Music
Be�s back
By Tatat Bunnag, Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
Solo singer dedicates himself to soul
Back
in 2004, Crescendo were one of the biggest bands in the Kingdom. Their upbeat
funk and R&B blend made quite a stir on the Thai music scene.
Their songs �Venus,� �Din-Dan-Hang-Kwam-Ruk (The Land of Love),� �Kwam Jing Nai Jai (Truth in My Heart)� and �Lok Moon Duey Kwam Ruk (Love Keeps the World Spinning)� all took turns topping the charts.
Crescendo earned a huge fan base and gained rave reviews from music critics. They also won the Global Battle of the Bands and numerous other awards.
Besides the musical talents of the band, the key to Crescendo�s success was the stylish and soulful voice of 36-year-old Peerapat Tenwong (Be). But after releasing two albums and a handful of singles with the band, Be surprised fans by calling it quits.
Scarcely a year after his departure from Crescendo, Be is back with Dedicated to Love, his solo debut. Be recently squeezed in an interview with Student Weekly, just as his new single �Khon Deaw Nai Lok (Alone in the World) was racing up the charts. He spoke about music, inspiration and his former band.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Many fans still call you Be Crescendo. How do you feel about that?
BE: Well, my name is Be Peerapat. [Laughs.] Actually, I don�t mind when people call me that. I became successful because of Crescendo.
• Did you know • |
 Before
his days with Crescendo, Be was in the briefly famous pop group RRR&B. |
There were five people in that band, and people still remember me, so I�m proud of that. But Crescendo are still going with a new lead singer, so you should give the name to her instead.
STUDENT WEEKLY: What got you interest in music in the first place?
BE: Music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember.
My family has a repair shop, fixing TVs, radios and cassette players. We had to play music over and over to check if the players were working. I used to sing along to those songs all day.
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STUDENT WEEKLY: Why did you decide to become a professional singer rather than getting a regular day job?
BE: At first I wanted to be a guitarist. But my parents are Chinese, and I knew they wouldn�t be happy if I told them that I want to be a rock star! Musical instruments weren�t allowed in the house, so I had to be a singer.
Music is all I know. I�ve tried other things � office jobs, investing in a restaurant, the pub business � but nothing has worked for me like music has.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Both Crescendo�s music and your solo album are hugely inspired by soul and R&B. What do you like about those styles?
BE: I like melodic singing and vocal improvisation. But I was in a rock band before, and rock music doesn�t require much of that kind of singing.
One day I heard the song �End of the Road� by Boyz II Men, and it totally blew me away. I�d never heard anything like that before. From that day on, I started getting into soul music.
STUDENT WEEKLY: What�s the main difference between Crescendo�s early music and Dedicated to Love?
BE: Apart from my voice, everything else is completely different. Dedicated to Love is more accessible and has more of a pop feel.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Weren�t Crescendo a pop band?
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BE: Yes, but not in the same way as what I�m doing now. I wrote most of the music when I was with Crescendo, and I tried to include pop tunes as much as I could.
The rest of band were more into guitars, and they wanted to get deeper into improvisation. We had a lot of musical differences, which is why I decided to leave.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
BE: I�d like to be a producer or maybe run a small music label or production house. I plan to release a few more albums before I retire from performing.
I�ve been singing for more than 10 years, and I�ve learned that it�s good to stop while people still love you. Then you�ll be remembered for a long time.
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upbeat
(adj): positive
and enthusiastic IDIOMS call
it quits: to decide to stop doing something |
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