Sufficiency economy, and all that jazz
By Martin J Young
HUA HIN, Thailand - Once a year this quiet coastal resort town on the Gulf of
Thailand comes alive with the dulcet tones of jazz on the beach and the
thousands of revelers who journey here to get into the swing of things.
The royal Thai holiday destination usually attracts the older European tourist
looking to avoid some of the livelier hot spots in Thailand, but it is also
very popular with weekend visitors from Bangkok, only a little over two hours
away by car. On any day of
the year Hua Hin boasts kilometers of wide sandy beach, fine seafood
restaurants and a number of world-class golf courses. Added to its repertoire
is an increasingly popular music festival, now in its sixth year. However, it
could be in danger of becoming the victim of its own success.
Imagine
the setting: late afternoon under blue skies on a tropical beach in Thailand, a
warm breeze comes in off the ocean, carrying with it the mellow sound of a
saxophone. Find yourself a shady spot under a coconut palm, get yourself a cool
drink from one of the many outlets set up for the event, relax and take in the
ambience. The scene couldn't be more idyllic.
The annual Hua Hin Jazz Festival has been growing in popularity every year
since it started and is now beginning to attract international artists. In the
early days, stages were erected around the town and it was primarily a local
affair, with small bands from Bangkok eager to show off their talent. Jazz is
not a typically Thai genre; however, it has generated quite a following,
primarily because the revered monarch, King Bhumiphol Adulyadej, is a keen sax
player and jazz enthusiast.
As the festival grew in popularity over time, larger sponsors were attracted to
it, such as Heineken, which currently sponsors the event and has done so for
the past few years. The festival reached a height in 2005 with four separate
stages and artists rotating over the three-day event. The atmosphere was simply
electric as a combination of jazz, blues, funk and rock bands showcased their
talents. International artists started to show an interest; such luminaries as
Bill Bruford, Michael Blake and Malene Mortensen entertained the crowds the
following year, 2006, when two stages were set up on the beach.
This year, the Hua Hin Jazz Festival this year, held on June 8-9, also didn't
disappoint, with a great selection of local musicians and the Friday-night
highlight of Montefiori Cocktail, an Italian jazz band who played an eclectic
mix of new and classic tunes and were the only act of the day to get the crowd
on their feet. Festival-goers were spotted dancing in the ocean as the tide
came in and even on the rocks (hin) from which the town derives its
name.
Of
the twin brothers who form the band, Francesco (Kekko) plays keyboards and
Federico (Kikko) is on sax, flute and vocals. Montefiori are Italy's major
representative of the easy-listening evolution. Offering 60s sounds enriched
with technological elements, they have played in more than 500 concerts around
the globe.
Day 2 of the festival was even busier as more crowds arrived from Bangkok to
see local pop stars and enjoy the beach atmosphere. One of the highlights of
the evening was local guitarist Prode Tanapat, who was simply outstanding with
guitar solos that give you goose bumps. He graduated from the world-class
Berklee College of Music in Boston, having majored in guitar performance, and
has done workshops with jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.
The final act of the festival was Scandinavian jazz and blues diva Caroline
Henderson, whose jazz roots stem from her father Rudy, a black American jazz
musician. As expected, a powerful performance was delivered, and by this late
stage in the evening the throng at the small beach venue was heaving.
Devolution ...
Over the past two years the organizers have scaled back the event despite the
growing number of people traveling to Hua Hin to see it. From four stages
spread over a kilometer or so in 2005 to two stages on the beach in 2006, it
was reduced to just a single stage this year. It was also cut back from three
nights to two, so it may now be more fitting to call it a jazz concert rather
than a festival.
The problem now is that it is on the verge of becoming an internationally
recognized event at a time when Thailand may be losing its taste for such
things. A number of representatives from the event organizers' company, CM
Organizer of Bangkok, simply replied with the reason of "sufficiency economy"
when questioned about the diminution of the event. They also acknowledged
problems with stage positioning last year on a narrow strip of beach with an
incoming tide.
"Sufficiency economy" seems to be the political buzzword of 2007 in Thailand.
In essence, it is a system promoted by the royal family for the kingdom to
become less dependent on foreign investment, technology and industry and more
dependent on the Thai people themselves. It is a notion based on the Buddhist
concept of doing everything in moderation. Evidence of it is starting to filter
through with what we witnessed over the jazz-festival weekend; as well, in
recent weeks and months there has been a series of further clampdowns on visas
for foreigners wishing to visit, work and live in Thailand.
It seems that this great event may suffer as a consequence. With an estimated
15,000 people squeezed into a strip of beach 25 meters or so wide with an
incoming tide, it didn't make for a family-friendly venue unless you were happy
to sit 500 meters away from the stage and watch it on the big screen. Access to
the beach was limited to a single alleyway no more than 3 meters wide, and the
provision of a single block of toilets also did not appear adequate.
It appears that the jazz festival this year has been scaled back to what is in
essence a beach party for Bangkok high society. With fewer international acts
than previous years and only one venue, it was evident that efforts have been
put in place to scale it back to its roots as a local level. Promotion was also
very limited, with a press release and the official days being announced just a
few weeks before it was due to take place. This does no favors for
international visitors who need to make travel plans if they want to attend.
It is possible that the small town of Hua Hin could not cope with such an
influx of people, which may go some way toward an explanation of some of the
cutbacks. There is also a vast web of political and financial reasons for the
scaling down and, as usual, the Thai response to questioning such things is a
simple smile.
Despite
a few organizational and overcrowding problems and limited promotion of the
event, it was still something quite spectacular. After all, you don't need to
be a jazz enthusiast to enjoy the ambience of a beach festival and good music.
The atmosphere at the stage was thrilling, providing you could get anywhere
near it, and the musical talent on display was outstanding. And it's not every
day that you get to see a free jazz festival on a beach in Thailand.
Still, those of us who love music and Hua Hin itself only hope that the town's
largest annual event becomes less "self-sufficient" and is allowed to grow into
a music festival of the international status it truly deserves.
Martin J Young is an Asia Times Online correspondent based in Thailand.
For more information and images from the Hua Hin Jazz Festival, see
www.jazzfestivalhuahin.com , and for more on Hua Hin, visit
www.tourismhuahin.com.
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
Imagine
the setting: late afternoon under blue skies on a tropical beach in Thailand, a
warm breeze comes in off the ocean, carrying with it the mellow sound of a
saxophone. Find yourself a shady spot under a coconut palm, get yourself a cool
drink from one of the many outlets set up for the event, relax and take in the
ambience. The scene couldn't be more idyllic.
Of
the twin brothers who form the band, Francesco (Kekko) plays keyboards and
Federico (Kikko) is on sax, flute and vocals. Montefiori are Italy's major
representative of the easy-listening evolution. Offering 60s sounds enriched
with technological elements, they have played in more than 500 concerts around
the globe.
Despite
a few organizational and overcrowding problems and limited promotion of the
event, it was still something quite spectacular. After all, you don't need to
be a jazz enthusiast to enjoy the ambience of a beach festival and good music.
The atmosphere at the stage was thrilling, providing you could get anywhere
near it, and the musical talent on display was outstanding. And it's not every
day that you get to see a free jazz festival on a beach in Thailand.
