From : Bangkok Post - RealTime - Friday 20 April, 2001

COVER STORY
Kong Rithdee

MUSIC: Dnu Huntrakul has a rare knack for marrying Western instruments and Thai tunes, as his latest release `Pleng Bangkok' attests

Dnu Huntrakul's music is a stimulus to the senses, a euphonic stream that meanders from the eardrums down to the mind's eyes. It inspires ideas and conjures up images -- often of the past. And although its melodic beauty is portrayed by the orchestral grandeur of Western instruments, its foundation is strangely Thai.

"If I think China Dolls doesn't suit my age, what's there for me to listen to?" Candy-sweet songs for kids are OK, but Dnu Huntrakul says the local music industry needs to produce something fresh to meet the tastes of a changing society. -- ANUSORN SAKSEREE Pleng Bangkok relives the retro charm of the 1950s.

Call it adult music, Dnu jokes, "because kids wouldn't have the composure to hear my songs."But at least they should try. The composer has just released his new album called Pleng Bangkok ("Bangkok Tunes"), in which he continues to exhibit his well-known faculty for concocting the best from bipolar worlds. Again, his musical cocktail is made up of Thai melodies of old, but on this outing they have been rendered with the fizzling, colourful sonata of the piano and violin. At Sanan Bakery on Sukhumvit Soi 31, Dnu sat down recently with the press to talk about his work, his thoughts, his concept of music in Thai society, and how it's so easy -- even for kids, if they tried -- to soak up the nostalgic lucidity of his tunes.

With a shoulder-length bob, the 50-year-old Dnu bears the look of the hermetic artist. The composer is known for the solemnity of his grand symphonic scores, such as the famed The Light of Asia, which thundered at the finale of the 1998's Bangkok Asian Games, and other ceremonial pieces for royal functions and for cultural events.

But watch out for that crescendo of laughter as Dnu also has a lighter side. The man might appear like your odd uncle, but there is still a whiff about him of the excitement and fun of his teenage years spent in the frenzied 1960s. This is reflected in the witty notes of his music, of which there are plenty on the self-produced, self-funded and self-promoted Pleng Bangkok.

"The idea is to relive the atmosphere of Bangkok 50 years ago, when the culture of music was blossoming and when people were living really happy lives," Dnu says of his release.

"That time was a golden age when Thais began to adapt the Western notion of entertainment, but we still kept our roots intact. It was a fusion of styles. Back then we enjoyed ballroom dancing, but the band could also switch mode to play traditional ram wong -- and kept the audience on their feet."Play the disc and revel in the sound experience. Pleng Bangkok is very close to being a time machine. It takes listeners back to when their fathers strutted their stuff to the jumpy tango tunes in the dance halls of Suan Lumpini or Suan Amporn, and when Ratchadamnoen was a swanky avenue of urban modernity. Dnu picked some numbers to represent the "cool" of that generation. His rearrangements are more polished than the originals, yet they maintain the old tunes' characteristic wit. Finally, being played on a piano and violin has lent them a dainty, classical flavour.

For example, Deun Eei was a tango number that was a smash hit 40 years ago. Meanwhile Khaek Chuen Jao was a song spiced up with an Indian melody and used as the theme tune for the now-defunct TV Channel 4. Then there's an exhilarating medley of ram wong songs (the sober equivalent of today's dance remix!). Dnu has also included two vocal numbers; a funky fox-trot Huan Kam Nueng and the majestically lyrical Ratree Both songs were originally written by Eua Suntornsanan and sung by Mantana Morakul, the respective king and queen of the stylus in their day.

Performed here by vocalist Supatra Korat -- with violinist Nora-art Janklam and pianist Jun Matsuko -- these time-honoured tunes now give off a fresh sound and a sassy rhythm. Who is it that said these are adult songs?Looking back, Dnu believes there are cultural angles worth taking note of from the 1950s. The music of that time, he remarks, evolved purely to serve the social attitude of the people -- which is the right chemistry in artistic progression. It was a fun, happening decade. Thais were still selective in welcoming foreign influences, because at that pivotal point the nation was still attached to the cultural legacy of its ancient past.

The veteran composer shows his lighter side.

"Think of Suntaraporn," Dnu says, referring to a legendary Thai-style big band of the 1940s. "They adopted Western forms -- the instruments and the Latin beats -- but created their own brand of Thai songs. It was cool to make a tune sound farang but at heart they were aware of their Thai origin. No one was worried about preserving Thai ways, because people were so secure in their knowledge of who they were, and they embraced alien ideas only when they thought it'd be useful to society.

"But soon this system went out of order, and we found ourselves in chaos," Dnu continues. "We lost our confidence and we couldn't reach into our history to see what we were capable of doing. It's easier now to believe that everything good comes from abroad. Music, too."In an ironic twist, Dnu half-jokes that he perpetually belongs to the forgotten generation. When he was a young boy, Thai music catered solely for grown-ups. But as he grew up and the local song industry found its footing, a new market force prevailed. And nowadays music labels only fashion lollipop songs for adolescents. Dnu believes his generation has avoided targetting by the music industry and has become a neglected segment of the record-buying public.

"If I think China Dolls doesn't suit my age, what's there for me to listen to?" Dnu says, revealing the musician is more in touch with the teen music scene than you might think. "OK, I can resort to luk thoong [Thai folk songs] or to numbers by Suntaraporn. But what about something fresh? What about something that might indicate that our musical vision has grown? As it stands the reaping short-term benefits and refuses to move forward."It's easy to slip into the tired, old debate on the ruthless commercialisation of musical creativity, and on how we've all unconsiously become consumers rather than music lovers. But Dnu doesn't brandish a crusading flag to save his art. He's an observer who's content to do his best by making a little difference here and there.

Dnu has written hundreds of musical scores for advertisments and ceremonies, and made a stack of records since he began his career in the 1970s. Given his artistic calibre, it's interesting that Dnu has chosen not to stay aloof in his Ivory Tower. The songsmith -- who grew up in a house resounding with Elvis and the Rolling Stones as well as Mozart and Chopin -- says it's important for a musician to be perceptive to the direction of their society while remaining dynamic in bringing about new ideas. It's useless, Dnu insists, to create something the audience can't comprehend.

In 1982, before the East-meets-West bandwagon became an overused tagline, Dnu helped form the light orchestra Mai Thai, a pioneering attempt to revitalise old Thai tunes by giving them a classical touch. Later on he surprised many by releasing a few albums on the Grammy label. One of his songs in this foray, a juicily hip luk thoong tune called Ai Noom Pom Yao became an unexpected disco hit among urban clubbers. There's a fine line separating traditionalists from progressive artists who endeavour to make something new out of something old. Which side is he on?"It's difficult to say," Dnu replies with a dry smile. "Most of my works are based on old inspirations. But please understand, I don't appreciate them because they're old but because they're good and because they can be the springboard to create something new. You can't call one billion Chinese traditionalists simply because they still use chopsticks, can you?"In the same manner, I use modern techniques in my music not because I want to look smart, but because they're interesting and because they have the potential to fit into the new culture. This, I believe, doesn't qualify me as an avant-garde artist either."This cautious stance shouldn't be interpreted as being an ambiguous one. Dnu knows which side of the fence he sits. As traditionalists grow increasingly paranoid over the presence of foreign culture, Dnu says it makes little sense to resist the global tide of change simply to perpetuate the stubborn pride of being Thai. "The tidal wave is coming and we know we can't push it back," he adds. "Instead of fighting in vain, we should realise that in the water there might be minerals for us to benefit from. That's the way forward."Steadily, Dnu tries to push his way forward. He's a talent at the margin of the mainstream industry, but his music is heard -- and he never stops working. Yet the man laments he's still lingering at the foothill of self-actualisation; he says he has achieved less than 10% of what he is capable of. But don't expect Dnu to step on the gas anytime soon. The man has chosen to be in the position he is in. He prefers to plod carefully, to patiently brew the creative atmosphere and wait for that right chemistry between his art and his audience.

"I could sit down to write a major symphony today," he says. "But what's the point of doing that when society isn't ready to accept it? I'd be left alone if I did that, and I guess I would have to drive a taxi for a living instead!"It's better to walk hand in hand with society and to create contemporary art that serves the cultural context of today, not of 20 years from now, because I might not be around to hear what people think about my work. Music is a language, a two-way communication. I can't make good music all by myself."But he doth protest too much. There is an enormous amount of "good music" on Pleng Bangkok -- enough to assure Dnu of a lasting legacy. For the moment, the composer has set himself the task of bringing forth folk instruments -- like the kaen pipe -- and pitch them against the lush background of an orchestral ensemble.

Which sounds like another stab at adult music. "It's not fashionable, but it's not that hard," Dnu says. "It doesn't take much to enjoy a piece of beautiful music. Not much at all."

From : Bangkok Post - RealTime - Friday 20 April, 2001