Melaka goes pop yeh yeh

To mark National Day 2017, Panggung Bangsawan Melaka will hark back to the halcyon days of pop music — with a Malaysian flavour, writes Dennis Chua

MELAKA’S former Cathay cinema, better known as the new Panggung Bangsawan Melaka,will play host to a celebration of retro music this Aug 4 and 5 in conjunction with National Day 2017.

Organised by Istana Budaya and Melaka Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI),

will feature 1950s and 1960s legends, Datuk A. Rahman Hassan, Datuk Jeffrydin, Datuk L. Ramli, J Sham and Maria Bachok.

They will be joined by 30-something retro singer A. Rozaini and rising star Aiman Tino in the two-hour show, co-hosted by comedians Ebby Yus and Abon.

Istana Budaya director-general Datuk Juhari Shaarani said the concert will feature over 30 songs with fresh interpretations by the singers.

“They will be accompanied by the Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia combo as well,” he said at a recent Press conference at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur.

“Audiences will get to sing along to musical gems like and as well as English songs from the 1960s, such as

and

Tourism and Culture Ministry secretarygeneral Datuk Ab Ghaffar A. Tambi said the concert was to promote traditional Malaysian music to youngsters and to get young singers to work closely with pop yeh yeh legends.

“Pop yeh yeh is a national heritage, and while it was inspired by the pop rock developments in the UK and the US during the 1960s and 1970s, it has developed its very own Malaysian flavour,” he said.

Panggung Bangsawan Melaka was specially chosen to promote the new concert hall, which has a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system.

CMI general manager Ab Rahman Ismail said the concert was also aimed at promoting Melaka as a cultural capital, because it is the country’s main historic

The stars and backup dancers of the concert.

city and the “beginning” of the 1Malaysia concept.

“It enables local and foreign tourists to celebrate Malaysian culture in the historical city, and it is a world-class concert venue,” he said, adding that the theatre seats more than 400 people. Although pop yeh yeh was deemed “retro” music, its “messages are evergreen and can be enjoyed by Malaysians of all ages”.

Panggung Bangsawan Melaka was opened in 2013 and is the brainchild of Melaka Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Khalil Yaakob.

More than 24 concerts have been performed there to date.