
#SHOWBIZ: KRU still a force to be reckoned with
IN Malaysian music history, two "bands of brothers" have become household names in different decades.
There was The Alleycats in the 1970s, who were defined by their afros and superb rendition of Malay pop songs.
And there was KRU in the 1990s, who were defined by electrifying hip-hop beats and catchy pop tunes.
COMEBACK
KRU — comprising Datuk Norman, Datuk Yusry and Edry Abdul Halim — announced their much-touted comeback with a spellbinding, two-and-a-half-hour concert at the popular Axiata Arena recently and gave fans an explosive evening of non-stop entertainment.
Norman, Yusry and Edry had more than 9,000 fans singing and dancing to 24 of their songs at their GenKRU concert.
Taking fans back to their early days in the 1990s, the trio who looked fit, youthful and rejuvenated danced, sang and partied non-stop and offered plenty of sing-along opportunities throughout their show.
KRU's concert wowed fans with state-of-the-art visuals on a large screen.
Better still, they brought on stage their first proteges girl group Elite and their best-known discovery from Akademi Fantasia, Sabahan hip-hop singer Adam Mat Saman.
KRU emerged on stage at 8.45pm dressed stylishly in black suits and waving to the cheering crowd.
Their show got off to an explosive start with 'Fanatik', their energetic rebuke of extremists which reminded Malaysians to always choose moderation.
BEAUTIFUL
"Apa khabar Malaysia?" said Norman, and the crowd responded positively.
"It's such a beautiful night," said Yusry, giving hints of their second song, the melodious 'Malam Kita'.
The audience's excitement rose several notches with the groovy 'Ooh La La', that was accompanied by bright lights and skyscrapers.
Yusry said that he had two English songs, and the crowd shouted out the name of one.
Alas they were wrong as KRU sang the R&B tune 'Babe'.
The fans' answer, 'The Way We Jam', came next, and the brothers proved that their footwork was as good as during their heyday.
KRU continued their magic with the feel good 'Untukmu', and the big screen featured relaxing images of palm beaches and starry nights.
YOUTHFUL
A familiar beat came next, signalling the catchy 'Terhangat Di Pasaran', KRU's collaboration with Adam, and he soon came up stage, looking youthful but larger.
"I'm so happy to be back tonight, thank you KRU," said Adam.
KRU, now in violet suits, delivered two less-known songs 'Balada Hati' and 'Di Dalam Dilema'.
A tribute to the King Of Entertainment Datuk Sudirman Arshad, 'Perpisahan Terasing' came next, complete with photos of the legend.
Everyone sang along and Edry said that Sudirman will always live in our hearts.
KRU then delivered the first single from their latest album 'Kaset' titled 'Voodoo'.
The haunting song featured a creepy video of the brothers being "created" Frankenstein monster-style in a laboratory.
Three songs came next, as the brothers' Mother's Day segment.
"Happy Mother's Day to all mums," said Norman, as KRU belted out 'Bidadari Hingga Ke Jannah', 'Wanita' and 'Apa Saja'.
Yusry reminded fans that he acted in the 2003 movie 'Cinta Kolesterol'.
He asked if they knew its theme song, and belted out 'Dekat Padamu', giving his microphone to the crowd.
Next came 'Negatif' which sounded like a New Kids On The Block song.
Elite, comprising Sasha Saidin, Abby Abadi, Watie Sadali, Linda Rafar and Azza Zawari, emerged to roaring applause.
The best-known girl group of the 1990s joined KRU in 'Di Pintu Syurga' which was both spiritual and romantic.
MEDLEY
In the first medley for the evening, Yusry led KRU in singing 'Sedetik Lebih', made popular by Anuar Zain from their hit movie 'Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa'.
It was nicely paired with The Lima's ballad 'Separuh Masa', Edry's band Mojo's 'Romancinta' and Ezlynn's catchy 'Hi Hi Bye Bye'.
The show continued with a less known romantic number 'Dua', a romantic medley of 'Hanya Kau' and 'Inikah Ertinya Cinta', and another comprising feel good songs 'Semuanya OK' and 'Mengerti'.
KRU revisited their second single from 'Kaset' titled 'One More Time', before announcing that their time was up.
"It was a great night, and we hope to be back for more next time," said Norman.
The brothers went backstage briefly and returned with the anthem about honesty 'Jangan Tinggal Janji', the catchy plea for mercy 'Jangan Lafazkan' and the explosive 'Awas'.
Norman said: "We are delighted to see such great support and love from fans far and near.
"Thank you all for supporting us all these years, and we assure you that entertainment will always be part of us."
Norman, Yusry and Edry proved to Malaysians that they remain relevant to the music industry, as music-makers and live performers.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Yussef Dayes drums up pure magic in KL
THE lights dimmed at Vox Live on June 4 and five silhouettes appeared without a single word. No flashy intro. No over-the-top visuals. Just a stage, a kit, a few instruments and the spiritual heartbeat of jazz. What followed was "The Yussef Dayes Experience", a cosmic journey that proved why this South London drummer is hailed as one of jazz's most innovative forces who turned the venue into a temple of groove. Starting at 8.15pm, Dayes and his band flowed into a cosmic jam that swept the room into something bigger than music itself. For Malaysian fans who caught his otherworldly 2022 REXKL performance, this wasn't just a concert but a religious experience. FIVE MUSICIANS, ONE SOUL With him on stage were his stellar bandmates: Rocco Palladino (son of session legend Pino Palladino) on bass, Malik Venna on saxophone, Elijah Fox on keyboards, and Alexander Bourt on percussion. Each brought not just technical brilliance, but also soul. Venna, blew out saxophone lines with effortless swagger, Fox, in his printed trousers and a Palestinian football jersey, lit up the stage with keys that ranged from spacey ambient pads to gospel-like sounds. Palladino's basslines resonated so deep you could feel them in your bones. The percussive call-and-response between Dayes and Bourt was especially wild, two drummers speaking their own language, escalating until the crowd couldn't help but holler back. MODERN JAZZ LEGEND For those unfamiliar with Dayes' backstory, born and raised in South East London, he first gained prominence as half of the acclaimed duo Yussef Kamaal, whose 2016 debut album 'Black Focus' helped usher in the UK jazz scene. Fusing broken beats with funk, jungle, grime, Afrobeat and spiritual jazz, the duo became a cult phenomenon. Since going solo, Dayes has collaborated with everyone from Tom Misch (What Kinda Music, 2020) to Alfa Mist and Kamasi Washington. But his debut solo release from 2023, the magnum opus 'Black Classical Music' which featured collaborations with Chronixx, Masego and Shabaka Hutchings, truly cemented his place among jazz greats. The album, described by critics as "a love letter to rhythm, heritage and resistance," offers a lush, fearless reimagining of what jazz can be in the 21st century. FIRST-TIMERS TURNED BELIEVERS The audience, a blend of long-time fans and the curious uninitiated, soaked in every note like it was gospel. "I didn't even know who Yussef Dayes was before this," admitted first-time listener Jofintha Canto. "But it felt like I was enveloped in something that transcended entertainment. Music that could pierce through time." Rudi Bagan, still dazed after the show, said, "It was crazy. My first proper live jazz band show and it was amazing. I can't get over it." People weren't just watching, they were absorbed in the music. Some closed their eyes the entire set, as if in prayer. The vibe was electric yet intimate, though some fans noted the awkward VIP and General Admission divide. After the show, Dayes and his band stayed back after the show mingling, signing autographs, posing for selfies and chatting like old friends. There were no handlers, no air of celebrity, just musicians grateful to connect. A NEW CHAPTER AHEAD Before leaving the stage, Dayes dropped one last surprise: a new release is on the way this September. No title was announced, but based on the sonic journey fans were taken on, the anticipation is already building. Dayes has always blurred the lines between drummer, composer, healer and storyteller. With projects like 'Live at Joshua Tree' and 'Live From Malibu', now with 'Black Classical Music', he's redefined what jazz can mean for a new generation. For now, 'The Yussef Dayes Experience' lives on in memory, a storm that rolled through Kuala Lumpur and left its mark. As one fan summed it up while leaving the venue: "That was a good, healthy concert to have on a weekday. It was healing." Yussef Dayes' album "Black Classical Music" is available on major music platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.


New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Amplifying plight of the stateless through docuseries
LAST year, United States-based Malaysian filmmaker Jean Ho directed and executive produced 'Invisible Voices', an eye-opening animated documentary series that highlighted the plight of stateless and refugee communities. Zooming in on such communities in her home country, it explored several individuals and their stories, uncovering diverse experiences behind often simplified perspectives. It was well-received by an international audience, and Jean plans to come up with more such documentaries that "speak" for the stateless. POSITIVE In a recent interview, Ho said: "We screened Episodes 1 to 3 of the documentary film at Facets Theatre in Chicago on May 26 last year, to positive reception. And, 90 per cent of ticket sale proceeds went towards helping two of our participants." The first was a Chin refugee from Myanmar, Peter, who runs a non-profit school called Chin Community Learning Centre, dedicated to the education of child refugees who are denied from attending public schools. "The other was Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas (DHRRA) Malaysia, a non-profit organisation that aims to enhance self-awareness and equip living skills among vulnerable communities to become self-reliant and empowered, so that they can take charge of their lives," said Ho. LOCKDOWN She added that many viewers enjoyed the docuseries, and since pre-production and production took place during the Covid-19 lockdown from 2020 to 2022, most of the participant interviews were done virtually. "The Oscar-nominated documentary short film on Netflix, 'A Love Song For Latasha', was the founding inspiration for me to take the docuseries in this direction. "While the film was mostly live action, it featured a short sequence where participants' narrations were overlaid with experimental animated visuals." Ho said that the animators were given a lot of creative freedom, save for two ground rules — the episodes needed to have a hand-drawn/hand-painted look, and no cuts between shots to make the story flow as fluidly as possible. "We took the crowdfunding route to cover these costs." SUNWAY From June 25 to 26, a screening of 'Invisible People' will be held at Sunway University in Subang Jaya, her alma mater, accompanied by an exhibition on non-governmental organisations which work closely with stateless people and refugees. "The exhibition with Sunway is definitely a first for us! "I did part of my bachelor's degree at the Sunway School of American Education prior to transferring to DePaul University. "'Invisible People' is a Malaysian story after all, and we are very honoured to premiere the docuseries in its entirety at an institution committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs)." Ho added that the exhibition expanded the scope of topics covered in the docuseries by taking the experience beyond the screen. "The event will be a harmonious blend of multimedia showcases, interactive experiences and live performances. "Renowned non-profit organisations like DHRRA Malaysia, Amnesty Malaysia and Dignity will be present." Jean also said that the exhibition will focus on the empowerment of stateless and refugee communities. "We are also working with independent stateless/refugee-run organisations such as Myanmar Ethnics Organisation (MEO) and Mon Refugee Centre to make this happen." DOLLA Since the last public screening, Ho and her team have been hard at work to complete the rest of the six episodes. "I've been working on various commercials such as being a script supervisor on the Hair Care Bear X Dolla campaign. "My short film 'Kairos', which was in the film festival circuit from 2023 to 2024, is now publicly available on YouTube as well! "It follows a single dad who struggles with parenting and working at a dystopian job." Ho is happy with the recent passing of a constitutional amendment that allows Malaysian mothers to automatically confer citizenship to their overseas-born children. "However, this ruling only applies to children born after the amendment is gazetted. Those born before are still required to obtain citizenship via application. "My hope right now is that pathways to citizenship for the aforementioned group and other communities like stateless, locally-born individuals can be diversified." SCHOOL Ho said that a lot of the day-to-day work to help the stateless and refugees was done by grassroots and independent groups that did not always have the same amount of resources as the larger non-governmental organisations. "Supporting globally renowned non-profit organisations is a great thing to do, but people must support these grassroots groups as well." As for the collaborators who appeared in her film, Ho said that Peter used the funds from ticket sales to buy school supplies for his learning centre, along with paying off a portion of the rent for the space the school uses. "DHRRA Malaysia has been raising funds to support advocacy and data collection efforts to further address statelessness in the country," she said. Ho paid tribute to films that highlighted stateless people dramatically. "'Abang Adik' has been really successful. More films of this nature should be made in Malaysia to raise the plight of the stateless. "Topics surrounding statelessness are still widely discussed today, which will hopefully drive more filmmakers to craft stories that are engaging yet impactful in their advocacy for these causes." When asked about her next project, Ho said that she co-directed and co-wrote a short film called 'Mr. Worldwide?' which is currently in post-production.


The Star
11 hours ago
- The Star
HK star Edan Lui of Mirror posts photo in batik shirt in Penang: 'Selamat malam'
The 28-year-old was in Penang to film a new season of a variety show. Photos: Edan Lui/Instagram On Sunday (June 8), Edan Lui of the popular Hong Kong boy band Mirror shared a photo of himself wearing a batik shirt on Instagram. The caption read: 'Selamat malam. Good night from Penang.' The 28-year-old singer-actor was in Penang with Jeffrey Ngai and several other celebrities to film a new season of a variety show. Ngai also took to Instagram on Tuesday (June 3) to share a group photo, captioned: 'Four years later, we are finally out together.' However, it was Lui's photo that created a buzz, as Penang is the hometown of his "rumoured girlfriend", Malaysian actress Lin Min Chen. Alongside the usual welcoming comments, many netizens playfully referred to Lui as Malaysia's 'son-in-law' because of his connection to Lin. Coincidentally, Lin was in Penang to celebrate her birthday, which falls on June 1. On Sunday as well, she posted several videos, including one of her joyfully cutting a cake prepared by colleagues. This led netizens to speculate about the timing of Lui's visit and Lin's birthday celebration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 林明禎 (@minchen333)