Sanook Singmat and Look Tewadah – เพลงลูกเทวดา
Sanook Singmat (สนุ๊ก สิงห์มาตร) is a Thai country singer and Look Tewadah (ลูกเทวดา) one of his most popular songs. The meaning of Look Tewadah is Angel’s child but its interpretation in Thai society goes a lot deeper.
Look tewadah is a tag given to teenage boys who habitually laze around all day and are nothing but trouble when they do eventually rise from their shut-eye. They race motorbikes along the country roads, get involved in fights and of course have a keen eye for the prettiest schoolgirls. When it’s time to help out with family chores they’re either asleep or too kee kiat (ขี้เกียจ / lazy) to do so.
I think the term look tewadah comes from the Thais notion that an angel doesn’t do much all day long bar sit on a cloud and look down on the world beneath them. Nang Fah is the more commonly used word for angel in a graceful tense.
In plain simple western words look tewadah is a rebellious male teenager.
So why write a post about Sanook Singmat and his song Look Tewadah.
Two reasons, one naughty and one nice.
- Naughty…เพลงลูกเทวดา (Music of an Angel’s child) is the fastest rising keyword searched in Thailand according to Google Zeitgeist 2010. The naughty bit is that Mr G has been playing a different tune on his piano again and this site’s Google search hits have fallen as flat as a song sung out of tune. I thought maybe the words เพลงลูกเทวดา might give it a lift.
- Nice….the song is about the life of a young Isaan teenager who is look tewadah through and through. The video has many great shots of typical Isaan village life and I thought it would be good viewing for anyone out there who’s considering making their first field trip to a rural village in Thailand. It’s not a bad song too.
My apologies if my Thai to English translation is not perfect. Cough..cough…hint…maybe someone can help. Those of you with a Thai partner from Isaan or indeed anywhere in rural Thailand who are in two minds about taking your first jaunt to a Thai village, please view the video and take a close up look at what awaits you in the backwoods of Thailand.
Sanook Singmat’s country music is also a taste of what might keep you awake at night when you’re surrounded by mosquitoes and your partner’s father has drunk your last beer. Did I mention cobras, no I didn’t think I had.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln1SGQwkScI&feature=player_embedded
Hi Martyn, those of us who ended up in Thamkrabok are sometimes called ลูกชั่ว (evil children). Here is a video about us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlCSFSp5tUw
Paul that place must be one big shock to the system. I suppose that’s what’s it’s meant to do. I watched the video and couldn’t help but keep staring at the medicine they were drinking. I can only guess how bad it tasted.
Thanks for the link and hopefully a few people will view it.
I don’t suppose they allow a dash of Coke and ice with the medicine do they.
The best way to describe the medicine would be to say that it tastes like ‘ drinking a tree’. As soon as it hits your stomach you just want to get rid of it. I doubt coke would make it any better; it would probably curdle 🙂
Paul there have been incidents of famous Englishmen talking to trees but not drinking them. Curdle….I once had indigestion (in Pattaya) so bad I tried drinking Sangsom whisky topped up with Gaviscon. That curdled.
What a fabulous post Martyn! My connection is cacca at the moment but as soon as I can, I’ll watch those videos.
Catherine my internet connection goes cacca most days. I think it’s giving me a taste for what is to come when I use my laptop in the village.
Loved the video, Martyn. I recognized the Look Tewadah character from several I have seen and know in Phana. But I didn’t know the phrase, or the Tewadah Mae which is even more to the point. More of that big stick mum waved might have helped. Thanks for an enjoyable post and for the Thai lesson.
Lawrence I’ll be in Wi’s village New Years Eve and that’s when every Look Tewadah in the near vicinity grabs their motorbike or borrows one and causes havoc after dark. I’m not looking forward to that side of the New Year.
A Thai lesson….that’s one offered back for the countless ones you’ve given to me.
re naughty bit . . . Martyn, I too am wondering where all the readers went. I don’t have the technical knowledge to investigate, but my StatCounter numbers and Typepad analytics show about 25-30% plunge in arrivals this month.
I was telling Talen this and he suggested that the readers who used to sit at home in the west are now here and they don’t read too many blogs and websites while travelling. I think this makes sense. But still, it’s hard not to look for answers after pageview numbers dropped off the map. It’s a mystery.
Rick my readers have taken a big hit with figures similar to yours (25-30%) perhaps even higher. I just hoping they pick up in the New Year just as they did this January. Let’s hope Talen is right.
Loved the video Martyn, good stuff that country Thai music is.
Don’t be too worried with Google this month. Many websites take a hit due to people searching for more product orientated sites and of course many people are running around to parties and xmas shopping and not spending as much time on the net.
Talen – Thai country music isn’t my favourite kind of jingle but I have got more used to it over the years and can see its attraction.
Thanks for the words on Google although nowadays I don’t worry too much if a slump happens. I’m getting a bit too long in the tooth blogging wise to let Mr G ruin my day.
Love this song Martyn – my wife is always playing it to my little fella calling him ลูกเทวดา — there’s different some scope in a post on Thai nicknames for kids, I could real off a dozen playful names with ease!
Merry Christmas to you and your clan, are you in LOS right now?