"WE are a band that has never proclaimed to have ever been formed or even announced that we've broken up."
Those were the words uttered by celebrated singer-songwriter and founding member of Kembara, Datuk M Nasir, during the recent concert for the popular 1980s rock band at the packed Plenary Hall in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia's capital.
Whatever nebulous status the band may seemingly claim to be in, the one thing clearer than daylight was that Kembara's musical legacy continues to live on, as witnessed by an appreciative audience that clapped, sang along and was willing to 'joget' the night away.
"To date, we have released seven albums. This means we have 70 songs. If we performed all of them then the concert would only wrap up by Zohor tomorrow," quipped Nasir.
The 65-year-old artiste lovingly known as 'sifu' – accompanied by guitarist and singer Zoul, bassist Rahman Suri, drummer Shahrum Basiron, keyboard player Md Shah Othman, as well as four backing musicians – broke it down to a setlist of 30 songs at the concert, titled Kembara: Panorama Jingga 1444 Hijrah.
Organised by Shiraz Projects Sdn Bhd, over 2,600 fans were taken on a close-to-3-hour nostalgic musical journey that navigated through the great 1980s amalgam of sounds that included classic rock, folk, reggae, new wave and dangdut elements among many others.
The concert kicked off with Panorama Jingga, Tarian Hidup and Duit before continuing with Rindu, Kepada-Mu Kekasih, Di Manakah Dikau, Rozita, Putar Alam, Bunga Bakawali, Perwira and Gadis Berpurdah Hitam.
Delivering energetic and heartfelt performances throughout, Nasir dedicated the concert to the 1980s as it represented the voice of a generation during the band's heyday.
Surprisingly (or perhaps not), the songs – mostly channelled by poetic lyrics and social criticism – still sounded fresh, groovy, relevant and intriguing forty years on.
"After my school days I never became a wage earner," said Nasir of his pursuit to realise his dreams and creative endeavours.
"Aside from the rock aspect of Kembara, the band also brought a different musical dimension from a lyrical aspect.
"A special characteristic of Kembara is that many tunes touch on themes of the everyday people," he said.
Highlighting the evergreen nature of the work, he added: "This is not stale music, but music of today."
"When we create music, we don't intend for it to be just directed at the 1980s generation. The music itself will extend across generations," he said.
Some of the other songs performed were Anak Jalanan, Buta Kerana Cinta, Kolar Biru, Mencurah Janji Di Daun Keladi, Kupu-Kupu, Musim, Keroncong Untuk Ana, Keroncong Untuk Ana 2 and Nyanyian Jiwa.
The concert also featured a tribute segment to the late A Ali, an ex-Kembara member and accomplished songwriter who passed on two years ago.
"We had a friend in A Ali, who composed over 500 songs with many of them becoming classic hits. He wrote numerous Kembara songs and was part of many other bands as well, including Sweet Charity," said Nasir.
Kembara later performed a medley of his tunes which included Ada Sepasang Mata, Di Perhentian Puduraya, Impian Seorang Nelayan and Kiambang.
Another segment highlighted songs from the 1986 Nasir Jani-directed feature film, Kembara Seniman Jalanan, which Nasir wrote the script and starred in.
Actor and poet Pyan Habib, who played Osman Tikus in the music-themed movie that touched on music piracy and corruption, made a surprise guest appearance as well before Kembara continued to entertain the audience with Lagu Balada Osman Tikus, Siapa Orang Kita, Rupa Tanpa Wajah, Harapan Terakhir and Sesat Di Kuala Lumpur.
"You have witnessed history as Kembara began its journey 40 years ago. You got to see Kembara live on stage. You have witnessed it. A million thanks to all of you," said Nasir.
The charismatic frontman also hoped that the mushrooming of live music concerts so far this year would create a solid momentum to propel a recovery in the industry following two solemn years.
"I sincerely hope that the very encouraging increase in concerts this year will have a spill over effect to next year and for the coming years as well," he said earlier.
The Kembara: Panorama Jingga 1444 Hijrah concert came to a fitting close with an encore session that featured rousing renditions of the band's biggest hits, namely Ekpress Rakyat, Hati Emas, Perjuangan and Gerhana.