#SHOWBIZ: A lively tribute to the 'Father of Modern Malaysian Music'
THE National and Malaysia Day months for music lovers is always a time to pay tribute to the country’s titans who stamped our original tunes on the world stage.
The Malaysian Music Institute recently hosted a remarkable 90-minute concert honoring the legendary Father of Modern Malaysian Music, Alfonso Soliano (1925-1990). The National and Malaysia Day months are a time for music enthusiasts to pay tribute to the country's musical icons, and Alfonso's genius was celebrated in a mesmerising performance at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in KLCC.
The concert featured a collaboration between the world-class Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and Alfonso's own family band, The Solianos, one of Malaysia's most distinguished family jazz ensembles. The band consists of siblings Tristano, Isabella, and Condrado on piano, vocals, trumpet, and flugelhorn respectively, and their nephew Don on bass. Eddie Kismilardy on alto saxophone and Arthur Kam on drums joined the band, along with special guests.
Throughout the evening, The Solianos and the MPO performed 12 of Alfonso's evergreen songs, including medleys and personal pieces. Isabella Soliano, the lead vocalist and main narrator, shared interesting anecdotes and a glowing tribute to her father, peppered with sweet humor and a touching tribute to her late sister and former bandmate Irene.
The concert began with the majestic opening piece, "Dawn To Darkness," originally performed in 1961. Other highlights included "Pacita Blues," a deeply personal jazz tribute to Alfonso's wife Pacita, and "Mimpiku Semalam," a bossa nova-style song blending traditional samba with jazz harmonies. The concert concluded with a beautiful arrangement by Alfonso's granddaughter Rachel Guerzo, paying tribute to her grandfather's emotional melodic ballad "Tunas Kasih."
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
