Premier’s songs fail to strike the right chord with the people

[rooster59]

Premier’s songs fail to strike the right chord with the people

By PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK 
THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

OCCASIONAL songbird Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha recently released another tune, “Fight for the Nation”, aiming to encourage citizens to strive for a better tomorrow and promising he would “stand strong and never leave you alone”.

 

In the song issued a few days before Songkran, the junta chief who enjoys penning lyrics pledges to work hard for the country no matter how hard his critics gnash at him.

 

“Every day I’m tired,” sings the soldier who was recruited to handle the vocals, “but I keep it all inside, because my heart tells me to work for the nation.”

 

This is the sixth of Prayut’s compositions since he led the military coup in May 2014. “Fight for the Nation” seeks to capitalise on the massive success of the TV soap opera “Buppesanivas” (“Love Destiny”), whose theme song it resembles, and in fact composer Wichien Tantipimonpan arranged both.

There are also similarities to Prayut’s previous releases, “Returning Happiness to the People”, “Because You’re Thailand”, “Hope and Faith”, “Bridge” and “Diamond Heart”, in that all share a theme of fostering national unity. The general is fond of portraying himself as a “superhero” who’s ready to resolve the nation’s conflicts.

 

The music critics have not been kind. 

 

The video version of the last tune, “Diamond Heart”, was first shown on Army-run Channel 5 on February 9. As of its updating last week, 6,752 of the 425,000-plus viewers had clicked on the upward-pointing thumb, but nearly 45,900 didn’t care for it. The rest were presumably too scared to vote, or too wise. “Fight for the Nation” appeared on April 9 and, by the time it was updated on April 20, it had drawn 31,334 views, along with 224 likes and 1,256 dislikes.

 

Assistant Professor Pradit Chanrochanakit, deputy dean of political science at Chulalongkorn University, said it’s normal for national leaders to seek out popular ways of communicating with the public, citing US President Donald Trump’s preference for Twitter. 

 

But Prayut’s songs are “state propaganda”, Pradit told The Sunday Nation.

 

“Each song has had a specific message to communicate at a particular time. The government-run TV pool airs the messages daily, forcing the audience to hear his propaganda, and that diminishes our freedom. People with more liberal attitudes just turn it off and turn to alternative channels or the social media, where there are young activists performing anti-junta songs.”

 

Dr Thanom Chapakdee, a lecturer with Srinakharinwirot University’s Art and Culture Faculty, said Prayut uses culture as a form of “soft power” to promote nationalism in conservative ways, like dressing Thai or singing pop songs.

 

Overt political activity is just now resuming after being banned since the 2014 coup, but arts-related socio-political activism has steadily spread both online and off. Art happenings, posters and music concerts have given voice to campaigners pressing for a return to democracy. 

 

In some cases the authorities have reacted, arresting demonstrators outside the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Anti-junta artists began adopting “guerrilla” tactics to get their messages out.

 

Faiyen, a Thai pro-red shirt band living in exile, have released several controversial songs on YouTube and the Thairev Channel online, while the rapper known as Liberate P finds his own ways of promoting democratic ideals. 

 

Bangkok exteriors bear the graffiti of an artist named Headache Stencil that mocks Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan about his collection of |luxury wristwatches.

 

Headache Stencil earns harassment headaches from the junta and his creations are scrubbed away, while others have been detained for speaking out. Faiyen have fled to a neighbouring country for safety’s sake. At Bangkok’s Ver Gallery last year, soldiers carried off the artwork of Harit Srikhao, which contrasted images of the bloody 2010 crackdown on protesters with pictures of everyday life. “My art reflects the truth – corruption, the loss of freedom under the junta,” Headache Stencil told The Sunday Nation. “It’s the artist’s most important role to mirror society’s illnesses and tell the world what Thailand is now facing.”

 

Another outspoken artist-activist, Vasan Sithiket, scoffs at Prayut’s musical wooing of the public. “Singing songs can’t solve the country’s problem,” he said. “While the junta leader sings his propaganda, we voice the suffering of the people through our art. And the voices will grow louder because there are more and more artists echoing criticism about what the junta has done.”

 

The military has seized power 12 times since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat staged a coup in 1957 and was prime minister until his death in 1963. General Prayut has been in |power almost four years, the second-longest term of any coup leader. 

 

Prayut’s first song as PM, “Returning Happiness to the People”, was designed to promote better relations between the military and the people after the coup. It becomes ironic in retrospect, with the election continuously postponed in the interim and now scheduled for February.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30343682

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-22

[YetAnother]

5 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

OCCASIONAL songbird Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha recently released another tune, “Fight for the Nation”, aiming to encourage citizens to strive for a better tomorrow and promising he would “stand strong and never leave you alone”.

'fight' for what ?; fight whom ?; what do any of those meaningless generalities amount to ?

[darksidedog]

So, by a ratio of about 6 to 1 the nation has said they dont like his crappy songs. Lets hope they vote by about the same ratio, if and when we ever get an election. Then he can sing the classic, "Time to say goodbye."

[tifino]

32 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

'fight' for what ?; fight whom ?; what do any of those meaningless generalities amount to ?

 

'Let Them Eat Cake"

[Darcula]

46 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“Fight for the Nation”

 

I know that song. It goes "Fight for the count......fight for the count.......fight for the country!"

 

Then the chorus goes "For coff.....for coff......for coff.....for coffee and for tea!"

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2018 by Darcula

[Anak Nakal]

It just bad song.

He use government to promote but just bad.

[baboon]

52 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“Every day I’m tired,” sings the soldier who was recruited to handle the vocals, “but I keep it all inside, because my heart tells me to work for the nation.”

What is this flapdoodle? Jesus, the man never stops blethering on about how hard done by he is to all and sundry.

Welcome to 2018 where you can simply make up any old ball locks and present it as fact.

[baboon]

5 minutes ago, Anak Nakal said:

It just bad song.

He use government to promote but just bad.

Old men's music for old men's outdated ideas...

[JAG]

At least Leni Riefenstahl's films (whilst the subjects were equally awful) had decent production values.

[yellowboat]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

“Fight for the Nation”

The only men who need to be fought are those who took power.  This guy is way past embarrassing and delusional.  He probably wonders why the US is saying bad things about his government after he bought so much coal from them.

[tifino]

 

at least he's not soiling Sayan Sanya songs

- yet knowing that they are the ones with the keys into a Thai's heart

Edited April 22, 2018 by tifino

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

The only men who need to be fought are those who took power.  This guy is way past embarrassing and delusional.  He probably wonders why the US is saying bad things about his government after he bought so much coal from them.

That is why the US is only "saying" things and takes no action....  Nobody wants to touch Thailand as in the grand scale of things there are larger fish to fry.  (not condoning the situation here just telling you how it is)

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

lyrics pledges to work hard for the country

"He works hard for the country,

so hard for the country,

he works hard for the country,

so you better treat him right"    -   Donna Summers

[tifino]

 

 Barnum's and Silvers are always recruiting for clowns, and ring leaders

[JOC]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“Every day I’m tired,” sings the soldier

Poor, poor Prayut......Some friendly advice...To make your next song a mega-hit, you should call it:

"Every day I am retired"

[Juan B Tong]

Memo to Prawit,

 

Don't quit your day job for the music business.

 

Just quit!

[rkidlad]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Premier’s songs fail to strike the right chord with the people

Yea, it’s cos they’re s***. 

[Lupatria]

He could easily become the countries most popular Karaoke King with a rendition of

"I'm your yesterday man" performed in his Friday night entertainment show. 

[holy cow cm]

He needs to stop his music torture. It only creates negativity.

 

Dog whining sounds are high-pitched vocalizations, often produced nasally with the mouth closed. ... It is usually an indication of some increased level of stress for the dog. Most often the dog crying sound is an exaggerated whine or whimper.

[RichardColeman]

You seem so far away though you are standing near
You made me feel alive, but something died I fear
I really tried to make it out
I wish I understood
What happened to our love, it used to be so good

Abba - SOS

[TKDfella]

[dorchester]

Perhaps a rendition of "taps" would be fitting

[Jonnapat]

Just about as ridiculous as Trump, and that's saying something. 

[NutsMango]

Where is the youtube link?

 

I just typed in youtube "Thailand Top 10 Singles Chart" and nothing 

[Dap]

“Every day I’m tired,” sings the soldier who was recruited to handle the vocals, “but I keep it all inside, because my heart tells me to work for the nation.”

 

Whatta guy!

[chama]

On 4/21/2018 at 8:05 PM, darksidedog said:

So, by a ratio of about 6 to 1 the nation has said they dont like his crappy songs. Lets hope they vote by about the same ratio, if and when we ever get an election. Then he can sing the classic, "Time to say goodbye."

It may not matter. There seems to be some scenarios that allow him to return to power by splitting the vote to a degree that his carefully selected and placed cronies can vote him in as PM without the public making the choice. Hopefully that would cause the Thai people to demand that they be allowed to decide their leadership but the Thai temperament is often not oriented to direct conflict and it may be a bridge too far.

[Somchai Logic]

On 4/22/2018 at 10:02 AM, klauskunkel said:

"He works hard for the country,

so hard for the country,

he works hard for the country,

so you better treat him right"    -   Donna Summers

Awesome - Love it.

Reminds me more of the scene from 'Birdcage' where Agador Spartacus (the Gay Butler) is dancing around the pool in a bright G-Banger 

[bluesofa]

On 22/04/2018 at 9:02 AM, klauskunkel said:

"He works hard for the country,

so hard for the country,

he works hard for the country,

so you better treat him right"    -   Donna Summers

For me, the Donna Summer songs which spring to mind are The Woman in Me, and, Could It Be Magic.