"Music.Business.Martial Arts - People.Power.Repect"
Passion Pt. 1: Music - People
My first love was the melody of the Quran recital technique called 'taranum' which I studied from various teachers including Hashim Bolhi, Ismawi Duet, Yaasin Fakir, Dahari Begek, and many other reknowned 'taranum' teachers. This love evolved into loving music. And it went deeper into a focused scope of a genre which was arguably given birth by DJ Kool Herc at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. A genre called hip hop. As to me, at that time it was the simplest form of music to create and express. Simple drum patterns. Repetitive basslines. Plus a monotonous rhyme created to express what is on the mind. This, seemed attractive.
My first ever attempt on making music was very lo-tech. I had two recordable cassette players. The first, I recorded the drumlines by beatboxing. The second player was used to record the bassline (using vocals as well as I had no instruments at all). Very lo-tech for the year 2003. Back then, my internet connection was on 56k modem and Google wasn't famous yet (or at least to my knowledge), so recording on two different cassette players was a brilliant idea as an unknowing 15-year old. After recording the drum beat and the bassline, I would then play both the players simultaneuosly and start to rap on top of it. Didn't know what a multi-track recorder was, but was doing the multi-track recording technique, live! Haha..
Then I got my first laptop and got introduced to a software called Audacity. Bit by bit, I understood the mechanism of multi-track recording. Fascinating. No research, just trial and error. It was expensive to own guitars and drums and keyboards, so I was blessed to bump into a software called Fruity Loops. (it is called FL Studio now as it had legal issues with Fruit Loops. Yes! The cereal.. Haha..) Now instrument issues is the thing of the past for me as VSTs were introduced by a company called Steinberg. (Google it up if you don't know what VSTs are)
Fast forward to 2009, I now own all the neccesities for producing, recording, and mixing songs in my own bedroom. None of my equipments are bought without fully knowing the functions. Understanding music made me realize there was more to hip hop as it is the most adaptive (just like Sarawkians *wink*) genre in the world. At the end of 2007, I was introduced to Jazz by Adzeem Ali and Kadzlan Ali, sons of Ali Omar, whose father was Obe Hairunie, a Jazz great, from Kuching, Sarawak. From there, we formed Blue Night Fellas, a hip hop band, together with Asyraf Hardy (M.I.X.) and Azfar Zubri who played the bass. Understanding structure of a song, it is now easier composing sophisticated hip hop songs rather than the traditional drums, bass, scratches, samples and rap. But my musical journey has only started as I would love to know how to read music and play the keyboard.
The new 'Dewan Undangan Negeri' will be offcially opened on the 29th thus closing the old one on the 28th. Both nights, an orchestra will perform. Today, I had the opportunity to watch how the orchestra works. From the music director, to the simplest-looking job of a percussionist playing the shaker, how it is put together amazed me. The orchestra was led by Mr. Shafiee and there was a guest violinist, Idris from Jakarta and Adzeem Ali was in it too. Little that I know, Uncle Dino aka Nek Yet, a relative, was on the percussions today. He is now with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. A very enriching day as I visualized how I can apply these methods and techniques used, to embellish my love of hip hop music production.
Writing lyrics is a therapy to me. What is thought is penned. And I keep my very own black rhyme book.
This journey continues...
From Mosques to Pubs, from Churches to Clubs, it is where people meet. Music and melody will never be seperated from life, from people. Meeting positive people is what keeps me going. There are too many people to list down here whom I consider teachers to myself and I pray that all of you achieve what you want in life and the hereafter.
p/s: From Quran Recital Competitions to Hip Hop Music, it's all about the love and, pada pap pap paa, I'm lovin' it! Haha~
future posting - "Passion Pt. 2: Business - Power"
**this is an extract from "Passion"
At Cats FM
Adek Whosaint on my right
RDZ (right)
