Three decades of happiness

With Chatree “Ohm” Kongsuwan’s talent for breathing new life into old material and a cast of singers with fine voices, everything was in place for the recent “Ohm Chatree Live 2013: The Director’s Cut” at CentralWorld Live to be one of the best shows of 2013.

Sadly, anti-government protesters got in the way, with the crowds amassed around the concert venue at Ratchaprasong intersection resulting in a stack of empty seats. The organisers held off the start for an hour hoping that more fans would be able to make their way in but it was not to be.

“There was no way to anticipate what has happened today but we are determined that the audience will go home happy tonight,” Ohm told the crowd, after opening the show with “Into the Light”, the title track from his latest album, and an instrumental version of “Friends”.

The stage, packed with choral singers, musicians as well as musical instruments and equipment, also featured a large curved screen on which attractive and colourful scenes were projected through the show.

In line with the “Director’s Cut” theme, Ohm picked a range of songs from his impressive 30-year career and arranged them in such a way that they reflected the stories behind them.

This historical tableau opened with Patcha AF2 singing a jazzy version of Thongchai “Bird” McIntyre’s “Muen Pen Khon Uen”, the number that launched Ohm’s career as a songwriter. Boy Pisanu AF2 and Ann AF6 followed up with Mr Team’s “Chor Malee Ramluek” with the rhythms changed from electronic dance to “luk krung” or Thai pop.

Jeen AF1 was next on stage with “Thang Dern Haeng Rak” (“The Path of Love”), drawing laughter as she confided she hadn’t found love since appearing in the first season of the reality show.

Her AF mate Vit showed off his beat box talent as Ohm’s played lead guitar on an upbeat country version of “Luk Phoo Chai Mai Wan Wai” before bringing out the winner of AF10, Puriwat “Tungbeer” Teerachat, for a cheerful cover of “Sak Wan”.

While many deride the vocal and performance abilities of the young AF contestants, most of them, and certainly the ones at this concert, have made considerable progress since their talent show days, serving up high quality and powerful vocals with emotion. 

Ohm’s friends, Tik Shiro and Apichai Yenpoonsuk, performed with him on “Brave and Crazy” and Danuphol Kaewkan’s “Nid Nueng Phor”, with Tik showing his own talent on the drum kit and entertaining the audience with a series of jokes.

Wei Wei was next up with an acoustic cover of Palmy’s “Stay”, the last song on which Ohm worked as a songwriter at GMM Grammy. Ton AF8 showed his soulful voice on his first release “Ther Mee Wela Fang Khae Nai” while Tao AF8 raised excitement levels with “Phroh Ther Khon Diew.” K and Baimonh from AF9 brought a new mood to “Tha Pen Ther” and “Wai Wan”, which sounded better than ever with a country arrangement that melded fiddle with keyboard.

Ohm performed The Innocent’s golden oldie “Hen Jai Kan Noi” and much-loved rocker Olarn Phromjai jammed with him on Jida’s “Terminal” and a reprise of “Friends” again.

The songwriter switched to keyboards to accompany Pum AF7 on “Dai Rak Ther Kor Phor Laew”, a soundtrack of TV series “Coffee Prince” then swung back to the past with The Innocent’s “Phieng Khrueng Jai”.

Lookpong and Eingeing of AF4 made a surprising duet on J Jetrin’s “Jeb Pai Jeb Ma” before handing over the stage to special guest Setha Sirachaya, who performed The Innocent’s hit “Phieng Krasib.”

The four-hour concert ended with all the artists gathering on stage for “Rak Kan Talod Pai”, perhaps hoping to convey the message to the crowds at the intersection that we, as Thais, should love each other.