‘It was Ben’s way or the highway’: Tributes flow for cherished Gunada Band bassist Ben Raja

As a cherished band member and well-respected music teacher within the Broome community, Bahrom ‘Ben’ Raja contributed a unique style and tenure to the multicultural music scene in the 1980’s after travelling from Singapore to the pearling town. Plucked from the stage by founding Gunada Band members Wayne Barker and Bob Wright after seeing him perform at the Roebuck Bay Hotel while on tour, the duo couldn’t walk past the talent and charisma Mr Raja radiated on the stage. “There was this little Malay bloke who was playing bass on there, and we were just watching this bass player - we totally forgot about the band,” Mr Barker said. After packing his bags and moving to Broome to join the Gunada Band, Mr Raja was joined by fellow band members Arnhem Hunter, Wolfgang Reusse and youngster Guy Ghouse - who would spend the next six weeks writing original music with each other while surviving on just beer and chocolate. “It was Ben’s way or the highway, but it was also my way and Bob’s way or the highway - so three highways - we’re trying to get into the sort of pecking order of how songs were structured and written. But what happened was it all melted together really well because there was trust and feeling,” Mr Barker said. “Basically we just threw out the book of songwriting, we said we wanted to write something with a feeling that we could play forever, every day, and we did - we wrote 20 songs.” As a band that vowed to only play original music and stand out from their musical counterparts, Gunada created an exotic blend of different tempos and songwriting styles led by Mr Raja’s bass which played a critical role in the sound. “Three distinct flavours of music - it was quite incredible how they all merged because there came to a point where a new listener wouldn’t be able to tell who wrote which song,” Gunada drummer Mr Hunter said. “We had three songwriters, but Benny would say ‘This is the tune, this is how it goes, and this is the part I want you to play’, and he would give you your parts and have you play it the right way - then the magic would happen.” Donning jeans with leather patches on the knees with his signature long black hair, Mr Raja always performed with energy and passion - swaying his bass around to the rhythm of the music and enjoying every moment on stage with his bandmates. “He was always smiling, just happy to be playing. He used to sing one harmony in one song, but insisted we put a microphone in front of him at every gig,” Mr Hunter said. “We used to laugh and we’d look at each other when his line was coming up and think here’s Benny’s part, then he’d sing his little line and turn around to grin at you. “There was one time when we didn’t have enough mics and I said ‘Hey Benny, do you want my mic?’ and he’d say ‘No, no - you’re using more than me, I’ll sit this one out, but then next time you bring more microphone.” Mr Raja’s personality shined on the stage as it did off the stage, with friends remembering him for his famous catchphrase: “you know, because why”. “Benny didn’t tolerate fools - as beautiful as he was, he could be quite cantankerous. When you were talking to him, you had to speak to him at his language, his level,” Mr Barker said. “I play with a lot of musicians who kind of live to be nice to everybody, but Benny wasn’t like that, Benny would say ‘You should know this stuff man, come on, don’t waste my time’.” His dedication and devotion to his music quickly turned into teaching the art, becoming a music teacher and a role model to the students at St Mary’s Secondary College, who still remember him today. When news of his passing circulated across the Broome community, former students and those who were close to him in the Broome music scene expressed their sadness on social media. They recalled fond memories of being taught or playing music with him on stage, as well as having traditional Malay food cooked for them by him. “He fell in love with the Broome musicians, music, art, and the creativity - he made Broome his home,” guitarist Guy Ghousse said. “He brought with him a wealth of musical knowledge and wealth of influence which is still felt today. “He taught so many people in school and in the live performance, he was an incredibly passionate man with his cultural food and music and he brought a lot to the multicultural tapestry of Broome. “He was so loved and we’re all going to miss him.”