Q&A: Srirajah Rockers

June 15th, 2007

Seven Thai kids with a passion for Jamaican music, Srirajah Rockers have just released their self-titled debut, which was produced by Thailand’s reggae icon, Gap T-Bone. You can now hear the first single, “Check Your Move,” on local radio.

Say hello to our readers, please.

Win: Hello, we are Srirajah Rockers. We got this name because our ex-members are all from Srirajah. Because of our name, people always think we play rock. In fact, “rock” is the term Jamaican people use for reggae.

How did the rest of you get together with Win?

Win: Bank [guitar], Waii [flute], Mai [vocals] and I study at Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University. Yin [bass] and Ball [keyboard] are from Srirajah, too.

Why reggae?

Win: Reggae captivates us. Other people might not like it, but that’s OK.
Yin: You know, I study music in university and have learned theories and techniques until my head hurts. But in the end, I found reggae. It’s all about feeling, not hard rules and theories.
Ball: Reggae is down-to-earth. It’s totally free music.

So all the songs in the album are reggae-based?

Win: Some songs are mixed with dub and rocksteady, which is a kind of Jamaican music. Bank likes dub, so he blends it in some songs. But reggae is our thing.

How does flute go along with reggae?

Waii: I used to listen to and play only classical music, but after hearing Tokyo Ska Paradise, I fell in love with ska and reggae. Some bands use flute with reggae because it gives the feel of the sea.

You’re the “chorus” guy, Mai. So all you do is sing?

Mai: Mainly, yes. Because it’s not easy for a musician to do many different things at the same time. I sing chorus so the others can concentrate on their instruments. I play bits of percussion too, like cabasa and something I call the tuuyuu. My tuuyuu comprises of a thin iron and a piece of wood, and its sound is like tuuyuu. Even the person who sold it to me doesn’t remember the name, but this instrument always puts me in a good mood.

What do you expect from the album?

Win: Nothing. We just grabbed the opportunity. Especially when we found out Gap T-Bone was going to produce the album, there was no hesitation.