After almost a year of no live performances from the local music industry, this was a day many patrons of the arts, music lovers, and public in general looked forward to.
With restrictions in place to curb the spread of the pandemic, live events had to be cancelled and postponed. Having to cope with the loss of income from the usual gigs, many musicians and artistes resorted to performing online. This helped them connect with fans, but most importantly, keep sane, while sharing their passion.
The ‘Alive Again’ Concert, held on 9th April, organised by PR Worldwide Sdn. Bhd., and fully sponsored by BAC Education, saw the presence of many friends of the industry, all who simply wanted to have a great evening, in support of home-grown talents.
The concert with Harith Iskander as emcee, featured Datuk Zainal Abidin, Zee Avi, Muzza and Mad Sabah.
As guests started walking into the concert hall at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre that day, one question must have kept playing in their minds. “Could this be the new norm for live performances?” With tables and chairs arranged in a manner which only screamed “Exams!!”, nothing much could be said for experiencing a live performance after such a long time.
With proper SOPs followed, social distancing strictly adhered to, and yes, masks on…the party started!!
Harith Iskander – ‘Godfather of Malaysian Stand-Up Comedy’
Harith, who was emcee started by getting the crowd warmed up, throwing in a few jokes, being the comedian, he is. He then introduced the first performer Muzza. Here if you were expecting a ‘hardcore rock’ kind of a performance, you were wrong.
When he opened the show with two evergreen numbers ‘Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu Sebelum Mu’ by Alleycats, and Man Bai’s ‘Kau Ilhamku’, many was left stunned. Firstly, his strong vocals and stage presence with those two songs alone got many thinking, “how could I not have known about him”, and secondly, “I was not expecting this from a dude sporting that ‘rocker’ look.” This singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire however stole the show with his rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Muzza – singer, songwriter & guitar extraordinaire
Sarawakian-born Zee Avi
Zee Avi and bandmates were next, easing the audience into a more relaxed evening. As she belted out numbers in that rich, sultry, silky-smooth voice of hers, one can only wish they were on a beach or island getaway somewhere, away from the madness of this pandemic. Zee, a proud Sarawakian, who holds her heritage close to heart, wore a simple Sarawakian headpiece and beaded collar, then ended her stint with ‘Kantoi’, a more familiar number of hers.
Up-and-coming comedian Mad Sabah
The next performer was Sabahan born Achmed Rusli, better known as Mad Sabah, a rising stand-up comedian, who is slowly gaining popularity amongst Malaysians. Having had his break through reality shows, this young man is known for his hilarious take on being poor. His jokes, based on real-life experiences, growing up in small town Kunak, sure did leave many wanting to hear and know more about this newbie.
Zainal Abidin closing the show
As all shows, the ‘Alive Again’ Concert had to come to an end, and what better way than to have the much-awaited artist himself, former Headwind band member, Datuk Zainal Abidin on stage. For a man in his sixties, he clearly is still very much in his element. Crooning ‘Hijau’, the song which changed the Malaysian music industry back in 1991, for its pro-environment message, Zainal then interacted with the audience as he sang “Kau Di Hatiku”, the cover of Phil Collin’s “You’ll Be In My Heart” from the soundtrack of Tarzan.
As the evening gradually came to an end after a few more numbers, one must give it up for this spectacular line-up, the organisers, and supporters. With the resumption of Live Support, we keep our fingers crossed that this industry, one to have been severely impacted over the last year, will make a comeback.
