musician – Tom Vater

An interview with Thailand-based musician Hugo: “What kind of person wants to be in power?”, in Roadbook

May 31, 2022tom

I interviewed the fantabulous pop star Hugo for Roadbook the other day… Hugo Chakrabongse Levy is a warm, otherworldly, and handsome presence – a man of bell-bottom trousers, ornate shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and hand-rolled orange-flavoured cigarettes. He’s also a rock star. Born in the UK, Hugo, as he’s known, attended school in London until he […]

Interviewing Pyra – Thailand’s Dystopian Pop Deity.

July 19, 2021August 25, 2021tom

Had a great time interviewing Pyra, a Thai pop diva with things to say about her country and culture. “A few years ago, I had the chance to meet Jack Marr. I told him I had met a lot of rich people who were very unhappy. He agreed with me. He said he’d given all […]

A Baul’s Railway Song – India’s Hobo Musicians

June 12, 2004October 31, 2019tomLeave a Comment

The plains of West Bengal stretch into a milky horizon. In May, much of the rice has just planted and the midday sun’s glare is reflected in the shallow paddies. Here and there, small clusters of mud and straw huts form tiny hamlets in an ocean of green. The Kanrup Express takes more than 30 […]