Afgansyah Reza was ‘on fire’ at his recent two-hour showcase in KL
HE may not have as rich and manly a voice as the late, great Broery Marantika, and is a lot more “schoolboyish” than his fellow countryman Tulus. But there is no doubt that Afgansyah Reza or Afgan is a world-class entertainer who is able to mesmerise fans of all ages whenever he sings.
The lanky, and bespectacled Minangkabau crooner did just that at his two-hour concert at the HGH Convention Centre in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur recently.
Titled Ispirasi 2019 Afgan Di Kuala Lumpur, it saw the 30-year-old Indonesian singer serenading some 1,000 fans in the almost-packed hall with a superb sound system, and mingling occasionally with the crowd which was also made up of Singaporeans, Bruneians and Indonesian expatriates in KL.
Accompanied by seven musicians comprising a drummer, two guitarists, trumpeter, flutist, trombonist and keyboardist, plus three backup singers, Afgan appeared on stage at 9.30pm sharp, stylishly dressed in a dark brown suit. He also wore a crisp white shirt, but without a necktie.
Beginning his musical extravaganza with Jalan Terus, an upbeat yet caressing song about keeping the faith, he greeted his guests with “Selamat petang semua. I’m so happy to be back in KL” before jumping into Katakan Tidak, an equally upbeat tune about commitment.
This song had him display some simple but stylish dance moves, and he subsequently waved to fans at the back of the hall, signalling that he would be “coming for them” later.
“I want all of you to clap for my next song. It’s going to be a lot more fun this time,” he said, before singing Pesan Cinta, a catchy song about his “longing for Miss Right”.
The crowd sang along with him, and sportingly clapped their hands between the verses, earning a big thank you from the singer.
“This next song holds the key to my heart of hearts,” said Afgan to the cheers of fans. “If you know it, do sing along with me. I’m sure you know its name.”
He belted out Kunci Hati, and it was clear from his twinkling eyes and rosy complexion that he had kept himself fit and healthy in preparation for his “big day”.
“I’m actually a lover of sad songs,” said Afgan, adding that some of his songs had tragic tales behind them, such as his next song Sadis.
The lights in the hall dimmed as Afgan knelt down to deliver a touching song about a “cruel” lover who treated his or her partner like dirt.
And once he was done, he said that sometimes it takes patience to negotiate a troubled love life, hinting at the title of his next song Sabar.
Sabar took listeners away from the melancholic tone of Sadis, and the lights turned brighter when Afgan sang Setia Menunggu, a song of hope that spoke about having faith in one’s true love at all times.
Ku Dengannya Kau Dengan Dia was his next upbeat song, which spoke of compatibility between lovers. Afgan pointed his microphone at the crowd and those seated in the rows closest to him sportingly “filled in the blanks” when he chose to be silent for some of his lines.
“One of my best friends in Singapore is Taufik Batisah and I’ve had a great time writing love songs in English with him,” said Afgan.
He quickly burst into Knock Me Out, his best known composition with the Singapore Idol 1 winner and got down the stage to dance with one cheerful Malaysian fan.
Despite being star-struck, she sportingly boogied with her idol. Afgan then thanked her, and both of them embraced.
Afgan then sang a few lines from Datuk Sheila Majid’s famous song Aku Cinta Padamu, to the applause of fans. He said that he had not fully memorised it, but was a “crazy” fan of its singer who he addressed as Ibu Sheila.
Malaysia’s No.1 jazz singer Sheila then made her grand entrance dressed in a sparkling, sky blue dress. Fans cheered and clapped, as Sheila said “good evening everyone, it’s a first for me here!”
Afgan praised Sheila for her stunning outfit, and remarked that she was always beautiful. “When I heard that he was in town, I quickly decided to come and sing with my ‘adik dari seberang’,” she told the audience.
“Tonight’s going to be a first for both of us on stage, and I’m very excited right now,” said Afgan, before he and Sheila delivered their power-packed duet recorded last year, Bawalah Cintaku.
Afgan and Sheila had almost everyone in the hall give them a standing ovation. “We love you Sheila, we love you Afgan!” chanted some fans.
Sheila then serenaded fans with two of her “monster hits” Antara Anyer Dan Jakarta and Sinaran. The audience sang along all the way, and during Sinaran, some even stood on their seats and swayed to its infectious beat.
The lights dimmed again, and this time Afgan returned to sing another heartfelt duet with Sheila titled Begitulah Cinta. This song was originally recorded by Sheila and Indonesian crooner Harvey Malaiholo in 2014, and she sang it with Marcell two years later.
While Afgan sounded a lot more “boyish” than Harvey and Marcell, he displayed good on-stage chemistry with Sheila. In fact, their second duet was a lot more moving than their first.
Afgan resumed his solo performances with Dia Dia Dia, a jazzy song which paid tribute to the beauty and grace of a loved one, and followed it up with Cinta 2 Hati, a powerful and moving anthem of passionate love.
Heaven, his next song, was another power ballad which he sang as a duet with his fellow Indonesians Isyana Sarasvati and Rendy Pandugo last year. Once again, the audience sang along with him, and continued to do so in his next number Bukan Cinta Biasa which had him sing in a deeper and more caressing voice.
“My last song for the evening is a blast. It’s like an arrow to the heart, so sing with me once more, and thank you all for giving me a great time,” said Afgan, before launching into the infectious and upbeat Panah Asmara.
Fans, however, realised that no Afgan concert would be complete without his most famous number Terima Kasih Cinta, and the crowd was promptly proven right.
Afgan returned from another end of the hall, and as he walked back up the stage, he shook hands with most of the audience at the side seats closest to the aisle while singing Terima Kasih Cinta. Most of them sang along with him, and as soon as he was done with it, a curtain of bright fireworks descended in front of the stage, followed by a burst of coloured confetti fired from its four corners.
Afgan was truly “on fire” throughout his evening in KL, and everyone gave him the standing ovation he truly deserved when he took his final bow at 11.30pm.
Prior to the concert, another popular Indonesian act gave fans half an hour of sing-along cover versions from their home country.
The three-member Arjuna Band delivered power-packed and nostalgic tunes from the last decade — Kenangan Terindah from Samsons, Mungkin Nanti from Peterpan, Kekasih Gelapku from Ungu, Januari by Glenn Fredly, Peri Cintaku by Marcell and Hapus Aku by Nidji.
Organised by Popcorn Studio, the concert was held to mark Afgan’s 10th anniversary as a recording artiste.
He last performed here at the KL Convention Centre in November last year.
Afgan began his singing career in 2008 with his debut album Confession No. 1. He has since released five studio albums.
Afgan has won Best Pop Male Solo Artiste twice and Best Pop Collaboration thrice at the Anugerah Musik Indonesia.
He has also acted in the films Bukan Cinta Biasa, Refrain and Cinta 2 Hati; and was even a judge on the talent search show X-Factor Indonesia.