KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesian singer Charly van Houten, who idolised Iklim's late vocalist Saleem since his school days, recently shared that collaborating with the iconic singer will only remain a cherished dream.
The 45-year-old Setia Band frontman expressed this sentiment at a press conference announcing the band's upcoming Konsert Muzik Harmony Setia, set for Feb 7 next year.
"I'm one of his fans. To me, no other singer in Malaysia is as charismatic as Saleem.
"I've memorised and sung many of his songs, learning so much from them," he said.
Saleem, who led the popular 1980s and 1990s rock band Iklim, passed away in 2018 at age 57 following a motorcycle accident.
Some of Charly's favourite Iklim songs include Suci Dalam Debu and Seribu Kali Sayang.
The Indonesian talent and former member of the band ST12, also admires other Malaysian acts like Sting, Slam, and Exists.
He credited these bands as major influences, noting, "Their music greatly inspired my compositions for ST12, helping popularise the Malay band sound in Indonesia."