Reshmonu's HARAPAN CD - Buy it!

If you have tuned in to our local stations when you make that daily grind to the office you most probably have heard Oh Anok Anok right? Yeah, that's the one, the catchy Kelantanese-inspired anthem. (Click for the MTV youtube video)

That's by Reshmonu and the lyrics are by my beloved, multi-talented sister, Pacha.

His first full-length Malay album has just made it to market, folks, with Pacha penning most of the lyrics. Pacha had also written his award winning 2004 hit Cintaku Pergi.

HARAPAN is up for 5 nominations for the upcoming A.I.M. (Anugerah Industri Muzik) Awards 2009 in May for Best Pop Album, Best Engineered Album, Best Music Video, Best Male Vocal Performance for 'Sayu' and 'Doa Untuk Dia'.

To order the CD, please go here. It comes with a nice denim CD "sock" by Key Ng.

If nothing else, proceeds from my sister's royalties will go towards me taking you guys out for teh tarik, eh?

Hiresh's lovely wife and son with Pacha.

Hiresh with my sister at the opening night of her first solo. In the background is my niece N and partly hidden by Resh's mic is A, niece of both Kak Ton's and Nuraina's.


Excerpt from Resh's Facebook:

Subject: My Album ‘HARAPAN’ earns 5 nominations for the A.I.M (Anugerah Industri Muzik) 2009

Hey there thought I’d share the good news.My latest full length malay album titled ‘Harapan’ just earned me 5 nominations for the upcoming A.I.M awards happening May 2nd. The nominations are for the following categories :

1. Best Engineered Album
2. Best Music Video - ‘Oh Anok – Anok’ the MTV
3. Best Male Vocal performance in a song ‘Doa Untuk Dia’
4. Best Male Vocal performance in a song ‘Sayu’
5. Best Pop Album

I ‘m overwhelmed at the fact that this first malay album of mine has earned a place among a majority malay music industry. I am humbled that it has earned its recognition among my fellow musical comrades…my only hope now is that ‘Harapan’ reaches you… my supporters! (available exclusively @ www.rrecords.net

) Would love to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone involved directly or indirectly in the production of ‘HARAPAN’.

BTW: With regards to the release of my next English album…mmmm???? All I can say is somethin’s cookin in my music kitchen!!!! (hint:- Soulfull Funky House music in session!).

--------------------

More (Yawn) Bike Stories

My boy turned 8 yesterday, and he also came out 3rd in his term exams, so what did I do to reward him amidst this raging recession and BN's recent humiliating loss? (Is this Perak's and Kedah's "gift" to the newly-crowned First Lady?)

I bought him a scaled-down replica of former world champion Thomas Frischknecht's race machine: A Scott Scale JR 20.

The "20" means twenty inch wheels when adult-sized bikes are 24 inch. So it's a kid's bike. But a serious kid's bike armed with Revo Shifters, front and rear derailleurs,front fork with 55mm travel, the whole works.

Come visit my other blog for more of this insanely inane, stupendously mundane and lame ho-hum stuff.

LDTL Stage 5 - The Curve to Genting (Mat Salo's favorite sport!)

This is my third live LDTL event, the previous two a couple of years back. I'm not often home in Malaysia so I was lucky as hell that Stage 5 today started at my front door - literally!

The Petaling Jaya to Genting Stage kicked-off right between Ikano Power Center and The Curve, in front of co-sponsor's VW Malaysia's spiffy showroom to be exact. So all I did was to get on my hand-made Santa Cruz Superlight, a full-suspension mountain bike with my trusty D300 and 18-200 VR II lens slung across my shoulder, my pack of Dunhill's and headed off to The Curve to witness the start.

Did I tell you back in '04, at almost 45 years of age, I borrowed a RM 10,000 road bike and entered a UCI-sanctioned 100 km race in Perak? I finished fourth in my age category, barely missing the podium. But I was at least an hour behind the leader's though! I think there's hardly a sport greater than cycling, imagine day-in day-out going flat out for hundreds of kilometers a day until the end of the tour. The Tour De France, of course is the greatest of all - covering 3000 km in three weeks. How can anyone possibly do it? Doping? Naaah...


Yesterday's Malacca to Bangi Stage Winner - young upstart Samai of Indonesia who clocked an average of 42.08 km/hr for the 221 km run - that's faster than most non-rempits's kapcai I gather.

Wishing Anuar Manan of Team Malaysia well...

Lim Yew Meng and Indonesia's Samai, pros for Le Tua Cycling Team

Stretch 'em, dudes...

Samai acknowledging the crowd when called to the podium to "encore" yesterday's performance with teammate Jeremy Yates of New Zealand.

One of my all-time favorite Iranian cyclists - Ghader Misbani. He's done this since the inception, always posting impressive results.

Le Tua's Razif Salleh, nursing some stitches and abrasions from recent crashes.

Don't look let the "toy boy" look fool you. This Jap is a serious contender!

And they're off!

South African's Nolan Hoffman, yesterday's Malacca to Bangi Green Jersey holder checkin' out his rear...

Yanks Euser and Duggan of Team Garmin Slipstream (in blue, flanked by Team China) discussing whether they can ever be the next Lance Armstrong.

Made a new friend today, canine lover, TheStar's columnist, wheelchair activist, and get this - merangkap MBPJ councillor Anthony T who came as a VIP guest.

Anthony T demonstrating to me the workings of MBPJ's "mobility van". Thanks, bro'.

Columbian Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez, today's eventual Genting's conquistador!

Pacha's First Solo

VIP Guest: P.104's London-born Kelana Kaya MP Gwo-Burne at Pacha's solo ...

Some inspired guests : My niece (left) and her best friend. Hmm, isn't that Nuraina's niece?

Pacha, The Artist.

Bali Meranti's real life lesson in Art Appreciation ...

IT IS THE LIFELONG DREAM, THE RECOGNITION, THE CULMINATION of any artist to host their first solo. What more if the artist in question found her calling very late in life; she was in her late twenties before she picked up that first brush to canvas.

That artist is my sister, Pacha. And the exhibition's titled "Pomegranate and 1000 Birds".

Entirely self-taught, she bagged Bank Negara's second prize for her Imperfect But Beautiful in 2004 that won her a silver trophy and an RM8000 cash prize.

She is married to Adrian Edris of Ahmad Izham Omar's Monkeybone label, who manages artistes like Faizal Tahir, Suki, Norayu Damit and Shila. Adrian's also currently involved in 8TV's One In A Million and Kami -The Gig. They have a daughter, Bali Meranti.

Please do come and visit the Gallery. The Exhibition will run until December 12.

For more stories and pictures, please come visit my other blog.

Them I Will Forget / But YOU I'll Remember Always

Them I Will Forget / But YOU I'll Remember Always...

(Some scenes on a Tuesday morning)

Haris, worrying incessantly about RPK's spirit, in Red.

Some words of comfort

Check out the vest (Geriatric Model: B.Khoo)

Single Malters and friends

The Stalwart

Title for the blog is something I stole from Bob Dylan's Workingman's Blues 2. I've been spinning it on my 8 -Gig Ipod or in my car 24/7 - and my spouse isn't amused.

She'd rather have Rain.

I can't help myself, it's that good. And it gets better as I understand the lyrics . Dylan's latest album, Modern Times, which Workingman is Track # 6 -- is a gem. I urge you to get it because the lyrics and melodies reflect EXACTLY of our very own, very Malaysian, 'Modern Times'.

Check out the opening verses of Workingman: (excerpts)


There's an evenin' haze settling over town

Starlight by edge of the creek

The buyin' power of the proletariat's gone down

Money's getting shallow and weak

Well, the place I love best is a sweet memory

It's a new path that we trod

The say low wages are reality

If we want to compete abroad...


After the economic implications of the opening verses, Dylan alludes to politics, and for some reason I can imagine RPK echoing these ...


Well the burned my barn,

and they stole my horse

I can't save a dime

I got to be careful, I don't want to be forced

Into a life of continual crime

I can see for myself that the sun is sinking

How I wish you were here to see

Tell me now, am I wrong in thinking

That you have forgotten me?


No, Pete, because...


Them I Will Forget

But You I'll Remember Always ...

Come visit my Other Blog

To all my enduring visitors here, please come visit my other blog too. Got a new post up today. The other blog is more family-oriented, suitable for all audiences where I hope to keep the unsavory stuff (like politics) out.



See you there!

Mather Lover (To the tune of 'Easy Lover')

I cannot believe how I spent April Fool's today: rubbing shoulders with rabid die-hard 'Mather Lovers'.

I mean no disrespect to The Old Man, but 'Mather' is two syllables instead of three and it reminds me of the 1984 Phil Collins / Phillip Baileys hit, 'Easy Lover'.

Easy lover

She'll get a hold on you believe it

Like no other

Before you know it you'll be on your knees

She's an easy lover

She'll take your heart but you wont feel it

She's like no other

And I'm just trying to make you see . . .

Which was how I roped in a classmate of mine Kojak to 'kidnap' a certain Ahmedinovich Kerpov for a function held at a small hotel in Pee Jay involving UmNo wanna-bees, has-beens, also-rans, sore losers -- and A Great New Hope in the form of a very bald but impressive down-to-earth MP from Jerlun.

On arrival we found the entrance to the hotel already blocked, the car park bursting with late model Beemers, Mercys, Pajeros and a smattering of Wiras. OK, I lied. Some Kancils and Myvii's too. Most of them had the ubiquitous 'BN', 'UmNO', or 'Ansara' stickers on their windows - often sporting all three. For Race, God, and - lest we forget, also for You, Malaysia.

No worries. As AK is a person with limited abilities (I prefer this term over 'disability' since it brings all sorts of weird connotations), he conveniently whipped out a DISABLED sticker which I quickly slapped on my front windshield. The security guard was too-easily convinced by this slick piece of chicanery, what with the shiny yellow wheelchair displayed prominently in the back seat. Thus we were able to squeeze our ride near the lobby between Mather's Beemer and his recently elected son's Porsche Cayenne....

Since I brought my cam on this auspicious April Fool's day, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

AK (sitting) with a fan . . . and being mobbed (below)

To AK's left is Mat Salo's trusty sidekick, Kojak (in black), on secondment to AK for bodyguard duties. Whitney Houston not in picture.

Took me a while to realize who the lady in the electric blue dress was. When she took the mike to speak, she started her speech thus, "Saya tak suka cakap dibelakang dan saya juga tak suka main belakang"... I ain't kidding. She actually said that.

An altercation spearheaded by the people-friendly BN Gerak Gempur Youth. Some have also likened them to thugs. I dunno, you be the judge.They actually chased and assaulted a speaker from the floor for daring to suggest that DSAI be brought back into the fold... much to the horror of onlookers below . . . (the altercation I mean, not DSAI being brought back in - gotcha!)



Watch YouTube video of 'altercation' here: (Now don't you just luuurvvve UmNO?) Thanks, Pak Bubbles. Speaking one's mind in UmNO can certainly be hzardous to your health. I betcha the guy's gonna run cryin' to KeADILan. Bravo gangsters...

The Panel Beaters

What's with the Nehru suit, Tun? But you do look good in them I must admit.

A Very Skeptical Yang Mulia?

The Old Man leaving the scene of the crime after inciting a near revolt ... well, that's what it sounded like. Prodding present members to dare speak up and demand PL's resignation and other subversive innuendos . . . No wonder UmNO's Mat 'Prestation' Tyson (brought back from the living dead) had put 'blanket ban' for UmNO members from attending this heretical hearing.


© 2007-2008 mAtSaLo iMaGeS