Suraphol Sombatcharoen (25 September 1930 – 16 August 1968) ( Thai: สุรพล สมบัติเจริญ) was a Thai

luk thung Luk thung (, , ) is a genre of Thai music that emerged after World War II in the Central Thailand, central region of Thailand. The genre was derived from phleng Thai sakon, and developed in the early-20th century. Suphan Buri in particular beca ...

singer. Dubbed the "King of Luk Thung", he was one of the first and most important stars of the genre. He was fatally

shot Shot may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard *''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck *'' Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy * "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus * ''Shot'' (2017 ...

while seated in his own car after a live performance in

Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom (, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in central Thailand, the former capital of Nakhon Pathom province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathommachedi. The city is also home to Thailand's only Bhikkhuni temple W ...

Biography

Born as Lamduan Sombatcharoen in

Suphan Buri province Suphan Buri (, ) located in the central region of Thailand, is one of the country's 76 provinces (จังหวัด, changwat), the first-level administrative divisions. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Uthai Thani, Chai ...

, he chose Suraphol as his stage name. His first hit came in 1954 with "Nam Ta Sao Wieng" ("Tears of a Lao Girl"). It marked the emergence of

, a Thai counterpart to such

crooning A crooner is a singer who performs with a smooth, intimate style that originated in the 1920s. The crooning style was made possible by better microphones that picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to acce ...

styles as

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

enka is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...

and Indonesian

kroncong Kroncong (pronounced "kronchong"; , ) is the name of a ukulele-like instrument and an Indonesian musical style that typically makes use of the kroncong (the sound ' comes from this instrument, so the music is called ''kroncong''). A ''kroncong'' ...

. The genre also embodied influences such as

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

film music, American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

, Malay pop and

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...

rhythms. Enjoying popularity at the same time as

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

and

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, Suraphol Sombatcharoen was sometimes called the "Thai Elvis". During the 1960s, there was no Thai performer who was better known than Sombatcharoen. Suraphol Sombatcharoen composed more than 100 songs. Among his best known compositions are "Sao Suan Taeng" ("The Girl from the Cucumber Field"), "Mong" ("Look"), "Nam Ta Ja Tho" ("The Tears of a Corporal"), "Khong Plom" ("Fake Stuff"), and "Muai Cham" ("Broken-Hearted Chinese Girl"). Shortly before his murder, he released his last and most well-known song, "Siphok Pi Haeng Khwam Lang" ("สิบหกปีแห่งความหลัง" or "16 Years of Our Past"), a sad song about the end of his own 16-year marriage that reflected on both the happiness and bitterness of the union. Sombatcharoen was shot dead by an unknown assailant while walking to his car after a performance on August 16, 1968. The motive for the murder remains unknown.

Legacy

Suraphol Sombatcharoen's recordings are widely available in Thailand, from shopping malls in Bangkok to rural markets. Because of "16 Years of Our Past", perhaps Sombatcharoen's most popular song, the 16-year period has become symbolic for numerologically minded Thai people. The 1983 documentary "Two Faces of Thailand: A Musical Portrait" (part of the '' Beats of the Heart'' series) included a segment on luk thung, following Surachai Sombacharoen, Suraphol Sombatcharoen's son, on tour with a show that included a tribute to Suraphol, as well as interviews with family members. On the 33rd anniversary of Sombatcharoen's death in 2001, the third generation of the Sombatcharoen family luk thung singers made their debut. Surabodin Sombatcharoen, the son of Surachai Sombacharoen and the grandson of Suraphol, sang in front of a packed hall at the

Thailand Cultural Centre The Thailand Cultural Centre () is a performing arts venue in Huai Khwang district, Bangkok, Thailand. It is located about 700 meter from Thailand Cultural Centre MRT Station, a station on the Blue Line (Bangkok), MRT Blue Line. The station is und ...

on 16 August 2001. He was 16 years old at the date of his debut and sang "16 Years of Our Past". Sombatcharoen's song "Mai Luem" ("Don't forget") was featured in the 2001 film '' Monrak Transistor'', which was directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang.

Albums

*16 Years The Past (16 ปีแห่งความหลัง) * Siew Sai (เสียวใส้) * Khong Plom (ของปลอม) * Khon Hua Lan (คนหัวล้าน) * Sae See Aei Lue Jek Nang (แซซี้อ้ายลือเจ๊กนัง) * Yik Tao Lo Soi (ยิกเท้าโหละซั๊วะ) * Smell Love in "Pa-Sang" (มนต์รักป่าซาง) * Klin Kam Hom Chuen Jai (กลิ่นแก้มหอมชื่นใจ)

References

Sources

* Khanthong, Thanong (6 September 2002).
"OVERDRIVE: PM Thaksin to embrace Suraphol Doctrine?"
''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

''.
"SUNDAY TALK: 'Look thung' family keeps going strong"
26 August 2001, ''

''. *Napack, Jonathan (12 May 1999
"A revival of authentic Thai pop"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

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