Reconstruction of social ideology through the power of music: Case study of Suntaraporn band, Thailand

Abstract

     During 1939-1942 (2482-2485 BE), Thailand was governed by a junta led by Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. Numerous traditional cultures were redefined based on the “Thai-ness” policy. Suntaraporn was the most outstanding band sponsored by the Thai government. On one hand, the band was used as a State apparatus for instilling the “Thai-ness” ideology. On the other hand, it created development discourses of civilization, modernity, and cultural discrimination. This article: 1) investigated the discourse of Suntaraporn's music and the establishment of social stratification in Thai society, and 2) illustrated the cultural power of music as a social-ideological mechanism to increase State power over the Thai people. Documentary research was applied to identify the historical development, forms, and values appreciated in Suntaraporn's music. Social exclusion leading to a new form of social stratification was investigated. The author adopted semiotic analysis by focusing on the aesthetic level. To identify perception, cognition, interpretation, and reception history, the socio-cultural roles of Suntaraporn's music were highlighted as: 1) the establishment of modern Thai music as a symbol of new class differentiation, and 2) the role of music as a social mechanism to increase State power over the life of commoners.