NEW Zealand musician Dave Dobbyn often says that since day one, he has had a tune in his head. A shy schoolboy, he blossomed into a peroxided popstar in his first band The Dudes, formed with his schoolfriends in the late 1970s.
With his next band DD Smash, Dobbyn made history when the debut album rocketed to No. 1 in the first week of its release.
As a solo artiste, his song Slice Of Heaven spent eight weeks at No. 1 in New Zealand, and four in Australia where he lived for 10 years until the early 1990s.
Dobbyn has written the soundtrack to Kiwi Lives, and a string of hits including Beside You, Be Mine Tonight, Language, Outlook For Thursday, Loyal, Whaling, Kingdom Come, It Dawned On Me, Guilty, Devil You Know, Magic What She Do, Oughta Be In Love, and Welcome Home.
His enduring popularity is reinforced with polls of Top 100 songs returning Loyal at No. 1 every year, and he holds the most Silver Scroll Awards for songwriting. In 2001, Dobbyn was given a lifetime achievement award by the New Zealand recording industry.
After a six-year gap, his 2006 album won him Male Artiste of the Year and included the anthemic Welcome Home, 2005’s Single of the Year. The song is well-travelled, including a performance for Kiwi war veterans and Queen Elizabeth II at the London dedication of the War Memorial.
Anotherland, his 2008 release, was produced by legendary UK dub-reggae maestro Adrian Sherwood and Skip McDonald and recorded in London.
To mark his 30 years as a recording artiste, Dobbyn has compiled two CDs of his best-loved songs, together with a companion songbook. In the world of pop music, longevity is rarely achieved but Dobbyn’s talents have consistently charmed its way into the consciousness of New Zealanders.
Dobbyn, New Zealand’s most celebrated and loved musician with a career spanning over 40 years, will perform in Malaysia for the first time. Catch him at this informal music brunch tomorrow. Local band Jumero will be his guest performer.
Venue: Bricks And Barrels in Jalan Sri Hartamas, Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Time: 12.30pm. Tickets: RM193 and RM343. Call 03-7880 7999.
TODAY
BENNY LIKUMAHUWA JAZZ CONNECTION (AND TOMORROW)
INDONESIAN jazz musician Benny Likumahuwa and his band the Benny Likumahuwa Jazz Connection entertain at No Black Tie, Jalan Mesui, off Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur. Time: 10pm. Cover charge: RM64. Call 03-2142 3737.
DASHA LOGAN (AND TOMORROW)
SINGER and songwriter Dasha Logan is back and she is joined by the Michael Veerapen Trio at Alexis Bistro, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur at 10pm. Cover charge is RM10++. Call 03-4260 2288.
BEDRAGGLED (UNTIL SUNDAY & NOV 18 TO 20)
SINGER Gabrielle Maes entertains in the musical showcase Bedraggled, accompanied by pianist Llew Marsh. She performs memorable songs from operas and musicals. Cover charge: RM100 and RM135. Time: 9pm. Venue: Theatre Lounge Cafe, Plaza Damas 3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-6730 7982.
MPO AND DAVID FRAY (AND TOMORROW)
THE Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra teams up with pianist David Fray to present Schumann’s Piano Concerto In A Minor and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 In E Flat. The conductor is Constantin Trinks. Fray will also have a recital on Sunday. Venue: Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), KLCC, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Time: 8.30pm (concerts) and 3pm (recital). Tickets: RM60 to RM150 (concerts), and RM50 to RM70 (recital). Call 03-2331 7007.
TOMORROW
NORTHERN MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 (AND SUNDAY)
THE Northern Music Festival 2016 is at Quarry Park, Botanical Gardens, Penang from 10am. It features four stages with performances by 60 bands. The artistes include Bittersweet, Couple, Tres Empre, OAG and Bunkface. Tickets: RM78. Visit northernmusicfestival.asia/ or www.facebook.com/northernmusicfestival
SUNDAY
MAK CUN D’WALEI
THE comedic play Mak Cun D’Walei ends on Sunday at Istana Budaya in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur — 8.30pm and 3pm (extra matinee on weekends). Directed by Erma Fatima, it continues the story of Mak Cun, an enterprising, middle-aged woman who aspires to market her own brand of health foods in India. Starring Erma Fatima, Datin Seri Umie Aida, Abam Bocey, Amy Search, Datuk Rahim Razali, Balkisyh Semundur Khan, Nadia Brian and Nur Fathia Latiff. Tickets: RM36 to RM256. Call 03-4026 5555.
DATE TO KEEP
RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY (NOV 29)
RED Bull Music Academy presents BadBadNotGood Live in Kuala Lumpur. The four-piece instrumental ensemble known for fusing jazz, electronica and hip-hop performs at Le Noir, KL. Tickets: RM40 and RM60. Time: 9pm onwards. Visit www.redbull.my/rbma