British duo Thandii, Graham Godfrey and Jessica Berry, are two musicians who came together and are hoping to bring together cultures and genres through their new release Coco Okaya, with legendary Filipino drummer Jun Regalado.
Ahead of the album’s release, we spoke to the duo about their experiences with the album, the link to heritage and culture, and the essence of the group.
While everyone has their own origin story, Jessica and Graham were seemingly brought together by fate and their love of music, as they explained that they both met as gigging musicians in and around East London.
While studying pre-colonial music of the Philippines, namely the Kulintang, they were first introduced to his track “Pinoy Funk.” While the influences had been woven into their music for some time, it was a shock to hear that Jun Regaldo had been doing it for decades. “He is a trailblazer and I was in awe that we got the chance to work with him.”
For Graham, who is half-Filipino, the collaboration meant a lot, especially growing up in the UK and feeling a “disconnect” to that side of himself and his culture, helping him to explore his roots.
“As artists, if we’re lucky, we get to discover parts of who we are buried in the work we do,” he said. “Art is crucial for learning about our inner psyche and wider observations. My Mother is from Negros in the Visayas, and exploring that side of my roots has been invaluable in learning who I am and who I want to become.”
Ahead of making the album, a trip to Manila, the Philippines, was the starting point. While describing it as “such a vibrant and stimulating place,” they revealed that it had a “massive impact” on the music created for the album.
They added, “The album is heavily inspired by a scene that was popular in the mid-70s and dubbed ‘The Manila Sound.’”
Yet, the two styles of music by Thandii and Jun Regaldo necessitated blending British alt-soul with something very different, and the end product was “Magic,” according to the duo. In particular, it was revealed that when they all came together, with some rough ideas but zero expectations, they started playing together, and it led to something truly special and unique, bringing out a special connection.
“When we started playing together, I felt an immediate lifelong connection to Jun that manifested in a synergy with his groove and pocket that I’ve only experienced with a few musicians over my life,” she recounted. “It’s the kind of connection that can only come from a shared understanding of culture. We have this term KAPWA in Sikolohyang Pilipino (Philippine Psychology) that pertains to seeing ‘yourself’ in the ‘other’. I think Philippine musicians have a deep power within to connect with each other on a sub-conscious level.”
The blending of genres in the album has been dubbed “MAR-NILA,” and it comes from two very different locations, Margate on the Southeast coast of the UK, and the Philippines, which have more similarities than first expected.
“Margate is known all around the world for its creativity and being a melting pot for Artists. The same can be said for the Philippines. It feels like we authentically combined the sound of MAR-gate with Ma-NILA. We run a recording studio in the UK named HaloHalo (meaning mix-mix), so we’re no strangers to combining flavours together and breaking down invisible barriers.”
The album not only brings together different genres, but it is the perfect set of songs for the summer. In particular, it uses music production and sound effects to create those feelings, sourced from studios in Margate and Quezon City. All the songs are unique, but for Graham and the album’s link to his Filipino background, “The Return” holds a special place, one that many people will experience, especially those with mixed heritage.
“It’s about the feeling of not knowing where home is. It’s specifically about feeling isolated from a part of yourself.”
When it comes to the album’s message and how they want listeners to feel when they hear the songs, it’s all about music as a healer and a force that brings people together.
“Despite what the news tells you, connection across borders is universally important. The album feels like it’s maybe about bridging/connecting, bringing together. If you can, let the music move your body. That’s the most important thing to bear in mind when you’re listening to Coco Okayo. Allow the rhythms and the vibrations to take hold and move you in whatever way feels right. We’re big believers in music as a healer, and the sounds have a better chance of resonating when they reach moving bodies; there is energy to bounce off of.”
When it comes to the future of Thandii, this is just the start, and they have big dreams not only to continue to discover Philippine pre-colonial music and incorporate it into the music, but a desire to collaborate with many other artists, including Tarsius, _By.Alexander, Kaytranada, Ella Feingold, and Low Leaf.
With Coco Okaya set to be released in September, the future of Thandii is limitless, bringing together genres and cultures to create something special and unique with their music.
Thandii is on Instagram here.