The Kembara Hati Emas reunion concert was an exceptional performance that showcased the band’s musical maturity, writes Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan
IF there is one concert every Malaysian should have watched this year, it has to be, hands down, Kembara Hati Emas, the group’s reunion outing which turned out to be a 160-minute journey of pure musical genius by one of the country’s most formidable groups.
The show, held at Istana Budaya, was heartfelt and soulful from start to end, an auditory treat down memory lane for those who grew up with Ekspres Rakyat and Keroncong Untuk Ana.
It may be 28 years ago that Kembara last released its album, but the group, made up of M. Nasir, S. Sahlan and A. Ali (and later Zulkifli Mohamed, Shahrum Basiron, Rahman Suri and Md. Shah Othman) did not lose any of its musical might that made it the definitive 1980s music powerhouse.
If anything, the three-night (almost) sold-out show gave the audience a more mature and wiser version of the group, evolutionary in its own musical journey.
In many ways, it was Kembara looking back and reinterpreting its own songs after 30 years and gone were the youthful and wide-eyed hopes of rural souls hoping to make it in the city.
In its place is the wisdom of those who have been through the journey, singing retrospectively of their life’s stories.
POPULAR APPEAL
The show kicked off with the popular Ekspres Rakyat from the group’s debut album, Kembara (1981), followed by Impian Anak Jalanan and Siapa Orang Kita.
To understand Kembara’s populist appeal, one needs to look closely at the lyrics of its poetic songs. The group — like all other singers whose tunes are about the life of the masses — champions underdogs and those struggling to make a living in the city.
Kembara shot to stardom in early 1980s, during KL’s formative years which saw rapid urban migration from rural areas and a shift of lifestyle and values. The group smoothly captured these changes in their body of work.
Even the titles of the songs — Senandung Buruh Kasar, Kolar Biru, Di Perhentian Puduraya — is reflective of the lives of the average wage earner in the city, described in Sesat Di Kuala Lumpur as a paradoxical land where “sin and divine reward mix” and “being rich in the mud”.
It is this deep look into life’s hardship, plight, piety and hope that made the group a vocal spokesperson of the people.
While M. Nasir sang most of the tunes, S.Sahlan lent his high notes to Senandung Buruh Kasar and Impian Seorang Nelayan while A. Ali cruised along in Di Perhentian Puduraya, Oh! Bulan and Ayahku dan Angkasawan.
The songs came from all of the group’s seven albums from Kembara and Perjuangan to Duit and Lagu-Lagu dari Filem Kembara Seniman Jalanan.
Mostly written by M.Nasir and A. Ali (and songwriter S. Amin Shahab), the combined talents of the musicians of Kembara produced an unrivalled synergistic musical power that endured decades of shifting music trends.
JOURNEY OF LOVE
“Kami ada lagu cinta juga,” said M. Nasir, who, after 15 songs with no intermission, sat on a stool to sing Kembara’s love songs.
Malam talks about lost love and loneliness of the night and Keroncong Untuk Ana is a forlorn tune about unrequited love.
But as cliched as it may sound, it was Kepadamu Kekasih that sealed M. Nasir as a great performer that evening. He started the song a few notes lower to reach a powerful crescendo that left the hall in pin-drop silence, followed by thunderous applause after the song ended.
That it was the 20th out of the night’s 27-song repertoire and the singer is 57 showed that he still has amazing, unrestrained energy, a musical soul which age doesn’t mellow.
THE OTHER SIDE
There were some parts of the concert that, if improved, would have made the show so much better. For one, the music, especially if you were sitting in the stalls, could at times, be too loud that it overshadowed the singers.
The appeal of lagu rakyat lies in the vocals and minimal instrument but that wasn’t the case for this show. I did not find the winds section helpful in the song delivery. If anything, it was distracting.
And speaking of distraction, the electronic visual, while aiming to give background to the songs, was equally distracting.
Nothing annoys me, as a concert-goer, more than tardiness and the Gala Night show started 40 minutes late, not due to any technical glitch but because the audience sauntered into the hall at 9pm when the ticket says 8.30pm. It was disrespectful, plain and simple.
But those were small shortcomings compared with the bigger picture — a Kembara reunion so rare this might just be the last time they get together again.
And as M.Nasir belted out Hati Emas before the final number, Gerhana, the hall turned into a rock concert with bobbing heads and an audience who will treasure the night as one of the best performances it has seen.
More than 30 years after it released its debut album, Kembara — through a colourful, explorative journey — came full circle that evening. I was very lucky to have been a witness.
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