
Dec 28, 2019
Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong's 105th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates Thai composer Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong on her 105th birthday. Of her more than 100 compositions, she is best known for the classic “Bua Kao” (“White Lotus”), which was awarded as “Song of Asia” by UNESCO in 1979 and made her a staple in the national repertoire.
Born Mom Puangroi Sanit Wong in Bangkok on this day in 1914, she learned to play the piano and the guitar at a young age. Composing and playing tunes for her family, she showed an undoubted passion and went on to study music at Trinity College London.
During the first half of the twentieth century, as foreign music like Western classical and jazz gained popularity, a new genre named Phleng Thai sakon (roughly translating to "international-style Thai music") arose. The genre blended elements from traditional Thai music with instruments of Western classical, and Apaiwong became one of its leading artists. She composed music for plays and movies, for the royal family, and for special national occasions.
Apaiwong devoted her life to music, playing weekly for nearly 22 years with a group of classical musicians to raise funds for various educational institutions. She was also awarded the Performing Arts award by the Board of National Culture in 1986, as well as five royal decorations for her contributions.
สุขสันต์วันเกิด, Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong!
Early concepts and draft by artist Lydia Nichols
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