#SHOWBIZ: M. Nasir's magical Raya music
This was exactly what he did recently, serenading 1,500 of them in Zepp KL with 20 mostly Hari Raya gems, and showing that he was very much a 'party animal' despite hitting 67.
Nasir kept his fans singing, dancing and swaying along to his beats, like a modern-day version of Merlin throughout his 8pm show.
TWO HOURS
Nasir's two-hour Raya extravaganza was the 'Dato M N46IR Cipta' show.
In this non-stop show, which mainly featured Hari Raya gems over the ages, Nasir unveiled a treasure trove of songs he had penned for other artistes throughout his illustrious career.
Nasir, dressed stylishly in a brown Baju Melayu, appeared on the dot with 10 musicians and three backing vocalists.
He kicked off his concert with the power-packed 'Raya Yang Sempurna', a hit for rock legend Datuk Awie, and followed this up with 'Hari Raya Hari Bahagia', whose original singers included his late wife Junainah Johari.
"Happy Raya and thank you all. Was it jammed?" asked Nasir.
"Let's go for nostalgic songs tonight. It's simply great to see you all in baju Melayu.
"This is a very special concert, so let us make it a culture, let us have it annually!"
Nasir's fans sang along heartily to the celebratory 'Hati Emas' and 'Raikan Cinta'. The latter was very percussive and got the audiences dancing at their seats.
'Sentuhan Di Hari Raya' was a hit for another rock legend Datuk Amy of Search.
"It's been years since I sang this song. Amy made it popular, so looks like I've got to compete with him," said Nasir with a smile.
Nasir paid tribute to Tan Sri P. Ramlee and Ahmad Jaafar with his sixth song, 'Suara Takbir'.
His rendition of the Ramlee gem was melodious and poignant with strong accordion and drum sounds.
TRIBUTE
His seventh song was 'Lebaran Bonda', a "tribute to all mums" and his composition for Datuk Hattan with a zapin sound.
Song number eight was an Indonesian hit popular in Johor and Singapore most recently sung by Gigi.
Titled 'Selamat Hari Lebaran', it was easily recognised for its Arabic sound and chorus, and Nasir got everyone singing along to its catchy tune.
Nasir then invited a 20-something lass known only as Puteri up stage.
They sang a heartwarming duet 'Halaman Asmara', made popular by Awie and Ziana Zain, and the maestro praised the starlet for her performance.
Nasir also introduced the oldest recorded Raya song, 'Selamat Hari Raya' by Al-Jawaher.
A spiritual tune with a Middle Eastern flavour, it invoked memories of Hari Raya celebrations in the early 20th century.
Best of all, the screen behind Nasir heralded stylish computer-generated graphics of ketupat, lamps, mosques, and Raya greetings in Middle Eastern-style fonts.
DETOUR
Nasir took a detour from festive songs to deliver three of his poignant pop tunes — 'Suatu Masa', 'Salam Dunia' and 'Sahabat Gua'.
Fans sang along to the choruses and many began waving their hands, clapping and taking photos of the maestro with their handphone cameras.
"How is everybody doing?" asked Nasir, teasing his guests with a song that they knew well.
Everybody knew that it was a signal for 'Satu Hari Di Hari Raya', and they were right.
This hearty song saw Nasir aim his microphone at the crowd, and fans did a great job singing the entire chorus.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!" said Nasir, who soon belted out his catchy hit 'Apokalips'.
Nasir returned to Raya songs, starting with Sepahtu's 'Raya Sedondon', a light-hearted fusion of tradition and modernity, the boisterous 'Esok Hari Raya' which Dr Sam made popular, and the most iconic Raya song Puan Sri Saloma's 'Selamat Hari Raya'.
"It's been a wonderful concert, and I hope to see all of you next year too," said Nasir, who proved a magnanimous and chatty host throughout the show.
"I plan to re-record all these classic Raya songs live, and hopefully, more Malaysians will get to appreciate these national treasures."
STYLISH
As he ended the concert with his hit from 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' titled 'Kepadamu Kekasih', Nasir said: "These songs evoke a sense of nostalgia during the festive season."
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