Hip-hop artiste Waris and Filipino crooner Mark Adam team up for their first film song, writes Dennis Chua
THE theme song of Mamat Khalid’s new gangster comedy, Amir Dan Loqman Pergi Ke Laut, is a catchy number that draws inspiration from hip-hop and jazz genres.
Performed by two up-and-coming young singers, Waris and Mark Adam, the song comes with a zany music video that was launched recently at Red Box, Sogo in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur.
Sampai Bila is composed by DJ Fuzz (of the hip hop outfit Teh Tarik Crew) who describes it as “jazzy hip-hop”.
He explains: “The music and lyrics go with the adventure comedy, virtually narrating the story but not giving away the ending.”
The song, accompanied by flute and saxophone, “suit the story’s dark yet funny mood”.
It marks Fuzz’s second theme song after Haus in Apokalips X, sung by Singaporean singer-songwriter Awi Rafael. Both Adam and Waris are under Fuzz’s Mixology Music label.
FUN VIDEO
Adam says the video features the two artistes playing convicts on the run and are joined by the movie’s two protagonists Amir and Loqman, played by Shuk Balas and Shuib Sepahtu respectively.
Astro Shaw general manager Gayatri Pillai says the music video summarises the story. “The title refers to Amir’s and Loqman’s longing to be free from a life of crime, a life they regret joining. It also higlights their run from the vicious gang leader, Joe, and an assassin from Thailand,” he says.
Amir Dan Loqman Pergi Ke Laut is jointly produced by Astro Shaw and Green Light Production, headed by executive producer Hazil Ismail.
When asked about the filming process, Adam and Waris admit they had to “roll in the back lanes” of Petaling Jaya where it was filmed. “We got dirty, literally,” says Adam.
“And more challenging, it was filmed during Ramadan,” adds Waris.
Sampai Bila is the duo’s second collaboration and their first for a movie soundtrack. Their first collaboration was Salam Lebaran, a Hari Raya Aidilfitri song recorded last year.
DEBUT SOLO ALBUMS
Waris, 25, is working on his debut album, Rembau’s Most Wanted. Born Muzzammil Alias, the eldest of six siblings from Rembau in Negri Sembilan says his name W-A-R-I-S is an acronym for his favourite phrase “With All Due Respect I Speak”.
“Like Mark, I’ve been a singer for two years,” he says.
Adam says his solo album is yet to be titled. “It will be a bilingual album, with Bahasa Malaysia and English songs,” says the singer from Cebu in the Philippines. He has lived in Malaysia for 13 years (he is married to a Malaysian).
Waris, who graduated with an engineering degree from Universiti Teknologi Mara in 2009 will soon collaborate on a new song, Hukaloh X Umangai, with another Mixology hip-hop artiste, Iwere.
“It’s in the Kelantan and Negri Sembilan dialect,” he says, adding that Iwere is the man behind the catchy song, Orang Kita.
Waris cites Wu Tang Clan as his favourite hip-hop group. “I’ve always been a big fan of Fuzz and I’m honoured to be under his music label now,” he says.
Adam, 35, is known for the R&B song Sampai Nanti. The 2012 hit is composed by C-Za of Ahli Fiqir fame and Fuzz.
Adam will also star in TV drama Hajirah this coming Hari Raya Aidil Adha alongside actress Kilafairy. “It is about a musician and his father, who wants him to be more spiritual,” says Adam.
Amir Dan Loqman Pergi Ke Laut opens tomorrow. The music video is available on www.youtube.com/AstroShaw