Album Review By Hi-Fi Unlimited

http://hifi-unlimited.blogspot.com/2011/03/tour-de-force-pusaka.html

March 26, 2011

A Tour-De-Force Pusaka

We (a couple of us with a few hifi dealers) just came back from a listening session at ML's house on his latest audiophile project: The Solianos "Pusaka"- remembering Alfonso Soliano.

One word sums up our feelings: Sensational.

Firstly, we would like to let you know that this recording is done at KL's most expensive studio in TTDI, The Ark Studios. It is the same studio used by Jacky Cheung and George Lam in their respective audiophile albums recently. You could detect the same tonal color and airiness, that is the hallmark of this famous studio, except that Pusaka's recording is way better than either Jacky's or George's. We seriously think that is because of ML's expertise here and no other reasons.

Secondly, this is most likely the first Malay audiophile album in the world and the first of its genre in Malaysia that is being mastered by Doug Sax, ML's favourite mastering guru from The Mastering Lab. Doug Sax also mastered JZ8, another best-selling album from Pop Pop Music.

What's can we say but to congratulate ML once again for the fantastic sound! The same Doug Sax's signature sound is evident in Pusaka too. It is very thick in the mids, very airy and analogue sounding, very musical and the best thing is, it yearns to be played loud and louder! The louder you play, the more sensational the sound gets, without a trace of breaking up or edginess or harshness. We notice the same trend in JZ8 recording too.

Doug sax is way better than Bernie Grundman in the areas of density (Cantonese is "Mutt Dou"), midrange seductiveness and sheer musicality. His mastering may not have the dynamism of Bernie but its winning edge is the musicality, which makes Pusaka such a gem to behold.

Musically, this is the most ambitious and most outrageous from ML's production to-date. It is not just jazz per se, it is Latin, Samba, Cuban, Bossa Nova, Swing... a testament to Arranger/Music Director and maestro Salvador Guerzo's superior musicianship. Salvador is the son-in-law of Alfonso Soliano, the daddy of the Soliano family and Jazz Giant to whom this album is dedicated to.

Salvador's arrangement is fascinating and a work of pure genius. He is probably the best arranger in this genre in Malaysia. He incorporates plenty of dramas and breath-taking attacks in his arrangement, making every song sounds like a roller-coaster of high-drama and excitement. Really, we haven't heard Freedom's "Mulanya Disini" (a pop hit in the 80s by Freedom led by the late Dato Seha) or Bob Tutupoly's "Widuri" (An Indonesian classic ballad ) being played like this! The Solianos totally turn the table upside down with Ador's amazing arrangement, leaving everyone of us breathless and totally in awe.

We haven't even mentioned the wonderful multi-part harmonies of the Solianos, which is another winning aspect of this album. Imagine you can pin-point 7 voices singing in different notes in the soundstage, how could you beat that? The 3 females vocalists, Isabella, Irene and Tricia are wonderfully soulful and yet having their own distinctive tonal signature. We love their voices to bits.

We wouldn't go on and spoil your pleasure in discovering this album. Suffice to say, this is an instant classic the way it should be.

Pop Pop Music has hit the bulls-eye again for the 2nd time, we are damn sure. This wave is gonna be bigger than 2V1G.

In fact, one of the dealers said this to ML at the end of the listening session: "The album's repertoire, arrangements and musical presentation are extraordinary impressive!".

It is about time we have a timeless audiophile classic by a Malaysian music label.

The Solianos' Album Launch

Readers will know that I am quite involved with The Solianos' album. Its been featured in Daily Chilli. My role was as Executive Producer of the album, remember to get your copy.


http://www.dailychilli.com/happenings/10420-the-solianos-launch-new-album

The Solianos launch new album

By Rizal Johan

The Solianos have a new album on the horizon called Pusaka (translated as Legacy) and it will be officially launched this Tuesday (March 29), 6pm at Bentley Music, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The vocal harmony group, consisting of Irene Soliano, Isabella Soliano, Velantino Soliano, Rizal Soliano, Coni Soliano, Tristano Soliano, Tricia D'Cruz and Salvador Guerzo, have been a mainstay live act for almost 30 years known for their seven-part harmonies and a repertoire which includes jazz and popular standards.

The album is produced by local audiophile label, Pop Pop Music, and is dedicated to the memory of their late father and local jazz giant, Alfonso Soliano.

As such, the album features covers of Alfonso's original works and such Malay classics as Widuri, Mulanya Disini and Tanah Pusaka.

Pusaka took almost a year-and-a-half to record and according to producer Leslie Loh, it was a time consuming effort because of the vocal harmonies.

"Recording the seven-part vocal harmonies is quite crazy. That took quite a while to sort out," said Loh, who recorded the entire album at The Ark Studios, Kuala Lumpur.

Despite the long recording period, Loh is very happy with the results.

"I'm very satisfied with how the album has turned out. I don't think Malaysia has seen a local recording like this what with the harmonies involved and the top class music arrangement by Salvador Guerzo. This is not just a jazz album per se because they've incorporated different styles of music as well," said Loh.

The album is scheduled to be released in local music shops on April 10 next month and it comes in two versions: premium and normal.

The premium edition wooden box set includes an inlay booklet and velvet lining priced at RM69.90 limited to a thousand copies.

And the normal edition plastic jewel case is priced at RM39.90

For those of you who can't wait to hear the new recordings, just head on over to Bentley Music, Mutiara Damansara on March 29, 6pm.

Published March 22 2011

A Foretaste Of The Solianos' Album

This is a truncated live version (normal should be 3.5 minutes with great jazzy piano improv) of The Solianos' rendition of the classic Tudung Periuk recently at No Black Tie. It was after hearing them do this number that I thought they should do an album, thus introducing Leslie Loh of pop pop music label to them.

If I can describe them, they are Malaysia's equivalent to The Manhatten Transfer. Wallah, the recording is almost complete. Hope it can be out by December.

Tanah Pusaka by The Solianos

Readers of this blog will be aware of my strong support for Leslie from pop pop music label. His stable of artists have churned out excellent audiophile recordings by JZ8, 2V1G, Roger Wang and Gina Panizales. I have been a fan of The Solianos through the years, but mainly listening to their interpretations of jazz standards and the occasional Malay songs.

Don't get me wrong, I love Gadis Idaman Ku, which was composed brilliantly by Alfonso Soliano. During a night session at No Black Tie, I heard them play Tudung Periuk, followed by Gadis Idaman Ku, and a few songs later Tanah Pusaka. It clicked in me that this is a great concept of an album. For my life, I never could fathom why The Solianos never got an album out.

I dragged Leslie to their next gig and he was sold. Pure talented slogging Malaysian musicians with such a storied family, which has contributed immensely to the very fabric and development of modern Malaysian music culture and legacy. I said this album must be an all Malay songs album. There is certainly room for a great jazzy Malay album that reflects their talent and heritage.

Hence their song list below has a few songs composed by Alfonso Soliano, and the rest given the special Solianos treatment. The harmonies and virtuosity of The Solianos shine through the grand guidance of Ador as well.

As an appetiser, they have released a video of their superb recording of Tanah Pusaka, which will be in the album, but is brought forward to all ahead of Merdeka Day. We all love our country, we may hate the politics or some of its policies now and then, but let's be clear, most of us love our country. We all know in our hearts we really want a 1Malaysia, the one that is promulgated is still "in the works it seems", but we know the vision of the one we want in our hearts. Happy Merdeka everyone ...

p/s please do post / link / embed the video onto your blogs and facebook ... knowing that many offices have banned youtube, we have added the megavideo link as well ha-ha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkKb9EaPirs

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=NH3LC8HG

The Solianos Project - Why!!!???

This will be in a series of articles on The Solianos Project. Why them? Although I begged Leslie to have a listen to The Solianos, although it seems like I "discovered" them as a recording potential, the truth is not so exceptional on my side. How do you discover a group that has been around for twenty thirty years?

Listening to the live, doing these 3 songs convinced me that there is something "big" ... Tudung Periuk, Tanah Pusaka and Gadis Idaman Ku. The Solianos have been plying their trade at various venues and even corporate events, and while most of their repertoire were in English jazz standards, I was convinced they had to do a Malay album which will totally encapsulate their brilliance, musicality, musicianship and melodious harmonies. It had to be a Malay album because it reflects their heritage perfectly (Alfonso Soliano and Tony Soliano).

The final song list is equally distributed with numbers composed by Alfonso Soliano and emblematic Malay songs through the years (with the Solianos treatment, they were given a fresh breath of vibrancy again - you didn't know that some Malay songs could actually sound so good).

In many ways, The Solianos represent the music culture for the past 60 years and the Pusaka album is more "1Malaysia" than anything I can imagine. If you are between 35-75 you will really feel that you lived through these songs, in your own country, cause nowhere else on earth will you get an album like this or get to appreciate one like this.

Both Tony and Alfonso were greats in their own rights. Alfonso was behind many artistes in the 70s, in fact he was the music arranger / director for Sharifah Aini's Pasir Roboh, Damak Ku Sayang, Serampang Laut, Dodoi Si Dodoi, etc... and thats just one artiste. I like Kartina Dahari a lot, and she also sang one of Alfonso's composition, Tunas Kasih. Tunku Abdul Rahman sought help from Radio Malaysia – Alfonso Soliano, Lanthall, Croft, Bert Read, Dol Ramli and Datuk Ahmad Merican to create the national anthem, Negaraku from a love song, Terang Bulan. Alfonso was always top of the list even then.


Alfonso's better known compositions include: Gadis Idaman Ku and Airmata Berderai. Hence the album which they are doing has almost half of them songs that linked the Soliano name to this group of talented musicians.


This great article was written by errol de cruz for NST and was published on merdeka day august 31, 2007,

IF there's one family that stands above all others in Malaysian music-making, it must be the Soliano clan.





There's an often-used joke which says that if you don't want to become a millionaire, all you need do is become a jazz musician. It's probably what used to happen in the early 1900s what with so many talented jazz and blues musicians succumbing to "occupational hazards".

In today's musical climate, however, jazz musicians have come a long way and several have made a big name for themselves, the Malaysian list includes Michael Veerapen, Lewis Pragasam, Andy Peterson, David Ah Wah, Julian Chan, Vincent Ong, Josie Thomas, David Gomes and many others.

Jazz itself has come a long way, finding its way into pop, rock and ethnic fusion; it's not surprising to find pop artistes who have matured, so to speak, turning back to their roots and hitting jazz joints with sets that include songs by Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Last week, for example, at popular jazz joint No Black Tie, patrons were pleasantly surprised to find evergreen artiste Khatijah Ibrahim at the mike, belting out her own originals and also jazz standards like Don't Rain On My Parade, Luck Be My Lady Tonight and Fever.

Accompanying her was an ensemble starring a renowned music family - the Solianos, arguably the only family in Malaysian showbiz who can claim a heritage of jazz that dates back well into the nation's history, well past the inaugural Merdeka celebrations, thanks to their forefathers, the legendary Alfonso and Tony Soliano.





The Soliano name hails back to the days of the British occupation, when Rufino Soliano and Dominado Tirona were brought in from the Philippines to play in the Constabulary Band.

Later, Alfonso and his nephew Tony came into the picture. Alfonso was the serious one, leading and writing for the orchestras of the time, while Tony was happy being the live wire, leading local musicians in one jazz ensemble or another on both sides of the Causeway, and in the heady Bangkok scene, too.

"Those were the days," many say, "when we had talented artistes like Ahmad Wan Yet, Zain Azman and Julie Sudiro entertaining us."

Alfonso and Tony died, months apart, in 1990, and it has been up to their children and families to keep things going.

Today's Soliano clan remembers the days of yore well, especially Valentino "Tinoy" Soliano who was the only one who performed with his father Alfonso. "I was the lucky one and yes, those were the days," he said.

"If you went to any of our homes after he passed away, there'd be a portrait of him above the piano and as we practised, we'd get that echo that said: "No bluffing, ah."

"Dad's talent was his wealth," Tinoy said. "He'd always bring himself down to the playing level of other musicians and make them sound good."

The Soliano Brothers picked up the flag from Alfonso and performed all over the country for more than 15 years, until individual talent and creativity nudged them into forming their own groups.

Now, instead of just one family ensemble plying the trade, there are at least six outfits pushing the Soliano envelope, from Langkawi to Singapore.

* Tinoy's sister, Isabella, leads one band at the Datai in Langkawi, with Conrado playing trumpet.

* Brother Rizal and niece Rachel have two bands, now performing at No Black Tie.

* Sister Irene sings with the Soliano Brothers whenever she can.

* Cousin Daniel Guerzo leads his Nine Lives in Langkawi.

* Tony Soliano Jr has a band in Johor Baru.

* Cousin Louis Tan Soliano plays drums at Jazz At Southbridge in Singapore.

* Older brother Remy had an accident recently and is currently bed-ridden.

* Tinoy and Tristano are session musicians. "We're the family mercenaries," Tano laughed.


The entire family gets together at Christmas and last year, they more or less took over Langkawi island for two whole weeks. And when they do get together, it's Salvador Guerzo who leads them.

Ado, pianist Rachel's dad, is the elder that the Solianos look up to nowadays. Like Alfonso in his time, Ado writes and arranges for the RTM Orchestra and also plays as often as he can with any of the Soliano outfits. Another "mercenary", yes, but this saxophonist is rather devoted to his daughter's band.

"Times have changed," Rachel chipped in. "I used to follow him; now it's the other way around."

It's a tough job, leading the entire clan when they get together, but Ado wears the mantle well, and his big hope is that he will one day be instrumental in making some Soliano dreams come true.

Rachel has plans to organise the Alfonso Soliano Jazz Festival and is hoping to acquire enough sponsorship over the next two years, and Ado wants to establish what they would all like to see - the Soliano School of Music.

"These are our dreams," Ado said, "and I know we can do it if we put our heads and talent together."

In this case, however, Rachel has the level-headed voice. "What we really need is someone with the business acumen to run it."

Considering the reputation the Soliano clan has earned over half a century and more, the realisation of such dreams would only be fitting.

Or as Rizal put it: "Dad didn't leave us any wealth because making music was more important than making money. But he did leave us with a big name, and it's up to us to do something with it."

The Solianos Project - Why!!!???

This will be in a series of articles on The Solianos Project. Why them? Although I begged Leslie to have a listen to The Solianos, although it seems like I "discovered" them as a recording potential, the truth is not so exceptional on my side. How do you discover a group that has been around for twenty thirty years?

Listening to the live, doing these 3 songs convinced me that there is something "big" ... Tudung Periuk, Tanah Pusaka and Gadis Idaman Ku. The Solianos have been plying their trade at various venues and even corporate events, and while most of their repertoire were in English jazz standards, I was convinced they had to do a Malay album which will totally encapsulate their brilliance, musicality, musicianship and melodious harmonies. It had to be a Malay album because it reflects their heritage perfectly (Alfonso Soliano and Tony Soliano).

The final song list is equally distributed with numbers composed by Alfonso Soliano and emblematic Malay songs through the years (with the Solianos treatment, they were given a fresh breath of vibrancy again - you didn't know that some Malay songs could actually sound so good).

In many ways, The Solianos represent the music culture for the past 60 years and the Pusaka album is more "1Malaysia" than anything I can imagine. If you are between 35-75 you will really feel that you lived through these songs, in your own country, cause nowhere else on earth will you get an album like this or get to appreciate one like this.

Both Tony and Alfonso were greats in their own rights. Alfonso was behind many artistes in the 70s, in fact he was the music arranger / director for Sharifah Aini's Pasir Roboh, Damak Ku Sayang, Serampang Laut, Dodoi Si Dodoi, etc... and thats just one artiste. I like Kartina Dahari a lot, and she also sang one of Alfonso's composition, Tunas Kasih. Tunku Abdul Rahman sought help from Radio Malaysia – Alfonso Soliano, Lanthall, Croft, Bert Read, Dol Ramli and Datuk Ahmad Merican to create the national anthem, Negaraku from a love song, Terang Bulan. Alfonso was always top of the list even then.



Alfonso's better known compositions include: Gadis Idaman Ku and Airmata Berderai. Hence the album which they are doing has almost half of them songs that linked the Soliano name to this group of talented musicians.




This great article was written by errol de cruz for NST and was published on merdeka day august 31, 2007,

IF there's one family that stands above all others in Malaysian music-making, it must be the Soliano clan.





There's an often-used joke which says that if you don't want to become a millionaire, all you need do is become a jazz musician. It's probably what used to happen in the early 1900s what with so many talented jazz and blues musicians succumbing to "occupational hazards".

In today's musical climate, however, jazz musicians have come a long way and several have made a big name for themselves, the Malaysian list includes Michael Veerapen, Lewis Pragasam, Andy Peterson, David Ah Wah, Julian Chan, Vincent Ong, Josie Thomas, David Gomes and many others.


Airmata Berderai sung by Dia Fadila

Jazz itself has come a long way, finding its way into pop, rock and ethnic fusion; it's not surprising to find pop artistes who have matured, so to speak, turning back to their roots and hitting jazz joints with sets that include songs by Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Last week, for example, at popular jazz joint No Black Tie, patrons were pleasantly surprised to find evergreen artiste Khatijah Ibrahim at the mike, belting out her own originals and also jazz standards like Don't Rain On My Parade, Luck Be My Lady Tonight and Fever.

Accompanying her was an ensemble starring a renowned music family - the Solianos, arguably the only family in Malaysian showbiz who can claim a heritage of jazz that dates back well into the nation's history, well past the inaugural Merdeka celebrations, thanks to their forefathers, the legendary Alfonso and Tony Soliano.



A recording of Tony Soliano playing LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING with Azizah Basri on vocals. Recorded around 1988 by RTM on a radio program "Saturday Nite Star". Posted by Azizah, man, can she sing.



The Soliano name hails back to the days of the British occupation, when Rufino Soliano and Dominado Tirona were brought in from the Philippines to play in the Constabulary Band.

Later, Alfonso and his nephew Tony came into the picture. Alfonso was the serious one, leading and writing for the orchestras of the time, while Tony was happy being the live wire, leading local musicians in one jazz ensemble or another on both sides of the Causeway, and in the heady Bangkok scene, too.

"Those were the days," many say, "when we had talented artistes like Ahmad Wan Yet, Zain Azman and Julie Sudiro entertaining us."

Alfonso and Tony died, months apart, in 1990, and it has been up to their children and families to keep things going.

Today's Soliano clan remembers the days of yore well, especially Valentino "Tinoy" Soliano who was the only one who performed with his father Alfonso. "I was the lucky one and yes, those were the days," he said.

"If you went to any of our homes after he passed away, there'd be a portrait of him above the piano and as we practised, we'd get that echo that said: "No bluffing, ah."

"Dad's talent was his wealth," Tinoy said. "He'd always bring himself down to the playing level of other musicians and make them sound good."

The Soliano Brothers picked up the flag from Alfonso and performed all over the country for more than 15 years, until individual talent and creativity nudged them into forming their own groups.

Now, instead of just one family ensemble plying the trade, there are at least six outfits pushing the Soliano envelope, from Langkawi to Singapore.

* Tinoy's sister, Isabella, leads one band at the Datai in Langkawi, with Conrado playing trumpet.

* Brother Rizal and niece Rachel have two bands, now performing at No Black Tie.

* Sister Irene sings with the Soliano Brothers whenever she can.

* Cousin Daniel Guerzo leads his Nine Lives in Langkawi.

* Tony Soliano Jr has a band in Johor Baru.

* Cousin Louis Tan Soliano plays drums at Jazz At Southbridge in Singapore.

* Older brother Remy had an accident recently and is currently bed-ridden.

* Tinoy and Tristano are session musicians. "We're the family mercenaries," Tano laughed.



The Solianos @ noblacktie, Tricia singing Honeysuckle Rose followed by their rendition of Gadis Idaman Ku (forward to 4.10 minute of the clip to hear the second song). It is by hearing their rendition of this song and Tudung Periuk that I then begged Leslie to give them a listen.

The entire family gets together at Christmas and last year, they more or less took over Langkawi island for two whole weeks. And when they do get together, it's Salvador Guerzo who leads them.

Ado, pianist Rachel's dad, is the elder that the Solianos look up to nowadays. Like Alfonso in his time, Ado writes and arranges for the RTM Orchestra and also plays as often as he can with any of the Soliano outfits. Another "mercenary", yes, but this saxophonist is rather devoted to his daughter's band.

"Times have changed," Rachel chipped in. "I used to follow him; now it's the other way around."

It's a tough job, leading the entire clan when they get together, but Ado wears the mantle well, and his big hope is that he will one day be instrumental in making some Soliano dreams come true.

Rachel has plans to organise the Alfonso Soliano Jazz Festival and is hoping to acquire enough sponsorship over the next two years, and Ado wants to establish what they would all like to see - the Soliano School of Music.

"These are our dreams," Ado said, "and I know we can do it if we put our heads and talent together."

In this case, however, Rachel has the level-headed voice. "What we really need is someone with the business acumen to run it."

Considering the reputation the Soliano clan has earned over half a century and more, the realisation of such dreams would only be fitting.

Or as Rizal put it: "Dad didn't leave us any wealth because making music was more important than making money. But he did leave us with a big name, and it's up to us to do something with it."



Another rare recording of the late Tony Soliano's brilliance at the piano around 1988. Here he performs the ever popular RINDU with Azizah Basri on Vocals and brilliantly exploits the Javanese pentatonic scale into his music.

The Solianos Project - Meaning Of Tudung Periuk

Something completely different. Leslie from popopmusic asked me the meaning of the song Tudung Periuk. I will venture a guess. I am intimately involved in the production of The Solianos' album Pusaka which is close to my heart. Stumbled in life and somehow end up as an "executive producer" of the album. The Solianos have been singing for over 30 years and this is their first album, unbelievable. Les and I thought they must do an album of Malay songs, not English (even when that is their main repertoire) because their musicality and 5 part harmonies have never been imparted so brilliantly into Malay songs.

The album is going to be great, I think, because:

1. the arrangement by salvador guerzo
2. tricia's (lead vocal) honey-toasted and sultry voice
3. the choice of songs and how great each song is sung and arranged
4. the fabulous recording (world-class audiophile standards)
5，and most importantly, the superb musicality of the music! (almost everyone agreed on this)

Les played some of the unfinished songs at a listening party, these were some of their immediate responses...

"wow! malaysia can produce a record like this??"

"i would buy this album even with just one good song but all your songs are so great!"

"ador's arrangement is definitely world-class!"

"the recording (from the ark studio) is the best of all your 4 albums; again, world-class!"

"this female lead vocalist is amazing!"

This is the original selected songlist. Too bad, my favourite Sheila Majid's song Gerimis Semalam was taken out as The Solianos said they could not really add to the song, and that room for harmonies and improvisations were limited. But instead we have replaced it with Freedom's Mulanya Di Sini.

I will try to get the finished track of Tudung Periuk for all to listen soon. Its magical.


---------------------------

Three cheers for pop pop music!

Solianos' "Tudung Periuk" - a yet-unreleased single from the forth-coming album "Pusaka" - has been selected by the panel to be included in another compilation album issued by one big Hi-Fi dealer in Taiwan for the upcoming TAA Hi-Fi show. The panel loves the melody and harmony of the song! See, we told you, we told you this is a great song! ;-)

But they have one tough question for us: what is the song about?

We don't know either! Here's the lyrics of the song.....

Tudung periuk

Lid of the pot

Tudung periuk, pandai menari

Lid of the pot dances well

Menarilah lagu, putera mahkota

Dance of the son of the crown prince

Kain yang buruk

The rag

Kain yang buruk berikan kami

The rag give it to us

Buat menyapu

To wipe

Buat menyapu si air mata

To wipe the tears

Any volunteers to decipher the hidden meaning behind the song? You must be old enough to know this song, to start with!

In any case, you guys should be proud that a Malay song has unprecedentedly made it into Taiwan!

leslie@poppop

----------------------

Leslie,


The original lyrics was not "anak Putera Mahkota" but rather "anak Raja Melaka", when we were still on good terms I guess.


Tudung periuk tudung periuk pandailah menari
Permainan anak permainan anak Raja Malaka
Kain yang buruk kain yang buruk berikan kami
Untuk menyapu untuk menyapu si air mata
Kain yang buruk kain yang buruk berikan kami
Untuk menyapu untuk menyapu si air mata

Tudung periuk tudung periuk pandailah berdendang
Pandai berdendang pandai berdendang lagu seberang
Barang yang buruk barang yang buruk tak 'kan dipandang
Dijual tidak dijual tidak dibeli orang
Barang yang buruk barang yang buruk tak 'kan dipandang
Dijual tidak dijual tidak dibeli orang

We know it as the song sung in P Ramlee's SUMPAH SEMERAH PADI together with Saloma. There is a meaning to the song even though most would shrug their shoulders. Its a song sung to the kids and how they need to grow up being responsible, being willingness to take up responsibility. Tudung periuk means family leadership, the shield of the family I guess. Pandai menari means being clever and resourceful. Mainan putera mahkota does not mean toys but rather the demands of daily life. Anak raja melaka or putera mahkota does not mean royalty but rather the young ones, the new generation.

Kain yang buruk di berikan kami, in its original form its ditinggalkan kami (more poignant), is the need to be wary, the need to be protective of their heritage or family name and not to bring shame or tears to the family. Menyapu air mata, the cloth we gave you to wipe your tears is to make sure that you eat your bitterness, rally through life's difficulties and be strong.

Its an educational song/lullaby sung by probably the grandmas/mums to their grandkids/children.

This Week At NBT!

Live Vicariously

Does Malaysia have a music scene? If you have to ask, then we''ll have to make front-row reservations for you at No Black Tie this week. For at No Black Tie, we pride ourselves in bringing a diverse range of musicians to our stage and giving them tip-top acoustics, in ensuring that the resulting musical experience is a priceless, unforgettable one.

Just this week we have both aspiring and veteran musicians take the stage. Come and be awed by the sheer talent and preservation of our up-and-coming musicians like Amanda Imani and DieHard. Between Amanda's soulful repertoire and DieHard's eagerness to entertain, we promise two nights of pleasure.

Then there are The Solianos, Rozz and Jamie Wilson — all musicians deeply rooted in the legacy of many of the world's music royalty. Come and live vicariously through these music powerhouses. Catch a glimpse of life on the road with musicians like The Eagles and Steely Dan with Jamie Wilson. Feel the invigorating heat of Broadway's stage lights with Rozz and discover Alfonso Soliano's legacy between the notes of The Solianos' performance.

If music is what feelings sound like, then we invite you to indulge in your emotions with your favourite tipple at No Black Tie. For reservations, please call 03- 2142-3737 after 5 pm.

Cheers,
No Black Tie


DECEMBER 14/MONDAY
9.30pm rm30
AMANDA IMANI is tipped to be the next sensation at the tender age of 18. Blessed with a melodious yet husky voice — and coupled with her warm persona and versatility be it on the piano or guitar — her performances are impactful. A believer that her songs are the vehicle in which she shares life experiences, hopes and imagination, her music breathes life into cultures and engages the spirit of humanity. Come, drink in her talent, and be awed.

DECEMBER 15/TUESDAY
9.30pm rm30
THE SOLIANOS: Irene Soliano (v), Tristano (p), Valentino (b), Rizal Soliano.

It has been said that a family that eats together stays together. For the Solianos whose primary bond is music, playing together is also a reminder of the gift that runs in the family and of the musical lineage that traces back to their late father Alfonso Soliano, who is widely regarded as the grandfather of Malaysian jazz. The Solianos’ brand of music is sure to capture the imagination of all jazz lovers.

DECEMBER 16/WEDNESDAY
9.30pm rm30
Bruce Willis' movies aside, DIEHARD is a portmanteau for Deo (guitar) and Hardy Arbi (vocals). Like music lovers everywhere, Deo and Hardy are guys with day jobs. Instead of relegating their insatiable passion for music to the dark recesses of their private lives, Deo and Hardy have took to the stage. Hardy, 35 is a trainer by profession, has passion for singing since young but is finally brave enough to give it a shot. While Deo, 20, is an aspiring musicians pursuing a Diploma of Business for the Music Industry at the International College of Music. Fusing the sweet pickings of the guitar and robust vocals, DIEHARD promises a night of ballads, RnB, jazz groove and perhaps a little funk.

DECEMBER 18/FRIDAY
10.30pm rm40
If you're looking to share the evening with a musician who's lived the life of the musician on the road, then meet JAMIE WILSON. Born in Australia Jamie studied classical guitar as a child and made his first formal appearance at the age of 16 at the Sydney Opera House. By his merit alone, Jamie was invited to the prestigious G.I.T. Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California before he went on to play with the famous ‘China Club’ alongside music legends, Joe Walsh ( The Eagles), Jeff Baxter (Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers), Tim Bogart (Jeff Beck Group) and Clarence Clemens (Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band). Returning to Australia he joined rock legend Jimmy Barnes on his national tour, followed by tours with Australia’s music royalty, guitar maestro Tommy Emmanuel, Ian Moss, Richard Clapton and many others culminating in sharing the stage with American legend and Grammy winner Steve Miller.

DECEMBER 19/SATURDAY
10.30pm rm40
Boy, can ROZZ sing. A performer that defies anything generic, Rozz's stage appearances are often vigorous and engaging. Trained as a classical vocalist by Anne Ridgeworth from the early age of 4, Rozz has since dedicated himself to the study of music and theatre. His education and career as a performance artist eventually landed him at the epicenter of the actors' domain: New York City, where he was featured in various on and off-Broadway productions. Come and experience Rozz's spectacular show.

Address

17, Jalan Mesui
Off Jalan Nagasari
50200 Kuala Lumpur

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