BY EKAMIEZZA KAMIL
KUCHING: At the age of 70, the man fondly called ‘Papa Rock’ by rock music lovers in the country is still active though less visible on television these days.
Datuk Ramli Sarip is not letting up on his quest to stay relevant in the country’s entertainment industry.
During the ‘Jelajah Ramli Sarip 2022: Cinta Di Sebalik Musim’ concert here recently, he said when on stage, singing and performing should go hand in hand.
He used ‘kuih’ (cakes) as an analogy to describe what he meant by it.
“It’s like kuih. If it’s good people will eat it. If the singing and performance is good, people will listen and watch. When a performance touches the hearts of the people they will like it, it’s a bonus,” said the rocker best known for the song ‘Kamelia’ when he was the lead singer of the rock band, Sweet Charity.
It is obvious the man loves rock music and music in general, but he’s not all consumed by the industry.
He is rather philosophical, and according to him, what is important is balancing entertainment and life. That way, he maintains his energy and interest to stay relevant today.
For his solo albums, he always combined various aspects of the classics and modern music — a classic for a bit of nostalgia and the modern to satisfy the young and to stay relevant.
“That’s why overall, the featured songs have a feel of the classic with some nostalgia-evoking elements thrown in plus new features to attract attention.
“Promotion also plays an important role in my career, like before we did ‘Akustika Ramadan’ which features music that pierces the soul and feelings. Although it was not very Islamic, there is soul and life in my music,” he explained.
For Ramli, it is important to find inspiration and use it to produce relevant music.
“If we look back, it is actually about the journey of life. Although it can be difficult, it is also necessary to go through it.
“Similarly during Covid-19, it was a journey where everyone needed to be patient. It was then that I managed to produce the ‘Cinta Di Sebalik Musim’ album,” he said.
In the struggle to stay relevant, he said it was important to use whatever resources available to take care of current and even future needs and make products that the new generation can accept.
Of course, the older generation should not be disregarded in the process, he stressed.
In concert tours, he described the organisers as important, especially in the promotion of the events.
“If they (the organisers) respect, know and appreciate the artistic journey that I have gone through, they know what to do.
“I don’t need much, but I just want to share with the fans my old material from my days with Sweet Charity in my upcoming events,” he said.
About the concert, he said he received an encouraging response not only from his contemporaries but also from the younger generation.
“This proves that the featured music reached the hearts of the younger generation. Or more precisely, entered the souls of young people who are mature in their thinking,” he said.
Born on October 15, 1952 Ramli and became a member of the Singapore-based group Sweet Charity in 1969. Since then, he has become famous as a songwriter and lyricist.
Throughout his career, he has produced nine albums with the group and eight solo albums.
Among his most popular songs are Kamelia (1980), Bukan Kerana Nama, Doa Buat Kekasih, Teratai (1979) and Syair Laila Majnun.
