Backyard Pub News Page

>> NEWS

ROUSING SHOW FROM A
SELF-SCHOOLED
GUITAR VIRTUOSO
July 30, 2005, The Star (Metro/Nightlife)

By VIVIENNE PAL. Photo by RICKY LAI.
Click to enlarge.

THERE is more than meets the eye when it comes to Ahmad Faseeh. A regular bloke on the street at first glance, the 31-year-old Maldivian is, however, a commanding presence under the glare of the spotlight.

With his eyes closed and his trusty Fender Stratocaster strapped around him, Fasy forgets the crowd and goes to a faraway land where it's only him and his music every time he performs.

"I don't feel the stage; I'm lost in my own music. I feel it, I become one with it," he said.

The soft-spoken guitar virtuoso was at the Backyard Pub & Grill recently for his performance and the launch of his latest album Fasy: A Compilation.

The crowd, comprising regulars or fans of Fasy had shown up much earlier to get the best seats.

Their efforts were not in vain. That evening, Fasy had delivered a mesmerising performance, opening the show with slow, riveting numbers, before switching to more upbeat rock tunes laced with funk and blues.

By the fourth song, Fasy had taken the music, and the crowd, up a notch, displaying his vocal prowess for the first time in Rising, and capping the entire performance with a rousing finale with Regenerations.

Credit must also be given to his band Playin December, for without the accompaniment of its members, Fasy's crunching lead would have sounded hollow.

Formed in July 2004, Playin December comprises fellow Maldivians Ibbe on drums, Ayya on bass guitar and Rifu on vocals.

The original members of the band were born in December, hence its unique name.

To say Fasy is a good guitarist is an understatement. He displayed brilliant fretwork and flawless play at chord progression, swooping from grinding lows to squealing highs effortlessly.

Each piece was a gripping cliffhanger of what was to come.

Surprisingly enough, Fasy, who also plays the drums, bass and keyboard, has no formal training in music.

"I play by ear. The way I learnt music is through bits and pieces from here and there. Music is alive and comes from deep inside.

"Music doesn't come in the form of notes for me, but in the form of feelings," said Fasy, who picked up tips and learnt techniques by experimenting, and from various musicians.

It's hard to put a finger on Fasy's 'real sound'. He plays a variety of music genres from blues to rock'n'roll, funk and heavy metal.

Although he considers Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Satriani as some of his greatest inspirations, it is apparent that family background counts, too.

Fasy's father, Ali Maniku also had a band in his younger days and was instrumental in presenting Fasy with his first guitar at the age of 12.

Being foreigner has not stopped Fasy from making his mark in the Malaysian music circle.

To date, he has performed with many renowned local musicians including Paul Ponnudorai, Amir Yussof, Rafique Rashid and Purple Haze.

He has also performed in various pubs and clubs including the Backyard Pub, Titus Blues Avenue, Donnington's, Man's Cafe, Colours and X'tacy.

Although Fasy already has a following, the success of Fasy: A Compilation may well be the clincher for him.

"Compilation marks my first vocal attempt. It has music that I wrote from the 1990s; it shows the transition in my music.

"It's a more mature album compared to Cruising, my previous one," he said, revealing that all the tunes in Compilation captured his life in different phases.

"All the songs mean a lot to me, although Starrs is the most poignant - it captured an important period in my life; it represented the beginning of my life, when someone woke me up," he disclosed.

Fasy still has many dreams to achieve, among which is to produce more albums and hold workshops to teach musicians to make music that comes from within.

"I want to teach people how to make music an extension of themselves," he quipped.

Fasy: A Compilation will soon be available in local music stores nationwide. For enquiries, call 017-6607 712 (Barbar).

Links: July 22nd Photos | Fasy's profile |

© The Star Publications Bhd

ARCHIVE

NOVEMBER 2005

OCTOBER 2005