By: Zaki Salleh
Photo credit: MBI Media
IPOH – Rock music, which once played a significant role in Malaysia’s music industry, continues to be part of Ipoh’s artistic and cultural heritage through the staging of the Rock Selamanya Concert at the Ipoh City Hall last night.
The initiative by the Ipoh City Council (MBI) is seen as an effort to revive the glory of local rock bands that once made a name for themselves and developed their own dedicated following.
The concert, which attracted more than 3,000 fans, featured three renowned rock bands from Perak – Abu & Frenz, Teja and Riyard.
The three groups are among the major names that once shaped Malaysia’s rock music scene and continue to have a loyal fan base to this day.
Also adding to the excitement was a performance by Gema Warisan Budaya (GWB) MBI.
One of the main attractions was the appearance of Abu, a renowned Malaysian guitarist and original member of the band May, together with the musicians of Abu & Frenz.
Abu, known as Abu Loken on his Facebook page, successfully brought back nostalgic memories among fans with an energetic performance.
The band Teja, which rose to prominence in the early 1990s, also captured the audience’s attention with popular songs from its two albums.
Among the songs performed were Kau Yang Tak Mengerti, Belayar Dalam Perut Paus and Kenangan di Taman Cinta.
The concert became even more exciting with the comeback of Riyard after more than 38 years away from the stage.
Their return was one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of the night.
The band, featuring its vocalist Ustaz Akhil Hayy and guitarist Jefrie Lie, or JP, thrilled the audience with a powerful performance.
At 57, Akhil’s vocals remained strong as he performed Riyard’s evergreen songs such as Melodi Cinta Lama, Dunia Perhitungan, Kutukan Talibarut and Media 88-89.
The song Hanya Ketenangan, one of Riyard’s popular numbers, also received an enthusiastic response from fans and created an atmosphere filled with nostalgia.
The Rock Selamanya Concert was not merely about revisiting memories, but also opened up opportunities for Ipoh’s rock music to be further recognised as a cultural heritage with artistic and economic value.
MBI should continue the initiative by organising similar concerts regularly or on a larger scale to promote local rock bands as part of Ipoh’s tourism and urban economy attractions.
Now is the time to bring back Ipoh’s greatest rock bands.
