Hon tries not to think
By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs are courtesy of Yes! Music.
Did you know
Hon’s favourite singers are Be Peerapat, Ben Chalatit and Aof Pongsak.
Santi Vajanapanich (Hon), the new kid on the block who recently signed to RS’s Yes! Music label, has just released his debut single “Payayam Mai Kid (Try Not to Think).” The song has been well-received and the music video has already reached over 100,000 views.
Despite growing up in an upper-class family and enjoying success in business, the 23-year-old singer has travelled a difficult road to reach his musical dream. “Try Not to Think” is his heartbreaking ballad, and a glimpse of what Hon has to offer.
Student Weekly recently caught up with Hon to talk about the debut single and his passion for music.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us more about “Try Not to Think”?
Hon: It’s a ballad with piano, strings and acoustic guitar. It’s about a relationship break-up. When the person you love is not around anymore, you try not to think of them, but it’s impossible.
Student Weekly: Why did you choose a slow song as your first single?
Hon: Because it’s what I love. It’s who I am. My producer asked me what kind of song I would be interested in singing and I asked for a ballad. I’ve always wanted to sing an emotional love song and something that moves people. And when they played me the song for the first time, I was hooked!
Student Weekly: What was your first experience performing music?
Hon: Back when I was still in high school my friends formed a band to play at a school event. They invited me to help because they didn’t have a singer. I joined them onstage, and somehow I was able to get a lot of attention from the audience. From that moment I thought that maybe I could be a professional singer one day.
Student Weekly: Is it true that you almost gave up on chasing a singing career?
Hon: Yes, because I’ve faced so many obstacles before getting to this point. Since graduating from high school, I’ve joined a number of singing competitions, and failed them all. I joined CU Band when I was at Chulalongkorn University to study more about singing. Then I entered more competitions, but I never passed the second round before getting eliminated. One time I even came back home crying, and my dad started to worry about me.
Student Weekly: How did you get a deal with Yes! Music?
Hon: There’s one big music contest at my university, which I decided would be my last attempt. Fortunately, there was a scout from RS in the audience who saw me performing. They approached me after the show and invited me to audition at the label, and I eventually got the job.
Student Weekly: Apart from singing, are you busy with your business?
Hon: Yes, my family has a lot of businesses like importing car parts and real estate. I help them out sometimes, but I also run my own businesses such as a fruit export company, a clothing shop at Siam Paragon and a couple of restaurants which I co-own with friends. So, my life is pretty hectic at the moment. [Laughs.]
Vocabulary
- upper-class (adj): the groups of people that are considered to have the highest social status and that have more money than other people in society
glimpse (n): a short experience of something that helps you to understand it
obstacle (n): a thing that makes it difficult to do something
eliminate (v): to defeat a person so that they no longer take part in a competition
scout (n): a person sent out by a team to observe and recommend new talent
hectic (adj): very busy and full of activity
