Page 6 - Prinya Wanchupela Memorial

Left to right: Nanta Chayasith playing Saw, Thawee

khambaomuang playing Khan, Paiboon Soisalika playing Pin.
produce steam as Sommai would have to be engulfed in steam for some time after the baby

was born.

The exact date and time of Prinya’s birth cannot be fixed as births were very often not

recorded until long after a child’s birth due to the great distances between villages and
government offices at that time. His mother said he was born in the year of “Mamia” at “ryng
sawang” as the monks were collecting alms early in the morning. His father said that the exact
date could be determined by checking his absentee record at Ban Amorn School. That date was
March 15, 1930.

Prinya had fond memories of his life in Ban Amorn as the beloved grandson of his
grandmother, Khun Kane Jonnamol. He would recall dozing off on the back of her buffalo as

it wandered through their rice paddies treading softly so as not to disturb the sleeping child.

He held in highest esteem the head abbot of the wat who with wisdom and foresight guided

the children. His life-long love of football began by kicking balls stuffed with kapok and
stitched together by ladies of the village at the Abbot’s request. How the boys enjoyed thrashing
the balls all around the temple compound keeping the ladies busy replacing them!

The Abbot took them on field trips by ox cart at night to nearby musical competitions,
particularly the long drum competitions. Prinya’s love for Northeastern music could well
have sprung from these excursions. Musical competitions among high ranking officials were

taken seriously at that time throughout Thailand. Prinya’s grandfather was the patron of “pin”,
“saw”, and “khan” players who would practice and perform often for him and his company.
Prinya had a vivid memory of their styles and repertoires. Later in Bangkok he would bring
Northeast musicians to perform at academic and cultural venues. They would stay at his home
and practice well into the night under his direction as he mentally recalled how the music

sounded to him as he listened to it as a child.

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6 Memories of Prinya Wanchupela