GEORGE TOWN: His song “Memories of Penang” garnered a respectable following online since it was uploaded last year and now it is being considered as the theme song to headline the “Experience Penang Year 2020” state tourism campaign.
Composer and artiste Jimmy Fong, 59, is thrilled with what has happened with his song.
The tune was catching on with Penang folks and he could not believe it when he was asked to perform at the launching of Penang’s mega tourism event by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
And now it could be the theme song for the state tourism campaign.
The much travelled Fong, who returned to Penang a few years ago said he was trying to make the city an entertainment hub for the music fraternity.
“Those days we listened more but today we fiddle more with our smart phones,” he said.
Fong made a name for himself in the 1970s on the nightclub circuit in George Town.
He went on to enjoy stints in Hong Kong where he met his wife from England before the couple decided to move to Melbourne, Australia.
A few years ago he came back and began jamming with local musicians including veteran Bonny Jeremiah when the melody and lyrics for “Memories of Penang” began playing in his head.
His next plan is to engage young musicians and to find a formula for Penang to become a vibrant platform for music lovers.
“In the 1970s, almost every building in George Town was a pub with a stage for local musicians and eventually Filipino groups to perform.”
Now with the advent of the cyberworld, Fong says people are losing their interpersonal touch.
“I see music as a tool to bridge this gap,” he said.
