BY JASNITA AHMAD and GILLIAN NESSLYN
KUCHING: An alternative rock band from Sarawak is gaining listeners from as far as the Middle East and North America.
Interestingly Radak Nyawa, a four-piece band comprising Iban members belts out songs in their mother tongue.
With the hope of flooding their songs on the radio and other streaming platforms in the future, they sat down with Sarawak Tribune to share a glimpse of the band and their journey.
From challenges as a ‘do-it-yourself’ band, they reveal how they survived while having the unique blend of Iban culture with rock music.
Sarawak Tribune: Could you share the background story of Radak Nyawa and when it was officially established?
Ben Jr: The band was founded by me, as a three-piece group with myself as the vocalist, guitarist, and composer, along with T-Rance on drums and Barraw as our bassist.
Later, we welcomed our fourth member, Kingsley, as the second guitarist.
Although we had been creating music long before the COVID-19 pandemic, we officially established the band on April 30, 2023.
Sarawak Tribune: Can you introduce the members of Radak Nyawa and the instruments they play?
T-Rance: I’m T-Rance, the band’s drummer. This is my second band; my first band was Space Bird. I am of Iban-Bidayuh descent.
Ben Jr: I’m Ben Jr, the vocalist, composer, lyricist, guitarist and founder of the band. I am Iban.
Kingsley: I’m Kingsley, the second guitarist. I am Iban and have been part of multiple bands in the past.
Barraw: I’m Barraw, the bassist, and I am an Iban from Sibu. Before joining this band, I was also in another band, but as a drummer.
Sarawak Tribune: What is the significance behind the name Radak Nyawa?
Ben Jr: Radak in Iban means ‘jeritan’ (screams) or ‘laungan’ (shouts), while Nyawa means ‘suara’ (voice).
It’s similar to how our elders would say “anang radak-radak”, which means “do not be too loud or noisy”. This perfectly reflects our music style, which carries an intense and expressive sound.
Sarawak Tribune: How would you describe the band’s genre, and what influenced this choice?
Ben Jr: We do not label ourselves strictly as a punk band but rather embrace whatever our audience perceives us to be. However, our sound leans more towards alternative rock and progressive rock.
Sarawak Tribune: Considering that Iban culture is deeply rooted in tradition, has the band faced any criticism for incorporating alternative rock into Iban music?
Ben Jr: Our music focuses more on the positive side rather than the negative.
While our genre is often associated with rebellion, we lean more towards a positive vibe. Even in our lyrics, we avoid slurs or offensive words that set us apart from the usual expectations of the genre.
As for criticism, we have yet to receive any, but if we do, we will take it as a lesson rather than harsh or hateful judgment.
Barraw: Actually, our songs reflect our band’s collective musical influences, from what we listened to in our younger days up until now.
Sarawak Tribune: What initially inspired each of you to pursue music, and how did your musical journey begin?
Ben Jr: I started playing music at the age of nine by learning the guitar because I saw my eldest brother playing it. Back then, the only instrument at home was a borrowed kapok guitar from my brother’s friend. I often joined them for jam sessions during high school.
In Form Four, I got serious about forming a band called Antidotes, but it is currently on hiatus.
Later, in medical school, I met T-Rance (the drummer), and we formed another band during college just for fun, called The Phelangi & The Extraordinary Rock Lempeng.
After finishing college and starting work, I reconnected with T-Rance and finally got serious about forming Radak Nyawa.
Sarawak Tribune: Aside from Ethnic Transmission, are there any other musicians who have influenced your music?
Ben Jr: If we are talking about local bands, it is definitely Ethnic Transmission.
For me, a few underground bands from Indonesia also play a role in influencing our music. For international bands, I would say Ramones. Everyone in the band has different influences.
Barraw: For me, I was inspired to pick up the guitar after listening to bands from the ’90s, especially Nirvana. Over time, my taste in music evolved, and I started exploring new metal as well.
Radak Nyawa’s sound is a mix of the different styles we all love and listen to.
Sarawak Tribune: What are the biggest challenges of being an independent band without the support of a major organisation?
Ben Jr: Time management is a challenge since all the band members work full-time in government jobs, so we only have weekends to practise.
Financial challenges also exist because we have to use our own budget for transportation and accommodation when travelling for shows outside Kuching.
Everything, including writing songs, recording demos, mastering, mixing, creating merchandise, and promotion, is done independently using our own budget and merch sales.
Sarawak Tribune: Where can listeners access Radak Nyawa’s music?
Ben Jr: Our music is available on YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and all major platforms. Simply search for ‘Radak Nyawa’.
What we currently have on these platforms are mostly demos and live recordings, as we want to keep it raw for now, but properly produced material will be coming soon.
Barraw: For now, we only have live recordings, but proper studio recordings are on the way. Hopefully, we will eventually release our music in physical formats such as CDs or cassettes.
Sarawak Tribune: Do you hope that your music contributes to the preservation and modernisation of the Iban language and culture?
Ben Jr: Yes, I believe so. Our lyrics are written in proper Iban, though not in a literary or poetic style.
T-Rance: It is more like every-day spoken Iban rather than the classical or literary version.
Ben Jr: Exactly, it is more like conversational Iban, the kind spoken in urban areas. We do not mix it with English or other languages.
Sarawak Tribune: Given that music transcends language barriers, how do you believe non-Iban speakers can still connect with your music?
Ben Jr: Music is universal. Even if people do not understand the lyrics, they can still enjoy the energy and sound. Look at how we listen to K-pop – we do not necessarily understand the lyrics, but we still enjoy the music.
Based on our Spotify statistics, our audience is not limited to Malaysia. We have listeners from the UAE, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and even the USA.
Kingsley: For me, melody is what matters most. If the melody is good, the language does not matter. As long as people can connect with the song, that is enough.
Ben Jr: That is exactly what we are aiming for, but we also hope that our mother tongue can reach a larger audience outside Malaysia.
Sarawak Tribune: If Radak Nyawa could leave one lasting message through its music, what would it be?
The band: We hope that our music can be enjoyed by anyone who listens to it, regardless of how popular or obscure it may be.
What matters most is that our songs can convey the emotions and stories we want to share.
Even if some listeners do not understand the lyrics, we hope they can still feel the meaning and emotions behind the song.
