From Sarawak to Jakarta: Amir Jahari and the Mission to Conquer the Hearts of Indonesian Listeners

Amir Jahari during a showcase of "A Poem in Jakarta" (Ivan Two Putra/VOI)

JAKARTA - On his fourth visit to Indonesia, Amir Jahari brought a showcase titled "A Poem in Jakarta" which was presented intimately at a cafe in Cipete, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, April 8.

Amir himself is a Malaysian singer-songwriter. He grew up in Sarawak, which is on the island of Borneo, and then began his musical journey in the neighboring country since 2011, and continues to this day.

Amir's presence in Jakarta is inseparable from the aid funds provided by the Malaysian Government to creative industry players, including musicians, to introduce their works outside Malaysia.

It is not without reason when Amir chooses Indonesia over other countries. Besides being still one group, he admitted that he has emotional attachment to the Indonesian music industry.

"I honestly grew up with Indonesian songs. I've heard a lot of D'Masiv, Nidji, Dewa 19, Padi, and so on. So, I feel that Indonesia is very close to my heart, because the language here is more or less the same as my language (in Malaysia)," said Amir, met at the age of showcasing his showcase.

Not only that, as a musician, Amir frankly admitted that the appreciation for musical works, is much better in Indonesia than with the appreciation he gets in his country.

As for his performance, Amir performed eight numbers that were brought acoustically in a trio format, including "Ayuh Pulang", "Aku Rindu", "Rindu Itu Berat", "Selalu Ada", "Ajarkan Aku", "Aku Juga Manusia", "Hasrat", to the song "A Poem" which was just released at the end of March.

Each time he presents the numbers, Amir inserts different stories that sound personal, and then is brought with a unique understanding to reach the listener. The way he presents the work according to his nickname from the Malaysian music scene, story-teller through music and soul healer (storyteller through music and soul healer).

Amir Jahari's return to Jakarta certainly brings a mission to develop his music career. As a Malaysian musician, he feels that the Indonesian music market is a big potential.

Amir did not deny that in addition to better appreciation, he saw that Indonesia had a much larger population, not only for local musicians, but also for fellow musicians.

"In Indonesia, the language is almost the same as Malaysia, and I hope to get at least one percent (of listeners) from Indonesia. That's enough for me," he concluded.