On a sound evolution with Salammusik

IT'S RARE to see a Malaysian band fuse classical Malay musical elements with contemporary sounds, resulting in music that can be enjoyed by people all over the world.
Meet Salammusik, a nine-member band comprising Ashraaf Salam A. Azlan (lead vocals), Dyana Shamsuddin (vocals), AhmadBulya Abdillah J. a.k.a Bulya (vocals & maschine), Mohd Irhas a.k.a Payung (trumpets), Jazmi Jamaluddin and Aabid Aafiat (saxophone), Kevin Theng (drums), Yuswa Ansari (keyboards), and Kristopher Chong (bass).
This award-winning band has not only played across the country, but also performed at international music festivals in Europe, mostly in the Netherlands.
Now, most people might assume Salammusik to be a reggae band – no thanks to Salam (fondly known as Acap) and Bulya, who both sport dreadlocks, in addition to the occasional tinge of Jamaican influence in the band’s music.
But in a recent interview, Acap, Payung, and Yuswa – who were speaking on behalf of the rest of their members – state that Salammusik is more about championing traditional Malaysian music on a global scale.
This can clearly be heard on its upcoming album, Riwayat Pucuk Nusa, due out on Aug 10.
Acap says: “I’m a big fan of reggae ... For me to look at [how reggae came from a small island in Jamaica], to understand how that music can expand, and how it can reach me – that kinda amazes me.
“And I think to myself: ‘Eh, why [doesn’t] our music [expand as well]?’
“The way I look at it, we didn’t really experiment enough [with] our own music.”
That’s why the band decided to change its tune.
Salammusik’s latest single – Debar Lembut – is described by Acap as a mix of “traditional and modern sounds” together.
The single was composed by Payung, with lyrics written by Acap back in 2013.
After a few tweaks, the track ended up with a gentle tune and soothing lyrics, which made it ideal for a Ramadan release this year.
According to Payung, who says he’s “really into traditional” sounds, he had fun composing Debar Lembut after he was asked by Acap to come up with a traditional song.
He recalls: “I didn’t want it to be [truly] traditional, but I knew if I passed it to Acap, he would add some modern flavours [to complement] the traditional ones.
“So I just made it raw like that, and then I gave it to Acap.”
Keyboardist Yuwas adds that from the first time they played Debar Lembut, they noticed a difference in the song’s sound from that of the other tracks in their previous albums.
“That’s the purpose of this album, like, we’re going to [evolve], we’re going to bring more of that traditional [sound] in Salammusik.
“I think it’s going to be something new with Riwayat Pucuk Nusa, so I hope that everyone can accept the new changes.”
As Payung puts it, “we want to [modernise] the traditional sound so it won’t be forgotten”.
The animated music video for the track shows a man on a journey across land and sea, carrying a vase that he presents to his beloved.
Acap reminisces: “When I wrote the song, I also wrote it for me, you know? From what I learned, what I experienced, what I want to look forward to [changing].”
The band members say that the song serves as a personal reminder to them, as well as to their fans, to practise being calm and patient, because something said in the heat of the moment can cause metaphorical fractures in the hearts of others.
“That’s also why there’s a vase there [in the music video], ‘cause the vase is also fragile,” explains Acap. “You kind of [need to] take care of it.
“There’s a second verse that does speak about that, ‘pasal kawal nafsu bercakap’ (about controlling the urge to speak).”
Though the band performs both on the local and international stage, singing its songs in the Malay language seems to garner greater appreciation overseas.
Yuswa explains: “[The fans] – always, after a show – will come to us and say, can you tell us about this song?”
“They prefer that,” adds Payung. “If you watch one of our videos on Youtube, our vlog Salamsterdam, there’s one guy [who] came to us and talked a bit on how he really liked it when we speak our own language, and [when] we explain what the song is about.”
For local performances, Acap reveals they “have to keep it pumping”, requiring a totally different set where the band usually performs back-to-back songs with less interaction with the audience.
He adds that performing at festivals is a relatively new trend for the local music scene, and was first introduced here during the 80s and 90s.
However, the band thrives on performing live at festivals.
Says Acap: “I like it. I enjoy it a lot. I like the interaction with people. I like to look [into] people’s eyes and actually perform and have that bond.”