KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) — Songs like Hutang, Chikadun, and 24434, popularised by pop-rock group Floor 88, are among the folk songs that will be performed on the prestigious stage of Istana Budaya at the Folk Song Concert (Konsert Lagu Rakyat) to be held for two nights beginning March 25.
Who would have thought that these popular songs by the group of young singers, which are about the society and the current scenario such as on the impact of drug abuse, debt, and on religious demands, are also categorised as folk songs.
The group’s representative, Eric Fuzi, said the offer for them to show case their songs was like having the moon dropped on our lap as folk songs always remained close to their hearts.
“We only play our songs, but many people have labelled our songs to be like the popular song Lenggang Kangkong.
“We are proud that Istana Budaya acknowledges folk songs and we regard it as a great honour,” he told Bernama recently.
The concert, which will feature more than 50 folk songs and will be accompanied by the Malaysian Traditional Orchestra (OTM), will also involve performance by popular singers such as Datuk Zainal Abidin, Bunga, Azizul Haqim, Hazra Dollah, Roslan Madun, Jatt Aziz and Mah Meri.
]Meanhile, OTM conductor, Mohd Yazid Zakaria, said the music composition to be accompanied by the orchestra would given a new breathe to make the songs fresher without changing their originality.
“We also hope that through this concert, more young singers will produce folk songs,” he said.
Istana Budaya deputy director-general (Operations) Mohamad Azlan Abdul Majid said the concert aimed to lift the glory of folk song and that they continued to be enjoyed by future generation.
“Song like Suriram and Air Pasang Dalam, which used to be whistling songs, are now becoming extinct, some even do not know or have heard the songs,” he said.
Mohamad Azlan said the purpose of highlighting the young singers at the concert was to attract more young people and give new life to the music.
“Indirectly, it can attract their fans, who are the current generation, to listen to folk songs,” “he said, adding that tickets with prices starting from RM88 can be purchased online at the Istana Budaya website.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Azlan said a total of five programmes, including two theatre performances, had been arranged for production throughout this year.
We have also receiving seven applications from production companies and this is a positive development for the performance industry, he added.
Sources: BERNAMA