INTERVIEW : ZAMINA
Interview by : Benjamin Leboyer
Pictures by : DR
on Friday, May 31st 2013 - 6 899 views
Our reggae world tour continues: we leave China for Vietnam, a country used to outside influences, having been invaded in turn by China, France, Japan and the United States. A country of revolt too, since the Vietnamese succeeded each time in repelling the invaders and keeping their own identity. The result is a teeming place, full of noise and life, which is changing and adapting to today's world by welcoming ever more coachloads of tourists.
Narrow, colourful houses, a swarm of two-wheelers, a mix of calm and energy: we are in Hanoi, the historic capital and former bastion of the French colony. There we meet Zamina, formerly "The Only Reggae Band": an international band of expats who, as their name indicated, are the forerunners and almost the only representatives of the movement here. A relaxed interview in a café-concert by a river, with Jude, the band's singer, and Ryan, the bassist.
Reggaefrance / You all come from different countries, so how did the band Zamina come about?
Zamina / We met in Hanoi about two and a half years ago and we immediately wanted to make music together. We come from different places and each have our own influences: there's Jude and Tommy, who are from Nigeria, Dave our bass player is Australian, Steeven the guitarist came from Britain, the drummer Zeb is Anglo-Argentinian and I myself am from Australia. Not forgetting the former members of the band who have just come back, Ryan and Luke, and the spirit of Jam, our Filipino, who wrote, sang and played guitar. So ideas fly, it's a constant source of creativity. Zamina means "Are you ready?", so get ready...
How is the music scene doing in Vietnam?
I'd say it's easier than before: quite a few gigs are organised, there are more and more places to play and bands form regularly. The problem is that most of them are formed by expat musicians, who will therefore leave one day, which can disrupt or even destroy a band. As for the audience, it's a bit the same issue, around 60% of the people at our gigs are foreigners, who come and go, so it's not very stable. But the Vietnamese population is very young and interested in what we do, in what's new in general. I think the best is yet to come. To be frank, our sound is groundbreaking here: apart from traditional music, the country has opened up to styles like rock, metal, punk and hip-hop, but reggae and African music are still niche. On the other hand, there's potential, we played this year at the CAMA festival, the biggest stage in the country, and the audience was very receptive to our music.
Your style is a hybrid, at the crossroads of reggae and African music. What are your influences?
Yes, it's a blend of roots reggae and afrobeat. You'll also find makossa (Nigeria), soukous (Congo) and also calypso. We write with every member of the band so it's not really a defined style. As for our influences, there's Fela Kuti of course, Jacob Miller, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals and also Asa, Jimmy Cliff… We like lots of things, actually!
 Le Vietnam est un endroit spécial qui change en permanence. On ne peut pas prévoir ce qui va se passer dans 5 ou 10 ans. 
Last year you released the album "Are you ready?".
That album came out of a gig, actually. Adrian, an Australian who was there, liked hearing us and wanted to use our music for his business, but we had nothing to distribute. So he paid for the studio (Kien Quyet Studios, Ed.) and the recording, and the album was born! It's a nice story, isn't it?
Can you make a living from music?
We don't make much money from the album, which is more of a promotional item, but it lets us cover costs and play in other cities. The thing is, we don't play for money but for pleasure. If we feel like doing a gig, we don't look too closely at the fee, we play. And the desires differ among the members of Zamina, some want to do more to develop us but others take it as it comes, we have different outlooks. In any case, we all work on the side, there are very few full-time musicians in Vietnam, however talented. The band means a lot to us, it's an important part of our lives and gives us an enormous amount in our respective lives. We are connected together.
How does the composing and songwriting process work? What are your lyrics about?
We try to create as naturally as possible, things come up during rehearsals, during jams, it can be a bass line or a drum rhythm. We talk to create around it, each of us adds our own touch and the lyrics are laid on top. Sometimes, some of us arrive with lyrics and the subjects are very varied: politics, the system, democracy, but also the feelings of the moment, life, women... I love writing for women!
What is your latest news and what are your wishes for the future?
We're in a writing phase at the moment and we'll play gigs straight afterwards to try out the new songs. But we still have to work on the harmonies, the recordings... I think it would be a good thing to record just a few good tracks and make a video to put out. We still need to talk it over all together, but we're aware that we're still a small band and not a big machine.
To finish, a few words about Vietnam?
It takes time to get to grips with the country and understand its history. It's a special place that is constantly changing. You can't predict what will happen in 5 or 10 years. Even if I leave one day, I'm sure I'll come back sooner or later because it's addictive. The culture, the history, the people, it's fascinating. But to fit in, you have to have been here for a long time, get off the beaten track and respect the place and the people who live here. And when you manage that, the Vietnamese repay your efforts a hundredfold, with their hospitality, their smiles and their eagerness to help you, to make life easier for you. It's a great country and a great people.
Zamina – Live at CAMA Festival 2012, Hanoi, Vietnam:
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