About the band
Sabai Are a four-piece, based in Edinburgh Scotland. This is how it began…
Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2000
A chance meeting between multi-instrumentalists – Briton Fiona Raggatt and Canadian Miranda Swift – both in Chiang Mai teaching English – led to the creation of Sabai, a musical collaboration.
With Miranda on guitar and Fiona playing fiddle, the pair soon became live favourites around the city’s numerous bars and clubs. Adding to their repertoire almost weekly, the pair developed a solid song-writing partnership based around their mutual love of indigenous folk music, world rhythms and the art of telling a good story.
The pair played, wrote and performed throughout Thailand for the next 6 years, only returning westwards a handful of times to busk and explore.
It was on one of these busman’s adventures, to the Edinburgh Festival in 2004, that the duo decided to relocate their association.
Edinburgh, Scotland – 2008
Fast forward a few years and the Edinburgh based Sabai are now a four-piece, with the addition of local musicians Roy Jackson (bass) and Malc McIntosh(keys & beats). The new band play a handful of small-scale UK festival dates and gig intermittently, favouring rehearsal over exposure at this stage of their development.
Their live shows are powerful, engaging affairs. The industry they devote to honing their songs in the studio and rehearsal is matched equally by the energy and skill they apply to each performance. Poignant, rousing, often humorous, always great.
‘Sabai’ is a Thai word meaning to be in a comfortable or contented state.
Meet the Team
Call Sign: Skylarker
Inner-Demon: Crab-eating Macacque
Superskill: Respect of all Beasts
Miranda SwiftGuitar, vocals. A True-Norther, Half Scottish, half-way home.Call Sign: Nehemiah
Inner-Demon: Wild Horses
Superskill: Good Vibrations
Roy JacksonBass, vocals, keys, locks. Warrior Giant amongst men
Call Sign: Wolfbrother
Inner-Demon: Gunnolf
Superskill: Sharkcharmer
Malc McIntosh Keys, beats, vocals, The Enchanting Wizard of Rhythm
Call Sign: ?
Inner-Demon: Quequeg
Superskill: Positive Visualisation