HE may be a man of few words on stage, but his music and artistry certainly make up for it, creating a mesmerising, melodic and rhythmic conversation that has carried on for 45 years.
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Datuk M Nasir’s ‘M N45ir – Cipta’ concert at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, recently was a celebration of his impact on music and his creativity throughout his long career.
The man for all musical seasons, aptly known as Sifu, has always infused the essence of Nusantara into his music, birthing great songs for himself and other artistes.
The concert was a celebration of his legacy and the many careers that he helped build along the way.
Even at 67, Nasir is still passionate about his craft. This was evident when he opened the concert with a celebration of love with an upbeat performance of ‘Raikan Cinta’ from his hit album ‘Phoenix Bangkit’. Like a phoenix always rising above the flames, he has withstood the test of time and changing trends and music tastes.
Dressed in traditional garb, he thrilled more than 8,000 fans, who were appropriately dressed for the night’s traditional theme.
As he ‘joget’ on stage for his more energetic tunes, fans matched his energy and got on their feet.
The appreciative audience of young and old singing along to his songs enlivened the three-hour concert.
The crowd’s light sticks illuminating the arena created a stunning effect for the celebration of Nasir’s music.
Even with the theatrics and the huge screen presenting visuals to match the songs, Nasir and his music was the main course, backed by a rocking band that delivered in spades.
Accompanying the Singapore-born artiste’s impassioned singing were 24 musicians, including a traditional instrument ensemble, a brass section and five backup vocalists.
Nasir, whose full name is Mohamad Nasir Mohamed, performed more than 20 songs, including medleys of his top hits ‘Mentera Semerah Padi’, ‘Hati Emas’, ‘Seroja’, ‘Bercanda Di Pasiran Pantai’, ‘Tanya Sama Itu Hud-Hud’, ‘Phoenix Bangkit’, ‘Srikandi Cintaku’, ‘Ada’, ‘Senja Nan Merah’ and ‘Tujuh Nafas Lagi’.
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The maestro with the golden touch also took fans down memory lane with songs he created that became iconic for other singers and acts.
They include ‘Seroja’ (for Search), ‘Senja Nan Merah’ (Datuk Awie and Ziana Zain), ‘Senandung Semalam’ (Alleycats), ‘Cinta Kristal’ (Rahim Maarof), and ‘Seribu Tahun Takkan Maybe’ (BPR).
Nasir also performed ‘Langgam Pak Dogo’, ‘Berdendang Dalam Tegasan’, ‘Bukalah Hatimu’, ‘Sahabat Gua’ and ‘Hijab Kekasih’, which featured celebrated musician Datuk Ramli MS on the accordion.
Nasir was like a one-man festival that night, cycling through diverse genres with a Nusantara touch, taking the audience on a journey through progressive rock, Latin styles and retro pop.
Nasir has a diverse and prolific legacy in music, excelling in accessible pop tunes with a traditional touch and deep lyrics.
No surprise that he was named Songwriter with the Highest Earnings by Music Authors’ Copyright Protection (MACP) Bhd at the 2023 MACP Awards in December last year.
In a special segment, Nasir celebrated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s 77th birthday and presented him with ‘pulut kuning’ as a gift.
Anwar was accompanied by his daughter, Nurul Izzah, as well as Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Also in attendance were fellow artistes Fauziah Nawi, Ella, Lan Solo, Musa of Exists, Eddie of Wings, Neves of Pretty Ugly, Bunkface, Ziana Zain and Misha Omar, who turned up to support the concert organised by Icon Entertainment.
In a poignant moment during the show, Nasir showed solidarity with the Palestinian people by performing ‘Balada Seorang Teman’ to honour the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Teheran, Iran, last month.
The ‘M N45ir – Cipta’ concert came to an end when the legend behind 3,000 songs performed an encore of ‘Sentuhan Listrikmu’, ‘Suatu Masa’, ‘Apokalips’ and ‘Gerhana’.
-NewStraitsTime