Bid to have songwriter named Great Personality

Written by Writer on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

MUSIC

Bid to have songwriter named Great Personality

LAMPHAI INTATHEP
Bangkok Post
Wednesday October 22, 2008

The Culture Ministry will nominate the late musical master Eua Sunthornsanan as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Great Personality in the field of culture to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2010.

The ministry has gathered together his biography and works, including more than 2,000 songs he composed.

The documents have been sent for the Education Ministry’s final review and will be forwarded to Unesco in January, said the Culture permanent secretary Veera Rojpojanarat.

The late songwriter, better known as Khru Eua among Thais, is the 19th Thai national nominated for the Unesco’s list of Great Personalities of the World, which recognises an individual’s contribution to mankind.

The late poet Sunthorn Phu and writer Kularb Saipradit are among the Thais to receive the Great Personality honour from Unesco.

Khru Eua was the founder of Thailand’s famous Suntaraporn band, which was influential in introducing Western music to Thai popular culture.

Some of his world-renowned songs are Loy Krathong, Ram Wong Wan Songkran, and Kwan Jai Chao Tui (Buffalo, My Best Friend), which has also been translated into English because of the song’s popularity.

“We would like the world to know our musical master Khru Eua, whose works have enriched the minds of people in his homeland as well as in other countries,” said Mr Veera.

“His music knows no boundaries, thus, the master deserves to be honoured on the international stage.”

The ministry also plans to build a statue of Khru Eua and erect it at his home town of Amphawa in Samut Songkhram province to commemorate his 100th birthday.

The legendary songwriter died in 1981 of lung cancer at the age of 71.