Phumhuang 'Pheung' Duangchan, the queen of life song

Phumhuang 'Pheung' Duangchan (Photo: Wikipedia)

I know very little farang who are really charmed by Luke Thung, a Thai music movement that originated in the fifties of the last century and to this day, especially in Isaan, is an extremely popular genre that can best be compared in terms of content with the tear-jerking songs of the Dutch Polderpop. Even if it is about grazing buffalo, sweating farmers and muddy rice fields.

I live in a fishing hamlet along the Mun River where the village elder finds it necessary to get up every morning between roughly 07.00:08.30 and XNUMX:XNUMX. at full volume through the loudspeakers next to his cabin for the education and entertainment of the locals Luke Thung to let it blare… A musical attention that I don't always appreciate, but my spouse, who is a born Isan, still loves it and even thinks it is necessary to occasionally add vocals to what has been heard and thus the peace of mind of really putting myself and my Catalan Shepherd Sam to the test….

The queen of the Luke Thung is without a doubt the much too early deceased Phumphuang 'Peung' Duangchan whose life story at times closely resembles one of the dramatic life songs that she managed to interpret with verve. She was born Ramphueng Chit-han on August 4, 1961, to a poverty-stricken farmer's family in an unnamed shack somewhere in the Hankha district of southwestern Chai Nat province in central Thailand. Her childhood, fifth in a family of no less than twelve children, was far from rosy. She had to make a living and that is why she only went to school until she was eight, after which she started cutting sugar cane or being hired out as a day labourer. Her failed school career was the reason why she was almost illiterate. But she did have the gift of remembering texts she heard. And this, in combination with an above-average singing voice, was her salvation.

At the age of twelve she received singing lessons and learned not only dozens Luk Thung-songs by heart, but she also practiced the accompanying dance steps and choreography. She started participating in local and regional singing competitions as a traditionalist Luk Thung-singer. Her performances did not go unnoticed. When she was fifteen, she was discovered by a touring band who came to play at a local festival. She took them to Bangkok where she was lucky enough to meet Kru Lop Burirat, a very creative songwriter, composer and producer who experimented with modernizing the Luke Thung by adding an electronic beat to it. This formula clearly caught on with the general public and after the phenomenal success of her first album 'Aue Hue Lor Jang' and a few successful television appearances, Phumphuang Duangchan suddenly became the figurehead of this innovative genre.

The Wat Thap Kradan in Supan Buri is a museum in memory of the famous Thai folk singer Phumphuang Duangchan. Photo: kwanchai/Shutterstock.com

From then on it all moved fast and her life seemed like a 'of Pauper to Princess'-fairy tale because her style, a mix of the traditional LukThungmusic with disco and danceable pop music certainly did her no harm. Or as she herself sang in one of her many hits: 'I came to the city to become a big star/ It was hard, but I survived….” Her undeniable singing talent, good looks and extravagant, sexy outfits made her a cult figure and one of the first real Thai pop icons. Many of her songs were about herself. About young women who fled the miserable existence in the countryside to look for happiness in the city. About the longing for happiness and success, but also about the unquenchable nostalgia for the birthplace…

However, her success story also had a very dark downside. Her first husband was a notorious loser who cheated on her with the regularity of a clock and who eventually left her for a girl next door. As if that wasn't enough, he returned after this relationship had also come to an end and moved in with one of Phumphuang's sisters. His amorous escapades came to an end when he was killed in a fit of rage by one of Phumphuang's brothers. This brother ended up behind bars for 15 years while another brother committed suicide after being rejected by a singer friend…. In 1984, Phumphuang Duangchan got married again. This time with the singer Kraisorn Saenganun. A year later their son Pakkawat Pisitwuthiratch was born. Her somewhat turbulent life has meanwhile been widely spread in the tabloid press, but it was mainly the abuse of trust by all kinds of dubious people from her immediate environment, including her brand new husband, that killed her. Crafty swindlers took advantage of her naivete and credulity to ensure that when she fell seriously ill she was penniless and unable to afford her medical treatment.

Wat Thap Kradan in Supan Buri, a museum dedicated to the memory of Phumphuang Duangchan. Photo: kwanchai/Shutterstock.com

She died of renal failure on June 13, 1992 at Buddhachinaraj Hospital in Phitsanulok. Some sources claim that this death happened in not entirely clear circumstances, but I have not found any concrete information about this. But even these claims have undeniably contributed to the myth-building around this remarkable artist. By the time she died she had recorded over 600 songs on 60 albums and starred in 10 films. It wasn't until her funeral that it became clear how immensely popular she had been. An estimated 200.000 mourners — including Thailand's King Bhumibol — flocked to Wat Taprakadan in Suphanburi to honor her memory.

The biographical film was released in 2011 The Moon from Bhandit Thongdee about her wonderful yet tragic life. She is appreciated and recognized by the current generation of Luk Thung artists 'the girl who puts the spice into Luk Thung'… And that is, in my opinion, more than justified.