ยืนยง โอภากุล World Zen Folk แอ๊ด คาราบาว

ยืนยง โอภากุล Yuenyong Opakul

aka แอ๊ด คาราบาว Aed Carabao -

World Folk Zen 1991

A personal favourite from the early 90's, a revolutionary and critical period in modern Thai history and the dawn of what was perhaps the closest the country has come to anything like true democracy (1992-97). Rebel rocker superstars  Carabao คาราบาว played no small part in that with a whole series of protest-themed albums stretching right back to the early 80's (and then on well into the millennium). They played out a musical backdrop to events (and boots) on the ground during the deadly suppression of the Bangkok Uprising in 1992, releasing numerous songs and album projects during that critical early-90's period.

Aed Carabao แอ๊ด คาราบาว solo set listed under his nom de guerre YeunYong Opakul ยืนยง (Upright) โอภากุล with a little help from his friends.. Features US guitarist Todd ThongDii ทอดด์ ทองดี. Strident steel guitar sounds. Several harmonica-heavy tunes show strong Neil Young influences (Young was riding high on Rockin' in the Free World at the time) and, indeed, the opener is a big salute to the man. Thai songs with some highlighted by Aed & Todd in English while World is performed in English.

Tracklist

ยืนยงอย่างเนลยัง (Stand Up Like Neil Young)

บ้า (Crazy)

World

ฝนดิน (Rainland)

เพื่อเมืองไทย (For Thailand)

ศรอรชุน (Arrow of  Arjuna)

หลวงพ่อประจักษ์ (Luang Pho Prajak)

แสงดาว (Saeng Dao)

ประตูหลัง (Back Door)

บรรพบุรุษชาวนา (Peasant Ancestors)

 

Early years - Aed
 

 

Carabao 40 years 

Environmental themes take centre stage here with lyrics tackling issues of ecological degredation, corruption and development in Thailand & beyond. ศรอรชุน (Arrow of  Arjuna) and หลวงพ่อประจักษ์ (Luang Pho Prajak) celebrate the efforts of two prominent Thai environmentalists/freedom fighters. แสงดาว (Saeng Dao) narrates another true story, that of a student activist who fled to the forests to escape state oppression and became a teacher with the communist guerillas and was eventually martyred by the Royal Thai Army in the jungle. Track two บ้า is a fun track that deals with attitudes toward mental illness and identity in Thailand. Should anybody be described as mad just because they're a bit different? 

 

An outstanding collection of songs and coherent album, both lyrically & stylistically, that stands out as one of a kind in the brilliant & very extensive Carabao songbook. Enjoy the bluesy folk...

 

  

Thai For Life เพื่อชีวิต movements (songs for life, literature for live, art for life, etc.) emerged in the late 1960's as means of political and cultural expression in an era of total military state control and proscription of free speech as the US generously backed the Royal Thai Government to combat communism in response to the 'domino theory' prevalent in Washington during the Indochina wars. This resulted in the development of an over-powerful security apparatus (police, army) and a severe imbalance in society & politics with the curtailment of expression and strict societal controls, problems that Thailand still grapples with to this day. 

 

The เพื่อชีวิต movements were part inspired by contemporary peace movements in the West and were initially centred around student unions & then labour associations while the Democrat Party พรรคประชาธิปัตย์ carried on pushing for free elections. The Thai Popular Uprising of October 1973 ushered in a new era of freedom in Thailand with unfettered trade unions, a free press, elections and civillian rule. The chaos of newly instituted societal freedom was unfortunately accentuated by various right-wing and paramilitary groups (US backed of course) resulting in the Thammasat University Massacre 6 October 1976 where students were mercilessly rounded up and publicly murdered by paramilitary mobs bussed in from the provinces. Military government was immediately reinstituted and all political freedoms withdrawn. Subsequent crackdowns and pogroms pushed thousands of leftists to flee to the jungle peripheries to join the Communist Party of Thailand insurrection in various roles, both military and educational/PR, where many stayed until a 1980 RTG amnesty and national reconciliation. The cycle of RTG miliary coups was repeated in 1991 leading to the 1992 uprising.

 

Songs for Life เพลงเพื่อชีวิต was forged in this cauldron by student CPT artists such as คาราวาน Caravan. Carabao คาราบาว took up the for life torch with a vengeance from their inception at the start of the 80's, followed by a whole corps of other like-minded artists who made it a whole musical genre (akin to folk-rock). It remains an important vehicle for progressive ideas in support of common people and closely related to pro-democracy ideals, environmentalism & freedom of lifestyle in Thai cultural life.

 

 

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