Pop post

Pango's Postcard proves popular

By Suwitcha Chaiyong

Did you know

Pango did the animation for Lookwa Doo Ba Doo's "Nid Nueng (A Little Bit)" music video.

While countless music videos are uploaded onto the Internet every day, singers with true star quality are still rare to find. Chintnudda Lamakanond (Pango) is one YouTube star who definitely stands out from the pack.

The pretty 25-year-old singer was first widely seen acting the video for Singular's hit song, "Bao Bao (Tender)." Pango then uploaded a clip of her own version of the song onto YouTube. Her tuneful, mellow singing in the video has since attracted more than 4 million views.

Pango had already signed a contract with Believe Records before she posted her YouTube videos, but the Internet proved to be a terrific tool for introducing Pango to a wide audience before the release of her debut single, "Postcard."

Student Weekly recently met up with Pango at the Believe Records office to hear about her musical journey so far.

Student Weekly: What made you decide to become a professional singer?

Pango: I've loved singing since I was young, but I didn't dream about going professional until I acted in Singular's "Tender" video. After that, an executive from Believe Records talked to me about recording a single. I decided to post some of my cover songs onto YouTube to get listener feedback. I didn't expect to get so many views!

Student Weekly: How do you feel about YouTube?

Pango: It's a great tool for expressing yourself. In the past, if you loved singing but couldn't sign with a music label, you'd probably be stuck with singing karaoke. YouTube allows people to show what they can do. The only downside is the lack of privacy, because anybody can watch your videos and post comments about them.

Student Weekly: Is it true that you went to high school in New Zealand?

Pango: Yes. While I was there, my first host family only gave me corn to eat for lunch for a whole year!

Student Weekly: Did you experience any culture shock in New Zealand?

Pango: No, but there were a few surprises. Some people walked barefoot in the city during summer. I was also surprised to see couples kissing in public.

Student Weekly: What inspired you to record an acoustic single?

Pango: I don't like to dance. I told my producer that I like easy listening and bossa nova music, and we decided to record a medium tempo acoustic song.

Student Weekly: Do you like to send postcards in real life?

Pango: Yes. When I travel, I usually send a postcard to myself. It's like keeping a diary. I also collect postcards because they have their own charm and sentimental value.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about the first song that you ever wrote?

Pango: I wrote lyrics using egg tofu as a metaphor for love. I came up with the idea while I was eating at a dim sum restaurant. I wrote it for fun when I was a university student, and I might record it for a bonus track on my first album.

Student Weekly: Since you love travelling, which place has been your favourite so far?

Pango: Japan was the first place I travelled to overseas. I think Japan has a perfect mix of technology, culture and nature. I've been there three times now. I also like the UK. I studied art in the UK and there are lots of great museums there.

Student Weekly: Do you still have a dream destination?

Pango: I'd love to travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway. It's a railway line that runs through China and Russia. You can start from Bangkok and pass through Laos, Vietnam and China. But a trip like that would take around two months and cost a lot of money.

Student Weekly: What are your hopes for your "Postcard" single?

Pango: I felt good when a guy told me that he listened to by singing every night before bed. I don't expect to have a massive hit - I'm happy just to have my own song and I hope that people like it.

Vocabulary

  • countless (adj): very many

    star quality (n): a special qualities, characteristics or talents that make it more likely for somebody to come famous and successful in acting, music, etc.

    rare (adj): not seen, happening, etc. very often

    mellow (adj): smooth, soft and pleasant

    feedback (n): advice, criticism or information about how good somebody's work is

    downside (n): the disadvantages or less positive aspects of something

    privacy (n): the state of being free from the attention of the public

    culture shock (n): a feeling of confusion and anxiety that somebody might feel when they live in or visit another country

    barefoot (adv): not wearing anything on your feet

    sentimental (adj): producing emotions and memories of love, romance, etc.

    value (n): the quality of being useful or important

    metaphor (n): a word or phrase used in a clever way to describe something else, in order to show that the two things have the same qualities