Pop king Datuk Jamal Abdillah is excited about collaborating with childhood idol Eddy Silitonga, writes Dennis Chua
DATUK Jamal Abdillah was only 17 when he first heard the soulful and caressing voice of legendary Indonesian crooner Eddy Silitonga. “I fell in love immediately with Eddy’s songs. Their soulfulness and passion captivated me,” says Jamal.
Eddy’s songs such as Bunga Tanjung, Lancang Kuning, Oh Melati and Bunga Pujaan are evergreen for Jamal. Singing Eddy’s Lancang Kuning and Bunga Pujaan in Bintang RTM, the talent search, brought him his first taste of fame in the 1970s.
TWENTY SONGS IN TWO HOURS
Jamal and Eddy will collaborate on stage for the first time in Konsert Nostalgia Datuk Jamal Abdillah Kemerdekaan Ke-57 this August.
To be held at Istana Budaya, it will honour the country’s 57th National Day. Jamal and Eddy will sing some 20 songs in the 2-hour-long show.
Jamal and Eddy will also duet with each other and pay tribute to the music of the late Malaysian crooner, Datuk Ahmad Jais, who was popular on both sides of the Strait of Malacca.
“We hope it’s going to be a nostalgic journey for all lovers of traditional Malay language pop songs,” says Jamal, 55. “We’ll be singing the songs made popular by Ahmad, such as Bahtera Merdeka, and his well-known collaborator, the Indonesian legend S. Effendi.”
Jamal will also sing Mawar Putih Tanda Perpisahan, made popular by his brother Jamilul Hayat in the 1980s. His duet with Eddy will be featured in his new album, which is likely to be ready by September.
“Indonesian composer and singer Melly Goeslaw has a duet with me too; she composed it,” says Jamal, the song ambassador for Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
MUSIC TRADITIONS
Jamal’s 13-year-old son Osama Yamani, and Eddy’s sons Jikri, 27, Marco, 20 and Mario, 20, will also serenade audiences. Eddy’s sons have singles and albums of their own in Indonesia.
Jamal had always wanted to collaborate with Eddy, and is delighted to have the Indonesian legend come to Kuala Lumpur for the concert.
“Malaysia and Indonesia share a common musical tradition, and their singers have learnt from each other. That’s the magic of it all,” he says.
Eddy, 63, says the last time he set foot in Kuala Lumpur was in 2010 when he participated in the Istana Budaya play Teratak Minang. “I’ve been following Jamal’s career closely over the years. He’s one of my favourite singers of Malaysia,” he says. “It’s great timing for this concert, as Indonesia also celebrates its National Day in August.”
PASSION FOR GOOD MUSIC
Jakarta-based Eddy, who acted in a 1977 film titled Kembalilah Mama, believes in eating right. He jogs daily to keep fit. These days, the artiste mainly does dinner and corporate shows in his home country.
Eddy says the concert will have four segments: Jamal’s, his own where he will serenade his greatest hits, their duet together, and finally one segment of Jamal’s lesser known numbers and covers of famous songs.
“I’m delighted to know that Jamal’s son and my sons also share a passion for good music. It’s going to be a happy family concert.”
Jamal and Eddy are thankful to Istana Budaya director-general Datuk Juhari Shaarani. “Istana Budaya has always been a dear friend of mine, and I’ve had five concerts there to date,” Jamal says, as Eddy adds: “It’s so good to be back in Istana Budaya, this time for a historic collaboration between two countries.”
Juhari explains that the singers will be accompanied by 12 musicians from the theatre and 10 from Universiti Teknologi Mara. Raja Sham is the music director.
“Jamal and Eddy are much-loved singers in their respective countries and it’s time that that they collaborated on a large scale. The last great collaboration between Malaysian and Indonesian musical giants was that of Ahmad Jais and S.Effendi,” he says.
The concert is organised by Jamal’s company, Binjamal Events, with the cooperation of Istana Budaya, the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Mewah Event Management, Putra World Trade Centre, Putra KL, Suresh Entertainment Sound And Light, Moda Mix Fashion and Manza Design.
SHY AND PRIVATE
DATUK Jamal Abdillah admits that he is rather shy off-stage and prefers life’s simple pleasures, such as keeping an aquarium of colourful fish. “I hardly socialise, other than with close friends whom I’ve known over the years. “I spend my free time watching local concerts and films.”
“The reason why I cherish my privacy is because I believe that what matters most to me besides, my music, is my family,” says Jamal. “My son Osama shares my love of music, and I must say, he can sing very well, too.”
Jamal is also a businessman. He owns a five-year-old aquarium business in Bukit Merah, Bagan Serai, Perak which sells exotic fish such as the arowana.
Konsert Nostalgia Datuk Jamal Abdillah Kemerdekaan Ke-57
Date: Aug 28-31
Venue: Istana Budaya
Tickets: From RM58 to RM458.
Call 03-2161 8134.