AT the Malaysia Music Week at Dataran Merdeka last weekend, local band Nadir came out as the winner, beating more than two dozen bands.
Its members’ diverse backgrounds, coupled with their catchy and unique sound, won over the judges and the crowd, which comprised locals and tourists.
The eight-piece band is a true representation of Malaysia. They represent Malaysia’s diverse cultures, which gives them a unique sound, creating music that is unmistakably Nadir.
Its members are drummer and leader Ashwin Gobinath, bassist Zaim Zaidee, guitarist and vocalist Farique Nadzir, percussionist Santosh Logandran, saxophonist Adil Johan, vocalist Beverly Matujal and keyboardists Stephanie Tham and Lor Phaik Sim.
“What makes us different from other bands in the Malaysian music scene is that despite having different musical influences, like blues, rock, heavy metal, country, jazz and carnatic, we managed to come together as one unique sound. It is the sound of Malaysia,” said Adil, 36, a lecturer from Penang.
Percussionist Santosh, 27, a composer and audio engineer from Kuala Lumpur, echoed Adil’s views, but admitted that it was not easy in the beginning.
“We went through a lot of experimenting to get to where we are.
“But after working hard and putting our heads and talents together, over time, we managed to make it work really well.”
Ashwin, 33, a producer and audio engineer, said the band was built on values like understanding, friendship, trust and respect forged over the last four years.
“We respect and have faith in one another. We also spend a lot of time together, even with each other’s families.
“I am proud to say that we are not just a band, but a family too. We laugh, argue and fight with one another, but at the end of the day, we are all in this together with a mission to create something uniquely Malaysian.”
And being a diverse group, the members will sing in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Tamil in an upcoming song.
Performing in different languages was tough for vocalist and lead guitarist Farique, 38, but he believed the band’s mission to represent a truly Malaysian sound was worth the minor challenges.
“We are ready to face any stumbling block or obstacle because we understand it is not easy to get our brand of music out to the masses. The challenges push us to work harder.
“We have managed to find ways to work together, thanks to all our different experiences and musical exposure.
“This is part of the reason why we do what we do.”
Bassist Zaim, 37, said when they first came together as a band, they took a Malay folk song and gave it their own twist in their quest to sound Malaysian.
“From the very beginning, we knew and understood that collectively we’d have free reign over our sound. We were open to trying out and experimenting with music to appeal to the discerning Malaysian audience.
“So we took the folk song Ikan Kekek and gave it a new spin to make it relevant to today’s musical landscape. I believe we pulled it off, thankfully.”
At the Malaysia Music Week, they won over the judges by performing two original songs, Senja and Nafas, which will be released on Sept 27.
Nadir released its first album more than two years ago. Its second album, slated for release next year, will include collaborations with other artistes and bands from across the region.
The band chose to perform Senja at Malaysia Music Week because it celebrates Malaysia’s cultural diversity.
“Our song Senja was written by Ash and our former lead singer, with musical arrangement done by all members.
“I love it because it is a wonderful song to perform.
“It hits home because the lyrics are about unity.
“Senja feels like a patriotic number because whenever I sing it, I feel proud to be Malaysian,” said vocalist Beverly, 26, a graphic designer from Kota Kinabalu.
Ashwin said Senja was written with the unity theme in mind because it was written at a mamak restaurant.
“That alone is a very Malaysian concept — getting together at a mamak (shop), writing a song and finding a common love for music as Malaysians.
“We were reminded of the good things in our lives that made us want to express ourselves through music to reflect our love for the country.”