Unlocking The Malaysian Reggae Scene: Interview With Sasi The Don

Although it has been long recognized as an international art form, reggae music still struggles to gain a great foothold in Malaysia.  But why is this? Is the reggae message lost in translation in this corner of Southeast Asia?

“Reggae had its prime time in the late 90s and early 2000s, there were so many Reggae artists, Shaggy, Diana King , the Marley brothers, they had quite a big influence in Asia and then in the early 2000s we had Sean Paul and the rest of the new generation dancehall artists who were taking over the world at that time. Radio stations used to play Sean Paul, Shaggy and Diana King, the more mainstream ones, Reggae was very popular, there was a huge following back at that time in Malaysia,” Reggae artist Sasi the Don told DancehallMag.

Malaysia is a country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The country is known for its beaches, rain forests and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is home to colonial buildings, busy shopping districts and the famous 451 metre tall Petronas Twin Towers with Islamic motifs.

“Bob Marley is a very popular figure in Malaysia and South East Asia. Bob has a widespread presence in Indonesia, Singapore , Vietnam, The Philippines, and Thailand. I’ve travelled to all the cities and I’ve seen his posters, bars and  clubs in support of Reggae music in all these countries. To me, you don’t really find that scene today, things have changed, a lot of hip hop, pop and R & B in the world, Reggae is a genre that has a bit of a struggle but eventually Reggae gets there. We struggle but we get there,” Sasi the Don said.

Over the years, the number of reggae bands may have increased – there are more than 60 to 70  in the country now – but the margin of growth has not been that significant.

“We have many reggae bars in many islands in this country, so you have reggae at the beach bars in Pantai Tengah Langkawi, and in Kuala Lumpur, we had four or five before pandemic, but many have shut down, things have changed,” Sasi the Don said.

“Before the pandemic, a lot of clubs were in favour of the good vibes of reggae. It is improving, we don’t get much of New Age Reggae playing in Southeast Asia. I do my part, I popularize Sean Paul and Shenseea and anything from Beenie Man, I spread the word, I post about their new songs , that is what I do as one person but you don’t see the labels pushing what is current right now,” he mused.

Malaysia is an upper-middle-income country and boasts one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant economies, which is the fruit of decades of industrial growth and political stability. The stability could have been a boon for reggae bands but that promise has not materialized.

“They are underground, not mainstream. During the pandemic, a lot of bands did not come together for a long time. These bands have really struggled because of the pandemic, some are trying now to get together to write with new songs and come up with new recordings but it is tough,” he said.

How exactly do reggae bands in Malaysia survive if they do not get airplay, aren’t signed by record labels, and don’t have regular live showcases?

“When the bands try to produce music in live showcases, the support from mainstream media is not there,  but they have fans but they are part-time musicians, they have other jobs. There remains a huge following for the genre on the underground scene. In Kuala Lumpur, we do have a lot of clubs and bars which are slowly opening up after the pandemic, so things are improving,” he said.

Many reggae bands traditionally do well in the reggae bars in the tourist trap of Pantai Tengah, Langkawi, with its pristine beaches and the Caribbean-like setting of sun, sea, beach and tourists who may be more receptive to reggae music in such a setting. One major problem retarding Reggae’s growth is the lack of new bankable stars to drive the genre forward and force promoters and labels to sit up and pay attention.

“The reggae scene is still dominated by the veterans. A lot of clubs play reggae, Bob and Sean Paul is big in Malaysia and veterans like Diana, Shaggy and Sean still play on radio. Sri Lanka is a tourist hub which definitely has a lot of small quiet bars and clubs and big ones, sometimes you feel you are in Jamaica, it is a total different feel. Thailand has the biggest reggae movement, in all Southeast Asia, besides Malaysia, there are bands in Bangkok, in Phuket, in Ko Samui, and all the tourist destinations, reggae is still popular,” he said.

Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, is a large city known for ornate shrines and vibrant street life. Phuket is a rainforested, mountainous island that is home to some of Thailand’s most popular beaches.  Ko Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island, and is known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest, plus luxury resorts and posh spas.

“I am the one of the few reggae artists who gets mainstream radio play here, I carry my music and myself into the mainstream. Most reggae band members are not full time, they have a day job. I know one band whose band members all work for government agencies and organizations under the government of Malaysia. They get together and jam and play gigs over the weekend. The majority of band members have a full time job, they don’t depend much on playing gigs , it is like a hobby, a passion, they love playing to a crowd, just spreading positive vibes,” Sasi the Don explained.

Some of the major names in Reggae in Southeast Asia include Red-I from the Philippines, Dub Addiction from Cambodia, Masia One from Singapore, Saw Poe Kwar from Myanmar, Srirajah Rockers from Thailand, Ras Muhamad from Indonesia, and The Garrison, a socio-political punk reggae band from Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

“In Malaysia, they usually play UK or US top 40 and anything else that comes local, will have challenges. Local Malaysian artist have challenges but it is all about the song, if you have good music, you will get good airplay. I am constantly building my brand in India, you need to tell stories, people need to understand what you are all about, people always refer us to marijuana and Bob Marley, but we are more than that, reggae musicians are all ’bout love and peace; that is what completes reggae and its journey,” he said.

Reggae has played a pivotal role in societies throughout the world, contributing to the development of new counter-culture movements such as new waves of ska, punk, dancehall, hip hop, dub and underground bass music. However, Reggae itself has been squeezed out of the mainstream because of a lack of major label support in Malaysia.

Most bands generate promo and publicity via Facebook and with the help of the Malaysian Reggae community. Hence, Reggae and ska bands such as Salammusik, Gerhana Skacinta, Pure Vibracion, Plague of Happiness and Republic of Brickfields struggle to find traction in the marketplace.

But Sasi the Don remains optimistic.

“It’s all about the song , if a reggae artist knows how to approach radio, he will find his break,” he said.

Malaysian Reggae star Sasi The Don is hoping that his new single titled ‘Come Follow Me’ will make a big impact on the local music scene.

“I hope that my new single will be warmly received in Jamaica because the island of Jamaica and its people are very dear to my heart. Although I’ve never been to Jamaica its culture and music has made a profound impact on my life. I grew up listening to Reggae and Dancehall music in Malaysia. That’s how I learned about Jamaican culture and how to speak patois,” said the artist.

Come Follow Me was produced by platinum-certified Swedish-based producer Tomas Granlind. Visuals were released with the single on March 11th. The single is available on all leading digital platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Sasi The Don has worked with several Jamaican musicians and artists including Maxi Priest and Taddy P. Some of his other songs are Island Queen done with Maxi Priest, Daddy Don and Humpty Dumpty featuring Eli.

“There are no major reggae festivals in Malaysia. The most recent festival in the area was a 2017 festival in Sri Lank , besides that, no major reggae festivals. There has been none in recent years, but since 2000, you may have a reggae act in different festivals here. Shaggy is a big name in Malaysia, acts like Big Mountain, Diana King, and The Wailers…that was awesome when the Wailers came to Kuala Lumpur to perform,” he said.

Over a decade ago, there were once major events such as a One Love Reggae Festival which was last held in 2012 and in December 2016, there was a Skankin Festival that featured 12 local reggae and ska bands. But such major showcases are as rare as a unicorn sighting.

Sasi the Don said that the experiences of the global pandemic have forced him to change his vision of what a reggae artist should project into the universe.

“It is important to bring the reggae movement to a whole new level and the pandemic has encouraged me to look at music with a different perspective, the reputation has to be larger and the music has to be greater . As a reggae pioneer and enthusiast, I would love to bring a reggae festival into Malaysia,” he said.