HIS first attempt at recording a Malay song was almost laughed at because his command of Bahasa Malaysia was not good enough.
But six months of hard work, not to mention twisting his friends and colleague’s arms, was all it took for Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah (pix) to return with a hit. It was soon followed by one hit after another in a musical career that spanned more than 40 years.
Recapping his musical career with theSun recently, Irwan, more famously known as DJ Dave, began singing at several gigs in the 1970s.
He recalled the time when he sang a Hindi song called Gusta Hi Maa (Forgive Me) at a Hari Raya event in Cheras.
“A 14-year-old boy on crutches then came towards me and said ‘Abang Dave, the Hindi song is so beautiful, why don’t you try singing it in Malay?’ That struck me. I could not sleep that night,” he said.
Later, he went to Life Studios to try out for an audition.
“The resident band then was The Strollers and they played while I sang a few Malay songs. The people at the studio just rubbished my effort, telling me my command of the language was not good enough,” he said.
But Dave was not one to give up easily. When he returned to work at the Postal Department, he instructed his friends and colleagues to speak to him only in Malay.
“Anyone who spoke English to me had to pay a five-sen fine,” he recalled with a laugh.
“Five sen was big when you could get a roti canai for 10 sen.”
The money accumulated from the fines was spent on treating his colleagues in town.
Six months later, he returned to the studio, but this time he had to pay to get his songs recorded.
“I was asked to pay RM200 when my salary at that time was only RM148 a month,” he said.
He paid anyway, and recorded an EP (extended play) with four Malay songs, including Maafkanlah. The song eventually became his first hit, staying on top of the charts for 13 weeks.
Even so, Life Studios refused to sign him up, assuming that he was just a one-hit wonder.
But another recording company, Singapore-based Electric and Musical Industries, saw promise in him and signed him on a three-year deal.
“After that, it was just one hit after another. I have recorded 43 albums in all.”
Today, Dave is more involved in philanthropic work, one that was inspired by his parents and prompted by the very same boy on crutches, who literally put him on the road to stardom.
“My parents often helped to feed the poor on weekends and on my birthday every year, I make sure I do something charitable,” he said. “Live and let live, and health is wealth” is his motto.
“But I will never forget that boy who gave me the impetus to pursue a career as a recording artiste.”
He also recalled being a conductor on his father’s school bus after making a name for himself as a singer.
“I used to go back and spend time with my father. I never forgot my roots. Never forget or be ashamed of your roots,” Dave added.
In 2012, he set up a foundation, called Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air, to help local artistes. To date, more than 1,000 struggling artistes have benefited from the foundation’s charity.
His most memorable moment was when he showed up for a “live” performance despite being hospitalised with high fever. He collapsed on stage and had to be rushed back to hospital, but “my fans cheered me on”.
Apart from his charitable work, Dave also manages several associations and artistes foundations.
Among them is the Malaysian Masters Badminton Association, which comes under the ambit of the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
He is an active badminton player and participates in tournaments locally and internationally.
