Album Review: Ahli Fiqir: IRAMA BERIRAMA (Warner Music Malaysia)
By Ahmad Nazrul Camalxaman
COMING out of Singapore but based in Kuala Lumpur, Ahli Fiqir is widely regarded as the local hip-hop scene’s premier ‘thinking’ rap outfit.
That brand is thanks to its distinctive brand of rap, an intoxicating mix of Malay pantun rhyming and modern beats.
Lyricists Fadali Mohd Dalif (Daly), Samsolnahar Sibengat (Samsol the Tukangkata), and vocalists Noor Hidayati Mohamed Yusop (Mawar Berduri) and Ceza Mutyara (DJ Cza) came up with their first album, Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah, which won two awards at the 2006 Anugerah Planet Muzik. Now, the group is back with Irama Berirama.
Even though there are only five songs, the band has proven its versatility with different types of genre of music, from hip-hop to ethnic to rap to ballad.
The album starts off with Fiqir Fiqir — music written by Singaporean singer songwriter Art Fazil — an uptempo introduction spelling out the band’s members and setting the tone of the album.
Next is Biarkan, a song about letting go of past frustrations and about moving on. While most local hip-hoppers rap in English, this band chooses Malay, adding elements of Nusantara music (dikir barat, joget) to give their songs that unique spice, with lessons on life inserted in between the lines.
The strongest song, and a break from hip-hop, is Derita Merindu, with Daly and Mawar battling it out about lost love.
The Daly-Mawar combination is tested again in Janganlah Pergi Mawar, with Daly pleading Mawar to stay even after she has made her mind up to leave. The lyrics are quite infectious: “Relakan aku pergi, biar ku under diri/Gugur sekuntum mawar tumbuh yang lain lagi...”
Irama Berirama is a great album to have, whether you’re a fan of Ahli Fiqir or not. You can tell that the band is going places... and this is just the beginning.
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