voice, musical style, singing technique, and fashion sense remain memorable and inspiring. She continues to influence new artists both within and outside Luk Thung genre, such as Tai Orathai, Lamyai Haithongkham, Parn Thanaporn, and Gam Wichayanee.
~Newer artists like Milli, or Minnie Danupha, have spoken about Pumpuang on the show 'Sam Saeb,' sharing that before releasing her song 'Pak Korn,' she had prayed to Pumpuang at her home for success and expressed her intention to pay respects to Pumpuang at her shrine with reverence. Milli also noted that some of Pumpuang's songs, like 'Ngern Na Mee Mai,' have a timeless modernity, with a hip-hop edge.
~Milli's admiration for Pumpuang highlights her influence and significance in the Thai music industry, whether in Luk Thung or other genres. Pumpuang’s songs continue to be used in Luk Thung music competitions, and many artists consider her a musical mentor.
~Each year, fans continue to visit Pumpuang’s shrine at Wat Thap Kradan in Suphanburi. They come to pay their respects and seek blessings for success in their own musical journeys.
~Pumpuang's dream of red high heels that day, wasn't just a desire for an object but a longing to escape poverty and hardship. The challenging path of her life made her grow and became the Queen of Luk Thung, with a voice that touched the hearts of the entire nation. Her journey not only transformed her own life but also left a mark on the history of Thai Luk Thung music industry.
~Pumpuang Duangjan remains a star in the hearts of Thai people. She is not just the "Queen Bee" of the music industry but also a symbol of success and a representative of women who dare to follow their dreams, no matter how difficult the path may be.
Sources:
พุ่มพวง ดวงจันทร์ กับการเปลี่ยน (ไม่) ผ่านของเพลงลูกทุ่ง (กลางทศวรรษ 2520 - กลางทศวรรษ 2540)
ปรกเกศ ใจสุวรรณ์ คณะอักษรศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย ประเทศไทย
The book Duang Chan Tee Hai Pai by Binla Sankalakeeree
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