Teerawat “Art” Ukris

VIOLINIST, RONGNGENG POETRY GARDEN

Industry : The Arts

Teerawat or Art, a musician from Krabi, is passionate about the traditional rongngeng music of the sea gypsies, which dates back to the maritime silk route. Since the violin is a key instrument in this type of music (a modern interpretation of the rebab), his skill makes him a natural fit for the preservation of this dying folk music. Art follows in the footsteps of his poet father, who was integral in putting Andaman rongngeng on the cultural map and establishing the Rongngeng Poetry Garden to keep the tradition alive and cultivate young musicians. Art was the one to take rongngeng to a wider audience, making it more contemporary by incorporating jazz and blues to attract interest, even performing for vow redemptions to survive. Despite the lack of experts and music specialists in this field, he is proud that he has helped rongngeng gain popularity on a wider scale and promoted this aspect of the traditional southern folk lifestyle. He has plans to continue creating a space and organizing music events for those interested in rongngeng music. He is also an avid Star Wars fan, drawing inspiration from the quotes in the films.