Since June last year (2009), when I started my adventure in Thailand (travelling through places like Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai, Nakhon Si Tamarat, Krabi, Koh Samui and so on) Reggae music always stayed with me and I had the opportunity to get to know Thai Reggae music, participating and being in a lot of festivals around the country with the likes of the Kai-Jo Brothers (Bangkok).



Nowadays in Thailand the Reggae/Ska scene is very popular and you will find well known artists of these styles playing in every festival around the country. It would be a mistake to think that in Thailand there is a Reggae sound system movement, as would in most countries around the world, because here it is not at all like that. Of course we will find some sound systems in Bangkok but for the most part Reggae music tends to be played by live bands only. Around the country it is easy to find many Reggae bands performing Bob Marley tunes and original Thai Reggae music.

Basically the Thai Reggae/Ska scene in Thailand can be boiled down to three major bands who are: Kai-Jo Brothers (Bangkok, Reggae/Ska/Hip-hop/Soul), T-Bone (Bangkok, Reggae/Ska/Jazz) and Job2Do (Phuket, Roots Reggae). Nowadays these artists are in all important Reggae events and they share stage in Bangkok with international artists such as Diana King, Big Mountain and Inner Circle in the last Chang World reggae 2009 or The Wailers, Ska Cubano and Little Roy in Smiley Fest 2009.



Lets talk about these three bands. To start with, Kai-Jo Brothers is considered the first Thai Modern Roots Reggae Band and also first to use humour about the different cultures and styles in Bangkok with their music. They started their musical career, as Kai-Jo Brothers, in 2001 with the single Howll I know?, followed by the first album only available on the Thai market called Paradise in 2002, famous for creating an interesting combination of styles (Reggae/Soul/Hip-Hop). In 2005 appeared the single Took Took Breakdown which featured on the album Reggae Passion (2006, being the most important album for the expansion of Reggae in Thailand). After three years of work and a lot of performances, in 2008 the album Born To Be Free was released, on which New Roots Reggae is emphasized as the main style, although some tracks are mixed with Hip-Hop. Some of the hits on the album are Singha Motercy, Secret and Born to Be Free. In 2007, the Kai-Jo Brothers released a limited edition album entitled Kai-Jo Dub, where some of their earlier hits are remixed in Dub with two added band members (Dub Familia (Japan/Thailand) and Rajashe I (Bangkok)). I would like to add that this Bangkok band is the first to promote and spread the Rastafarian culture through Thai society: giving information about Reggae music and culture in Thai language by using magazines, gigs and websites. Furthermore, they are supporting young Thai Reggae artists by giving them a chance in the scene, as what happened with PJos promotion (founder of Kai-Jo Brothers band) of the album Reggae Village One (2009) where there is a selection of four young bands: Sista Apsara, Mighty Lion, Jumake and 90110. Kai-Jo Brothers are famed for putting on a memorable show with amazing energy and the deep meanings in their lyrics combined with exclusive rhythms make for a huge response from their public and an overall unforgettable experience.



The next band I will mention is T-Bone. They started their musical career around 1990 formed by a group of friends that love and live Reggae music. They were first influenced by Bob Marley, but gradually introduced Ska and Jazz into their repertoire. In 2005 they became the first Thai band to play at the Glastonbury Festival and they were invited back again the 2007. Having also performed in London for a Tsunami benefit, T-Bone is the most internationally recognised Thai Reggae Band and have performed with other famous household names. Amongst other works, some of their finest albums are: Enjoy yourself, Seasons and Ruam Pleng Dee T-Bone (2009). Furthermore, we can often find T-Bone on many compilations with other bands (international and national).

Job2Do is a Roots Reggae band lead by Job Bunjob which is hugely popular in Thailand and thanks to the many visitors who have attended their concerts, now has a substantial following abroad. Job Bunjob, Thai Reggae singer and composer, comes from South Thailand and has been performing for nearly 20 years, mostly in South Thailand at beaches and Reggae venues in Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi and Koh Samui. While many of Job2Dos songs have become hits in Thailand, perhaps the most famous one, and indispensable in all concerts, is Doo Ter Tam, feel free to check this hit below. Job2Dos music is influenced especially by Bob Marley and the lyrics are manly about freedom, environment, sea, love and it is the main voice in Thailand to talk about the legalization of ganja in each concert. The main albums to look out for: No War, Job2Do acoustic Yan Unplug and One World (2009), the latest has most of the songs feature in English and also has an English version of their most famous hit (Doo Ter Tam).

It is unfair to sum Thai Reggae music up with these three bands only, but they are the ones who have provoked the expansion and growth of Reggae/Ska in this country, making these styles of music indispensable in all big parties. Traditional Thai music is sometimes similar to these styles, that is why Thai people dance, enjoy and feel close to Reggae/Ska music and you can really feel that when you are in a festival in Thailand. As a result, a huge amount of bands with the same feelings and passion for Reggae/Ska as their successors appear around Thailand, especially in Bangkok, for example: Teddy Ska Band (Bangkok), Srirajah Rockers (Bangkok), Super Glasses Ska Ensemble (Bangkok), Zom Amara (Bangkok), Skalaxy (Bangkok), Madagasar11circle (Bangkok), DeepOSea (Bangkok), etc. Also, up and coming bands that use Dancehall (not far from new Jamaican Dancehall) like Miraculous (band from Bangkok formed by Kai-Jo Borthers members) or Budda Bless (Bangkok). Needless to say Reggae movement has engulfed capitals and small towns, whose Reggae-bars around the country keep the movement alive every night.

Unfortunately, Thai Reggae bands do not receive high financial rewards as does the Pop scene, forcing so many of the members of Reggae bands have full time jobs and some to perform occasionally with other bands. One unfortunate effect of this is that they are rarely able to undertake long tours, but do perform regularly at concerts throughout Thailand.

Finally, after exposing a short summary of the Reggae scene in Thailand I would like to give nuff respect to Kai-Jo Brothers, especially to PJo, who gave me the opportunity to be part of their lives and their Reggae music.