If music be the food of love play on.
– William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
My first guitar, a Kapok, cost me RM32. It was purchased on Aug 24, 1975 at a departmental store along Penang Road in George Town.
I remember playing it the next day in our wooden longhouse Block 312 in Desa A, Minden Height Campus, next to Sungai Dua-Sungai Ara area of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. That day I also received two visitors, namely my third cousin Datuk Amar Dunstan Endawie Enchana (now deceased) and Datuk (later Tan Sri Datuk Amar) Leo Moggie Irok who made a surprise call on me at my room.
Endawie made the visit to honour his promise to my dad, I was told. He left me with RM150 while Moggie handed over RM50, considered as a substantial amount in 1975. Their visit made my guitar more memorable. Then Endawie and Moggie were respective Sarawak National Party (SNAP) president and secretary-general and they were Opposition leaders in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly.
They were in Penang attending a conference, I was told. They stayed just about 15 minutes as their taxi was waiting. I joined Endawie and Moggie to visit homes of Iban leaders in Sibu about a year later prior to their joining the National Front in 1976.
That Kapok guitar lasted for a long time as I did not bring it with me when I left Kuching for Brunei in August 1997. Then I left it with my son Jay Kingsley Gara (now deceased) and daughter Dawn Sara who remained with their mum in Kuching. It provided beautiful sound and was used to accompany some of my recorded songs done between 1975 and 1996, thus making the price of RM32 really worth it.
By 1997, I had added two acoustic guitars to my collection, namely a Suzuki and Ibanez. At the same time I also had added a Korean-made Ibanez electric guitar to my three acoustics, complete with Peavey amplifier.
In 1977, after the demise of Elvis Aaron Presley on Aug 16, we decided to form a band Revival of Elvis Presley Band in USM that I led. The initial band consisted of myself as lead guitarist; Joeng Mideh, a Bau-born Bidayuh as bassist; Carter Ballang Kapong, a Kelabit as rhythm guitarist; and Makibin Bodok, a Sabah chap as our drummer.
Shortly later, we brought in guitarist award winner Edwin Khoo of Penang on lead guitar while I did rhythm and vocals. As the name suggested, we were mostly on music of Elvis and rock and roll which was my forte. It didn’t take long for Edwin to master most of EP songs rendered by me, thus making us as the local Jordanaires and Sweet Inspiration, the two famous bands that did backing to Elvis between 1956 and 1977.
In 1978 when Aldram, (now Mohd Adaham) a seasoned Bidayuh guitarist entered USM, we brought him which resulted us in adding to our repertoire songs by Deep Purple, Bad Company, Grand Funk Railroad, Hollies and Led Zeppelin. Idris Jala (now Datuk Seri), a Kelabit and August Buma (now Datuk) also joined us a rhythm guitarist and vocalist respectively. Edwin was still with us but only for a show outside campus, namely at an open space in town.
Aldram, who had a band earlier in Serian, was the maestro when it came to Deep Purple music playing close to the original tune the likes of Highway Star, Smoke on the Water, Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, and Soldier of Fortune. Most of these songs were performed by August who had a special rock voice. I kept to the rock n roll and EP numbers.
Part of the journey was difficult as it took me some months to master popular songs such as Black Magic Woman by Carlos Santana and even the simpler Hotel California by the Eagles. But I did reasonably well when it came to EP numbers such as Jailhouse Rock, Blue Suede Shoes and Hound Dog as well as other EP hits.
In 1979, out of necessity I led another band called Rajang Sound an all-lecturers’ band of Rajang Teachers College (now IPG Rajang) in Bintangor. Our union did reasonably well in the 1981 contest among Education fraternity in Sarawak held at the Brooke Hall of Batu Lintang Teachers Training College (now IPG Batu Lintang) Kuching.
I also shared with the RTC trainees some EP songs, singing them together in a few sharing sessions. Their most preferred songs included For the Good Times, I Want You I Need You and The Wonder of You to name a few.
With the limited skill, I managed to lead a SMK Serian teachers’ band in 1986 and 1987 and put on a commendable show during Teachers Day of 1987 in the school.
In 1988, when posted to SMK Julau in Julau, I purchased some guitars for the students and taught them via a music club. We ended well and by 1989, the school managed to get three electric guitars and a drum set for the students.
Teaching music to students involves teaching discipline and patience. Only the disciplined and patient ones succeed in those lessons.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
