Being an overly sentimental twenty something and collector of Southeast Asian music, what crate digging continues to do is to bridge the gap of my own understanding of the past. No thanks to the lack of recognition of music history and pop culture knowledge that’s served to the general Malaysian public, this hunt continually reveals forgotten gems who existed alongside celebrated legends yet were left unacknowledged.
This playlist includes some of which really struck a chord in its use of language and its influences on what followed. From the multilingual tunes of Ipoh born Wong Chun Yuin, who sings in both Tamil and Mandarin about hardworking estate workers of the past to the soul rock anthems of Ismail Haron whose 60s track Sudi-Sudikah Dikau pays tribute to the beauty of the Malay women across the peninsula, naming every state between Kelantan and Singapore from where the singer originates.
For what it’s worth, the constant evolving story can only lead to more revivals on the dance floor. Joget terus geng!
– CT Selecta
Tracklist:
- Salamiah Hassan – Miang Miang Keladi
- Kamliah Latiff & The Teepees – Temanku Yo-Yo
- Siti Zaiton & The Twilites – Mari Gembira
- Ismail Haron – Sudi-Sudikah Dikau
- 邱清雲 – 小姐你去那裡
- 南虹 – 刀追老豆
- Kamariah Ahmad – Suasana Hati
- 4 Biol – Tukang Telek
- Jamaliah Hani & The Pelican – Gadis Di-ibu Kota
- The Quests – Ding Dong Twist
This is out first in a bi-monthly series of mixtapes, selected by varying people and curated by James Rivers.
