Set to captivate

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Alleycats’ lead singer Datuk David Arumugam is excited about his musical theatre debut in In Perfect Harmony.

IT took a while to sink in when Alleycats frontman Datuk David Arumugam revealed that one of his biggest challenges during performances was keeping his audience captivated. For someone with over 40 years of singing experience, it sounded unbelievable that this veteran singer worries over ways to hold his audience’s attention during his concerts.

“Each concert is a new venture with different audiences. Some may have never attended my shows so it is always a challenge to ensure everyone goes back with a smile on their face,” said Arumugam in an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Next month, Arumugam will be venturing into new territory with his involvement in Dama Orchestra’s musical In Perfect Harmony.

Big time: Datuk David Arumugam says he has sung in hundreds of concerts, acted in movies but never worked with a theatre production house that specialises in East-West harmonies.

“I was surprised and honoured when approached by Dama Orchestra. Although challenging, I view it as a new experience in the music industry.

“I have sung in hundreds of concerts, acted in movies but never worked with a theatre production house that specialises in East-West harmonies. It will be a different feel working with homegrown singers and talents from Dama Orchestra,” said the versatile singer who has acted in movies such as Mamat Khalid’s Estet and Namewee’s Nasi Lemak 2.0.

In Perfect Harmony chronicles the Malaysian persona and depicts the changing lifestyles over the years. From the 1970s till present day, the musical looks at how music has evolved and portrays the events and attitudes of that period.

The musical is being presented as part of The Star’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

The musical, set in a radio station and has Patrick Teoh as the narrator and Douglas Lim as the deejay, will pay homage to songs that were popular among Malaysians over the past four decades. These include favourites by the Bee Gees and Abba, Canto-pop numbers by Leslie Cheung and Sam Hui, classics by local legends like Tan Sri P. Ramlee and contemporary hits of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. Other homegrown performers include Zainal Abidin, Sean Ghazi and The Seasons 4.

Arumugam hopes the musical will ignite the harmonious spirit of 1Malaysia.

“The 1Malaysia concept isn’t something new. It was practised decades ago when Malaysians of different races and creed lived in unity.

“Forty years ago, non-Malays used to sing Malay songs and it was a norm to live as one big happy family.

“The musical caters to a multi-racial crowd so it would be nice to entertain Malaysians in the true 1Malaysia spirit. It is going to be a memorable show as the audience will get to hear a combination of Malay, Chinese, Indian and English songs over a span of 40 years,” said the 61-year-old Penangite, whose afro hairstyle has remained his trademark look until today.

For the upcoming concert, Arumugam will be performing Alleycats’ hit song Sampaikan Salam Cinta Ku, Mandarin number Lovely Life and a Tamil song. Of the three, he holds the Mandarin song closest to his heart as it brings back fond memories of his teenage years in Penang.

“These songs truly represent the 1Malaysia concept. The Mandarin song is the most memorable as I had learnt it when I was a teenager. It is a classic love song and many will be able to sing along. The lyrics are simple yet very meaningful,” said the father of four.

When asked about his music preference, Arumugam said he enjoys listening to music from yesteryear (particularly the 1960s and 70s).

“In the past, most songs were simpler and more meaningful. Lyrics were written with relationships (love and heartache) in mind. However, current songs are somewhat more aggressive. Truthfully, I don’t understand modern song lyrics as they revolve around anger and frustration.

“It’s really sad the current generation is so engrossed in electronic gadgets that they hardly have time for their family. Even the younger generation of songwriters tend to voice their frustration in songs,” the evergreen singer opined.

But having said that, Arumugam spoke in admiration of budding homegrown rap singer Caprice, whom he had collaborated with on a song titled Andainya Aku Pergi (which incorporates part of Alleycats’ chart topper Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu).

“Caprice is a talented composer and producer. I was approached by Universal Music, who suggested a collaborative effort with this young singer. I was initially apprehensive but thankfully, it worked out very well. If that’s successful, I might consider doing more cameo appearances and collaborative works with other singers,” said Arumugam, adding that the song’s music video will be uploaded on YouTube soon.