KUALA LUMPUR: The country's youngest Tamil language composer and guitarist, M. Dhieran, 15, grew up with music "all around him".
The elder of two brothers from Shah Alam, Selangor, Dhieran was exposed to Tamil, Malay and English pop and rock songs at an early age by his guitarist father, K. Mogan.
"Whenever there was a good song, I would memorise both its words and its sound, and by the time I was eight, I began to sing at home and in school concerts," said Dhieran.
Dhieran learnt the guitar from his father and slowly improved by honing his skills in various pop and rock bands.
"I also learnt the keyboards and drums with lots of online help, and now I am also learning a traditional South Indian flute, the Nadaswaram."
Since 2021, Dhieran has been collaborating with popular singer-songwriter Santesh as a guitarist in his band.
"I began composing when I was 12, and Santesh greatly encouraged me to do so. He told me that the first song I composed, The Cake, was brilliant."
As Santesh's bandmate in the Rentak Angkasa Band, Dhieran was honoured when they won an Astro Ulagam Award 2022 for the song Shocked.
This award was in recognition of the song's popularity on social media, and it also earned Santesh the Popular Music Composer title.
Dhieran's first major concert took place at 7pm on April 15 in Zepp KL, Jalan Hang Tuah.
Titled Gethu, it was a celebration of Malaysia's popular Tamil pop and rock musicians and singers.
On Sunday, he will have his biggest concert, titled Samba Rock, which once again brings together popular Tamil-language artistes.
"The four-hour concert will be held at the HGH Convention Centre in Sentul and among the artistes performing are Santesh, Darkkey, Hervin, MC Raaj and Kabbil Raaj. I'm very excited to be part of it," said Dhieran.
His ambition is to become a trilingual artiste, who is able to record Tamil, English and Malay music.
Tickets for the concert organised by Whimsy Streams are priced from RM59 to RM189. For more information call 016-916 4325 or 016-916 4345.