Traditional Thai Music
Thailand is a country with a vastly rich cultural heritage. This includes the Thailand traditional music, known widely not only in South East Asia, but beyond. Traditional Thai music gives an insight into the lifestyle of the Thai people.
This music offers a high quality rhythm, melody and peace. It is a reflection of the Thai Buddhist nature.
“Ranard, Kwi, Kim, Sor Ooh”
Some instruments of the Thai music are Ranard, Kwi, Kim, Sor Ooh and Sor Duang. These instruments have continued to exist side by side the western musical instruments that have inevitably become part of the musical structure of the country. The originality and uniqueness of these instruments is what has continued to attract attention from non Thai speaking people.
In order to pass on to the world the pure Thai traditional music, it is the masters who teach the music.
These traditional masters are the learned people who are versed in the culture of the Thai people. These masters are well respected in society and as such we reference to them as the custodians of the cultural heritage of the Thai kingdom.
Western Influence
Because of the wide spread influence of Western culture, there have been concerted efforts to preserve and revive the Thai music which is fast fragmenting and not well patronised by Thai youth.
Montree Tramote and Khunying Phaittoon kittivan stand out in this regard. Accordingly, they have been honoured with National Awards for their efforts.
Also worthy of note is the role of the consummate performance of Thai musical instruments by Her Royal Highness princess Maha Cahkri Sirindhorn, an ebullient leader in the vanguard for the revival of the music among the youth.
Western classical music has gained acceptance among the Thai people. This was championed by Phra Chen Duriyang who had a European father. He studied the western musical instruments like the piano, bass, trombone and saxophone.
“he created the first orchestra”
Because of the inclination of the royalty for music, he created the first orchestra in the Royal Entertainment Department. He also turtored other young Thai musicians who did not disappoint.
In 1934, the Chen’s orchestra formed a nucleus in the fine Arts Department. Moreover, because of the improvement and creativity of these groups of new generation musicians, the Bangkok symphony orchestra was formed in 1982. It did its first public performance in November the same year.A Jazzy Royal
In modern Thailand, there exists music which is a combination of Thai traditional music and Western pop. His majesty king Bhumibol Adulyadej is an international jazz composer, one of the most popular musicians in this regard. He also plays the saxophone.
“his singles..featured in a broadway show”
One of his singles was featured in a Broadway show in the 1950s. A selection of his compositions were played in 1964 at the Vienna concert Hall by the NQ Tonkunstler Orchestra. He won the hearts of all Austrians and was awarded honorary membership of the Institute of Music and Arts of the city of Vienna. He was the first Asian to get such an award since its foundation in 1817.
Thai music has also been promoted in different parts of the world. These include Trinidad and Tobago, Norway, Kingston University and Winchester University. Thai music has been suggested to be a course for all levels of education, not just an optional course at University, by Bussakorn, a renowned master of the tradition.
Thai music is taught to Norwegian students in an exchange programme between the Norway and the Thai kingdom. It also serves as a tool of cultural promotion which performs a variety of purposes especially in this era of globalisation.