When Somsak Rinnaira posted on his Facebook page that he would save up money to go compete in The Voice, he was not totally serious. That was back in 2013 when Somsak was just a 21-year-old college student who worked part-time at a KFC branch in Chiang Rai.
Somsak Rinnaira enters a new phase in life after winning The Voice Season 3.
As time passed, however, he couldn't shake the idea of entering the contest and so decided to save up the money and travel to Bangkok. He went to the audition, outsang a horde of favourites and, earlier this month, won season three of the reality singing competition show.
Somsak, who is now known as "Noom The Voice", brought home a 3 million baht prize, a Toyota Altis, and a record deal that guarantees a pay cheque of at least 4.5 million within three years. Not bad for someone who, just a year ago, was frying chicken.
During his period of metamorphosis from nobody to famous personality, Somsak said that he is aware that he is being watched and loved by a large part of the country, as after all, Somsak scored 43% of the public vote over his other three rivals at the season finale.
"I was dumbstruck," said Somsak, as he recalled the moment when he found out he was the winner of the show on Dec 14. "I'm still dumbstruck."
During a recent interview with Life, he appeared awkward, tense and candid; very much like he appeared on television whenever he spoke in front of the camera.
Aside from his obvious singing ability, it was this charmingly nervous personality, coupled with tales of his rural and simple background, that were believed to be important elements that endeared him to audiences.
Somsak Rinnaira.
Born to parents who are farmers, Somsak described his childhood as "plain vanilla" — bland and ordinary — and described scenes of running in fields and jumping into ponds with friends.
Somsak does not remember exactly when he first picked up a microphone, but it was not until his talent for mimicking famous singers and managing to sing in the right key was noticed by his friends that he began to realise he had a talent. He used to practice in karaoke joints and, of course, in the shower, but never had any vocal training experience.
"I just liked to sing for fun," said Somsak, now a student at Rajamangala University of Technology Chiang Rai. "I just sang and I continued to sing. If there was one thing that I was really good at, it was singing."
The popularity of reality singing contests over the past decade has created a platform for people who love singing to pursue their dream in becoming artists in the music industry. Many of these shows labelled "singing competitions", however, have been criticised for favouring looks over talent. Somsak was never confident that he had an attractive enough appearance to make it — but when The Voice came to Thai television in 2012 with a promise to not discriminate contestants on their looks through its famous "Blind Auditions" round, Somsak felt he had a shot.
When the show opened for applications for the third season in May, he was bombarded with words of encouragement from his friends. Finally, he plucked up enough courage and went to the pre-audition round, held in Chiang Mai, with his friend.
He made it through the Blind Auditions round, but his friend did not.
Somsak became part of Thai diva Jennifer Kim's team, one of the four "coaches" from The Voice, as she was the only one who swung her chair to face Somsak while he sang.
"Jennifer Kim taught me everything," Somsak said. "Not only was she a great mentor who taught me singing techniques, she also taught me how to behave in showbiz."
The show features five rounds in total with two broadcast live and subject to public vote. Although Somsak got through the first three rounds as a fine singer performing easy-listening songs, he hardly stood out among the other contestants.
But all that changed during the live round. He sang Lhong Tua Aeng (Full Of Myself), an amusing song about a guy who thinks he's more handsome and competent than other established artists. Some of the lyrics were adjusted to playfully reference the coaches.
When the video of his performance was uploaded on YouTube, it reached over a million views within a day. Somsak became a sensation, a dark house, and finally stood a chance for his final show.
He performed the sentimental song called Sak Wan Tong Dai Dee (You Will Make It One day). The lyrics touch on a man's humble backstory and has similarities with Somsak's.
"I'm like a garbageman who has just won the lottery," Somsak said. "It's like a dream. I'm still processing it."
