Afgan and pop-rock band Ungu come together next month for a night they promise music fans will remember
AS soon as their flight from Indonesia touched down in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesian singer Afgansyah Reza (Afgan), and bassist Makki and guitarist Enda from Indonesian pop-rock band Ungu immediately made their way to the CO3 Social Office in Puchong, where the media was waiting patiently for their arrival.
The other members of Ungu such as lead singer Pasha, guitarist Onci and drummer Rowman were unable to join them as they were tied up with other work commitments.
It’s not everyday you get to see big names in the Indonesian music industry in one room, and when they do come together, it’s surely for a good reason. The two acts were in town to promote their upcoming concert called Konsert Terunggul Afgan & Ungu which will take place on Oct 6 at Stadium Malawati Shah Alam at 8pm.
The names Afgan and Ungu are not unheard of among Malaysians who follow the Indonesian music scene. In fact, both have garnered a pretty huge fan base, making a name for themselves with their songs about heartbreak and love.
Fans are excited about catching these Indonesian stars in action, and the artistes are equally thrilled at the thought of meeting local fans.
“The fans here are always welcoming, and there’s always this vibrant atmosphere they create when they come to our concert. So, we know it’s going to be a blast,” said Makki.
“This year would mark our 20th anniversary as a band so we’d like to celebrate that with our fans too. This is our special gift to them,” he added.
Afgan, 28, said: “Malaysia is like my second home; it’s one of the best places to perform as the fans are very supportive at all times.” He studied at at the Sunway campus in Monash University here in Selangor.
So what can fans expect?
“Well, we’ll each be singing 10 to 12 songs, and there’ll be a duet between Ungu and me. As for the rest, you’ll have to come to the concert to find out yourself! We can’t give away too much,” Afgan teased with a smile. “I’m very happy to be given the chance to share the stage with these legends. They have been in the industry for so long and yet they are extremely humble and kind.”
TWO DECADES OF UNGU
It’s always heartwarming to see how bands like Ungu have remained united for so long. In this case, we’re talking two decades.
So what’s their secret?
For all five members, the first answer that comes to mind is to never mix business with personal life.
“Mind your own business, that’s the most important rule. Whenever we’re dealing with a personal problem, we do not let it interfere with our work. We are all very close, but our main topic of conversation is always about our music,” said Enda.
However, he added, the group has slowed down on recording and scaled down on performances to focus on individual projects. In fact, lead singer Pasha has entered politics and is now working as a government official by day and only focuses on music at night.
“That limits us to only being able to perform after working hours. But that’s perfectly fine as we’ve all agreed to focus on our side projects and also spend more time at home,” said Makki.
“Maybe it’s the age factor, ... maybe we’ve had our fair share of performing on stage. It’s time we slow down for a bit. But that doesn’t mean we will disband anytime soon. We still love what we do,” said Enda.
NEW SINGLE FOR AFGAN
Besides the upcoming concert, Afgan will also shoot a music video for a new single; he has collaborated with local hip-hop star Sona One.
“The song is called X and it’s taken from my fourth album, Sides. The single is about ex-lovers,” said Afgan.
When asked whether the song was about a past lover of his, Afgan replied: “You’ll just have to listen to the song and the lyrics. I chose to work with Sona One because I think he’s a great hip-hop artiste and I love his music. Frankly, I enjoy the hip-hop scene in Malaysia, and if given the chance, I’d like to work with Joe Flizzow too.”
FAST FACTS
Konsert Terunggul Afgan & Ungu is organised by Popcorn Studio. Tickets are priced at RM130 (bronze), RM150 (silver), RM200 (gold), RM200 (rock zone), RM250 (VIP) and RM350 (platinum) and available at www.ticketpro.com.my