Bunpheng Faiphiuchai: Google doodle on Thai Mo Lam artist on his 89th birthday

Happy Birthday, Bunpheng Faiphiuchai!

Google today celebrates the 89th birthday of the Thai singer crowned the "Queen of Mo Lam," Bunpheng Faiphiuchai. He is the Thai artistic phenomenon reflects his identity more than the poetic genre of folk music known as Mo Lam.

Bunpheng Faiphiuchai (บุญเพ็ง) was born on this day in 1932 in Ubon Ratchathani Province of Isan, Thailand. He started performing Mo Lam at a young age. The performance of Mor Lam (หมอลำ) during this time was not easy during the era – one male and one female vocalist take the stories from Isan literature to life by holding a musical "debate" and performed a musical "feat" with the rhythmic sounds of Khaen. Khaen is a bamboo-mouth organ depicted in today's Google Doodle artwork.

After years of training, Faiphiuchai became known for her witty philosophical responses to her male counterparts and soon landed a job as a Mo Lam performer. By 1955, Faiphiuchai recorded more full-length albums than any other woman in the genre. She complimented her illustrious singing career with philanthropic endeavors such as promoting infectious disease prevention, environmental initiatives, and other forms of Thai performance art.

Faiphiuchai was named a Thai National Artist in 1997 for her outstanding cultural contributions and passed down this unique Mo Lam expertise to numerous students throughout her life. Today, many of her pupils are well-known performers of Mo Lam which remains a foundational aspect of Thailand's rich cultural heritage.

Thank you for fostering the next generation of Mo Lam performers!

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