After headlining the ‘Thai’ night at last year’s Koh Samui Festival, then wowing the crowds with a hastily arranged, surprise performance at CoCo Blues Bar on Chaweng Beach Road later the same evening, Sek Loso heads back to Samui for one night at CoCo Blues on Saturday March 11.
The Sek Loso concert is part of the ongoing music policy of CoCo Blues to increase the number of Thai artists performing at the venue. “We feel that it is important to bring top Thai artists to CoCo Blues,” said venue owner Alan Sadd. “The Sek Loso concert will give the Thai community in the South the opportunity to see one of the best Thai bands around.”
While anticipating a mainly local audience, Sadd is hopeful that the international interest generated by recent Sek Loso concerts in Europe and the US will also encourage foreign visitors to come and enjoy one of Thailand’s top rock musicians strut his stuff.
Sek Loso’s meteoric rise to fame is the stuff of Thai dreams. Born Sekson Sookpimai, he began working at the age of 12, labouring in jewellery factories and assembling air conditioners in Bangkok. On meager wages he managed to save up enough money to buy a cheap guitar and in 1991 he took his first fledgling steps on the rock n roll path to stardom by working out the chords to his favourite Guns ‘n’ Roses songs.
Not long after, he managed to talk his way on to the stage at one of the city’s leading live music venues. Within a year he was leading the house band, playing Thai rock, indie and pop, as well as cover versions of Greenday, Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix songs. It was, however, his own compositions that hit a nerve with Thai fans; to date he has sold more than 12 million CDs.
After reading a biography of Jimi Hendrix, Loso, which means “Low Class” in the Thai vernacular, set his sights on global exposure.
In his quest for international recognition, Loso spent a year in London, learning English. It was here that he recruited former Oasis guitarist Bonehead and cut his first English album, For God's Sake, which was produced by Owen Morris, the man on the board for Oasis and the Verve. Owen had been turned on to Sek Loso by American producer Tim Carr (Beastie Boys, Megadeth), who recognised the potential of Loso to transcend musical, social and national boundaries.
Taking time out from the global Rock ‘n’ Roll circus to return to CoCo Blues for one night only is a fitting nod of approval for the musical waves the owners of the bar are making on the island. CoCo Blues Bar has indeed set a new benchmark for live music on Samui having already hosted many legendary blues artists including Ike Turner, the Blues Brothers, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Canned Heat and Zakiya Hooker, daughter of the father of the blues John Lee Hooker. As the organising force behind the Koh Samui Music Festival, Sadd has also promoted other styles of music, bringing such names as Jerry Lee Lewis, UB40, the Wailers, Jools Holland as well as major Thai acts such as Modern Dog, T Bone and of course, Sek Loso, to entertain music lovers on Samui.
Looking to the future, Sadd is currently in touch with music promoters worldwide to check on the availability of other major names to the island. “We are currently compiling list of possible artist from all over the world, we will be then checking to see who will be available,” he said. “We hope to be able to make a final announcement on major international talent heading this way by the end of March. In the meantime, we are really excited to be able to bring Sek Loso back to Samui and are looking forward to him rocking the house,” he added.
