Lagu

Assalamualaikum and hi, hope you are having a great week. 

This is a random post after me binge watching and listening to old Malay and Indonesian songs haha. Don't you love it how certain songs can bring you back in time to when you listened to them in the first place? For me, listening to these songs took me back to my primary school days. I especially keep remembering listening to them in the school van (or car sometimes) this auntie would always put on whenever I went to my sekolah agama and when I went back. I started riding the van from when I was 7 all the way to when I was 12 and having like two younger kids at the same time having to sit on my lap in the van to fit everyone in as the auntie had to send so many of us back in one go hahah. 

Speaking of Malay songs, I think ever since last year I have a newfound rekindled appreciation to the Malay entertainment industry. I guess I've always kept up with the annual Anugerah Juara Lagu since I was young and was still obsessed with Akademi Fantasia up until I was 13 I think. But last year especially after keeping up with this show called Big Stage (a platform for Malaysian young rising artists / BBNUs (budak baru nak up lol)) I've also kept up with the trending songs and celebrities too. 

Now that I'm watching this Gegarvaganza show too which their target audience is the older generation, I'm learning so many cool stuff about veteran Malaysian singers that other uncles and aunties or those who love Malaysian music would probably already know for a long time haha ya it's just me only finding them fascinating. Like do you know Malaysia has a very famous singer called Dato' Shake who moved to France and went on to being a super huge superstar there, with his songs selling over 60 MILLION copies in French speaking countries? 

This song is so good if I was a French girl back in the 70s I would be fangirling over him too.

I've also been reading up about all those jiwang rock kapak bands of Malaysia hahaha. Apparently among fans the best guitar player in the whole Southeast Asia would be Hillary Ang of Search (ya that band with Amy Search in with famous songs like Isabella and Fantasia Bulan Madu), followed by Man Kidal (super legendary guitarist famous for playing with his left hand instead). I guess I'm also impressed with the diversity (?), for example this song that anyone around my age would have sang a lot back when we were in school: 

Akan Ku Tunggu by Malaysian's first all-female rock band Candy. They remind me of those Japanese visual kei rock bands. Candy are made up of members Patricia Robert, Mary Morss, Cornie Sangid and Nancy Graggory.  

And again watching Gegarvaganza, it's so interesting to watch singers I grew up listening to like Noraniza Idris (iconic irama Malaysia / traditional rhythm queen who sang Dikir Puteri) being challenged to sing songs that were outside her genre like rock hahahaha. 

I guess it's also so refreshing to see how Malaysian singers can actually.. sing. And that song composers and producers get as much fame and credit as the singers. Having being used to K-Pop award shows, those aren't common. And when you talk about vocal talents, seriously, Malaysia has so, so many great singers that are naturally born with it. 

You know how there's "stan Twitter" for K-Pop and Western celebrities? I can't believe they exist for the Malaysian entertainment industry too hahah I found myself scrolling through a Siti Nurhaliza stan account once (they're called Sitizoners ahahahah and you DO NOT want to offend them) and was very much amused by the sassiness and savageness. The comments section of videos of Malaysian celebs videos too are like wow, seriously, like I mentioned before, Malay sassiness, savageness and crack humor are on another level. 

I guess that's it for today. A much lighter post than previous ones I hope, but really, listening to Malay songs has lifted my mood frequently nowadays and there's just a certain sense of belonging that I feel when I listen to them. Have a great week! 

Bye.