Malaysian celebration

SUDIRMAN’S music will be given a new lease of life with the release of the upcoming musical Hoore! Hoore!, a project championed by filmmaker Saw Teong Hin, he of Puteri Gunung Ledang fame. The musical, which takes a leaf from the pages of High School Musical and Mamma Mia, will feature 12 classic songs rearranged by composer Audi Mok, including the likes of Basikal Tua, Hoore! Hoore!, Salam Terakhir, Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini and Balik Kampung.

So, what about Sudirman’s music that allows it to work in a musical? “The songs are by themselves beautiful, and given the scope of his songbook – from songs about love to family to being an ordinary guy – we could easily have done a series,” Saw revealed. And the timing for such a film seems perfect, given the recently renewed interest in the legacy of the singer.

Putting the musical together didn’t come without its set of worries, though. “The music was a big concern – how to refresh his music for the present and yet be respectful; plus, not lose its soul or essence. And also, for the songs to ‘sit’ well in the movie and not have them sound out of context from the filmor end up being music videos. Thankfully, Audi Mok, the music director did a fantastic job,” said the awardwinning director.

Ultimately, the movie is trying to convey the fantastic body of work Sudirman left behind. “Hopefully, it will serve to remind us of the greatness of Sudirman’s legacy and to introduce him to a new generation who might not be so familiar with his music,” shared the ardent Sudirman fan.

Hoore! Hoore! is slated to be released in local cinemas in August and will feature Akim AF7, Kilafairy, Nurfarah Nazirah, Harun Salim Bachik, Sandara and the effervescent Aznil Nawawi.