Get into the Hari Raya spirit and blast these Malay pop tunes from way back in the old school, as selected by Safuan Johari, one half of the duo NADA.
1. 'Sejak Kita Berpisah' by Kartina Dahari
'I really love keronchong (both a genre and a ukulele-type instrument), as it exudes tranquility. When I need to ease my mind – or if the weather gets too hot – I just need to put on a keronchong record and everything will be all right. This is also my favourite song by the late and great Singaporean singer Kartina Dahari, whose voice is amazing.'
2. 'Mak Itty Mak Illa' by The Swallows
'My favourite pop yeh-yeh band! Their songs are mostly in Boyanese, an Indonesian dialect from Bawean island, where my maternal grandmother was from. The Swallows are probably the most hedonistic-sounding Malay band to ever exist. In some alternate universe of NADA-land, these guys could be part of New York’s CBGB movement. But I think they had a hit in Germany or something.'
3. 'Tahukah Sayang' by P Rosnah and The Siglap Five
'Beth Gibbons, if you’re reading this, please get in touch. In NADA's universe, trip hop was invented in Jurong, and Portishead’s Dummy was sung in Malay filled with samples such as this.'
4. 'Mengapa' by Sarena Hashim
'The band that backed this song was The Quests, and [its guitarist] Reggie Verghese co-produced the EP together with another legend, music composer Kassim Masdor. It was already an inclusive scene back then, where music triumphed everything else.'
5. 'Dulu Dan Kini' by Titiek Sandhora
'The only Indonesian song on this list. It has an ethereal vibe and is the kind of sound that I think many current indie bands would die for. Definitely a timeless piece.'
Find out more about Safuan Johari, NADA and the genre of 'pop yeh-yeh'.
Catch Safuan at Club Malam on July 7.