Chinese connection

Rookie BB enter the dragon

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

Boy band Rookie BB rose to fame with the help of social network websites, and they currently have more than 110,000 fans on Facebook. The guys - Sittha Sapanuchart (Iang), 21, Weerayut Chansook (Arm), 20 and Supasit Chinvinijkul (Pop), 19 - also stay close to their fans with Twitter and the free photo sharing site, Instagram.

Over the past year, Rookie BB have been busy hosting the TV variety show, Boy Series, as well as releasing several hit singles. Following up their popular ballad "Ying Gai Ying Gaai (So Close, Yet Too Far)," the guys are now promoting their vibrant new dance track, "Mai Rue Jak, Tae Rak Laew (Don't Know You, But I Love You)."

Student Weekly recently met up with Rookie BB for our special Chinese New Year issue. The guys, who all have Chinese backgrounds, told us what the occasion means to them, and about their latest showbiz activities.

Student Weekly: Is Chinese New year important to you guys?

Iang: Very important. My grandparents were immigrants from China. My mother and I visit our relatives in Ang Thong almost every year.

Arm: My mother is half Thai, half Chinese, so we pay respects to our ancestors every Chinese New Year.

Pop: My family takes Chinese New Year seriously. Lots of our relatives gather together and we have to pay respects to our ancestors.

Student Weekly: Do any of you speak any Chinese language?

Pop: When I was a primary school student, I took Mandarin classes for a year. But I didn't continue my lessons after I moved to Bangkok.

Student Weekly: Do you have any favourite Chinese New Year memories?

Iang: When I was very young and living in Ang Thong, I enjoyed watching the dragon and lion dances. I also enjoy the delicious food every year!

Pop: Three year ago, I visited many of my mother's and father's relatives, so I received lots of red money envelops from my elders. I met many people that day, including some relatives I didn't recognise.

Arm: When I was in junior high, I helped my mom prepare food for Chinese New Year. I felt happy in the evening eating the food that I helped to prepare.

Student Weekly: Why do you think Thai people with Chinese backgrounds have such a strong bond with Chinese culture?

Pop: Each new generation is taught to pay respects to their ancestors. I personally feel a connection with Chinese culture. I always help at a Chinese temple that provides free food to people in Ratchaburi during the Chinese vegetarian festival.

Arm: I've seen my parents arrange ceremonies to pay respects to our ancestors since I was very young. I think it's an important tradition, so I'll carry on doing it.

Student Weekly: What was it like working as hosts on Boy Series?

Pop: The first time was very difficult because we had no experience. We took about 13 hours to finish the first four programmes.

Iang: To make the show run smoothly, it was important for us to stick to the script and not make any mistakes.

Student Weekly: Iang, do you think that using Twitter affects your privacy, since you give updates so frequently?

Iang: No. It's up to the user. I usually just tweet stuff about our work or about interesting issues that come up.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your latest single, "Don't Know You, But I Love You"?

Arm: The songwriter wrote it after falling in love with a gorgeous stranger that he'd never met.

Iang: It's not really a romantic song. It's just about a guy flirting with a girl.

Student Weekly: Why should listeners try to download the single?

Arm: We put a lot of effort into this song. For the video, we tried acting in a way that we'd never done before. We're really satisfied with the song and the video, so please check it out!

Pop: It is a cute, fun song. It will definitely make you smile.

Dragon doll props courtesy of Zeen Zone, located at eight branches of Central Department Store. For more information, go to http://www.central.co.th.