HERE I GO AGAIN AND AGAIN....AND AGAIN

The name is, RAHIM MAAROF.

Most of you will know me as an artist, singer, recording artist and as cliche as it sounds, A ROCKER in most of the mainstream labels . Some even state me as a legend, an Icon, a trendsetter BUT to many Press News in Malaysia, they recognized me as of course, "The MOST Controversy Artist" as I am always creating HEADLINES which I guess they just want to make gossips and sell the newspapers as well as tabloids than to accept me as a talented Artist.


There may be things I did and not feel proud of but that is pretty much a part and a puzzle of  life as an Artist. The "PUBLIC' "PROPERTY" it is hard to keep up at times. Again, nobody is born PERFECT. So I accept them for doing their job: being "nosey" and, hmmmm. What do kids use this days for the word NOT POLITE at times? Maybe, Annoying? Irritating? I state my point. But due respect, I am alright with it to what I have achieved in my long time career as who I am today.

I've always wanted to write about my Long and Rough Journey as a struggling artist from the end of the 70s till today. Like publishing a book. That will take a lot of time as it would be tough recalling some of the good old days and as if I need to invent a time machine again to go back to the past.  I admit, I am aging. Maybe someday I WILL MAKE ONE for myself.  A REAL BOOK.


As decided, It begins. But for now, right here. In this very blog of mine.
There must be a lot of questions from all of you asking me, "Why?"



I now learnt a lot about blogging, maybe still a little but maybe day by day I might just get "the hang" of it. What do you expect a senior like me, to blog? Blogging is it? I have two teenage daughters who indulge themselves with blogging. Whenever I turned my head to them, I hear those 'tap tap tap' noises the keyboard makes. They typed so fast like there is just something so amazing about, TYPING. It just made me so curious with what they were doing.

How the hell do they even learn to type so fast, not even attending any typing classes? Well, that is actually great, I DO NOT HAVE TO SEND THEM FOR TYPING CLASSES. Kids these days, they work like magic with computers. Maybe with all those Mac Computers, Ipads, Tablets, Notebooks, Smartphones. Oh there's just too many!! Kids are too absorbed by it.


So here's a story. Strangely last evening, a young girl asked me a question.

Hi Mr Rahim, are you on Facebook?

 I answered Yes

And she threw me another Smart Question, she asked me;

 Mr Rahim, if there was a Facebook during your era, as well as all the new technology that we have now, will you also use them?

That was a good question. As it kept BUGGING  my brain. What if there was. What if Mark Zuckerberg was born in the the 60's? Memories kept coming back to my mind. As I recall, there were happiness and sadness coming through. But not a GLAMOUR LIFE many of you would think an Artist LIFE IS.


There was no silver platters with fine dining cuisines for us. NO 5 star Hotels with Limousin ALL THE TIME, NO BIG ENTOURAGE AWAITS FOR YOU. NO Customize Tuxedos and Suits with nicely prepared three button down collar T-Shirts, that was made specially for us or a BIG pay cheque from our royalties.

I was never treated special.
Though, work is work and keeping an image is a tough job.

TODAY YOU ARE A 'STAR' AND TOMORROW YOUR ARE A 'STARDUST'

REMEMBERING THOSE DAYS, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY. WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND SEEMS HARDER THAN TODAY. RECORDING IN A STUDIO WAS ON  ANALOG, GOOD COMPOSERS ARE RARE TO COME BY. GOOD SONGS ARE NOT ALWAYS GOOD ENOUGH, NOT FORGETTING THE LONG  HOURS IN THE STUDIO.


IF THERE IS A GOOD SONG RECORDED, THE LABEL COMPANY WILL CALLED IT A 'KILLER SONG' . PUSHING THE SO CALLED 'KILLER SONG' TO THE RADIO STATIONS WAS LIKE BEGGING THEM TO PLAY YOUR SONG.   THE ALBUMS COVERS ARE SO AMATEUR SHOT. NO PHOTOSHOT, NO TOUCH UP. SORRY MODELS, THERE WERE NO PHOTOSHOPS.


If there were all the modern technology back then, things will definitely change and my life and career would turned to 360 DEGREES.


I WILL JUST RECORD IT THROUGH MY LAPTOP AND MAKE MUSIC WHEN AND WHERE I WANT TOO AND HAVE IT UPLOADED ON YOUTUBE AND ALL THE OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKS THAT ARE SO EASY TO ACCESS NOWADAYS .


BUT SAD TO SAY, IT WILL NOT BE AS GOOD AS PLAYING LIVE ON THE GUITAR OR DRUMS. THE MAGIC OF REAL INSTRUMENTS SOUND ARE SO ENERGETIC AND REAL.

. 
Anyway, to me it is never too late to learn and I am actually grateful that I have gone through those ERA.



As time goes by

To be a recording artist was difficult those days, but that was my dream. I was young and naive without any further education. ONE DOES NOT GET VERY FAR IN A DREAM CAREER.


BEING YOUNG, POOR AND NOT QUALIFIED AS A PROFESSIONAL IN ANY FIELD,
I just took any job that came by to earn a living but I promised myself, I wil become a recording artist
and have my name on an album, that was my passion and a passion that never left me till today.


Whenever I have the chance, I will jam at my friend's home studio. I even entered singing competitions and won - after a few tries of course.


AT LAST, I managed to have my first album, WITH MY NAMED ON IT.
How proud was I back then. The only word that suits the way I feel, is I MADE IT AND it became to understand the word, 'EXCITEMENT' or 'ACHIEVEMENT'.


IN THE late 70s there were only 2 TV STATIONS, Radio Air plays were rare. Must I have a promoter? Or somebody to manage me. There was not a professional one on that time, so I managed
myself.


Never did I know or realize, there was not much money to be made. Only an advance of a few hundreds of Ringgit to get me through. THERE WERE CLOTHES AND SHOES TO BUY FOR PERFORMERS not forgetting the foods and bills to pay..


I WANTED A LEATHER JACKET THAT WAS WORN BY OUR LATE JOHN LENNON SO BADLY AND A PAIR OF LEATHER PANTS. NOT FORGETTING I WANTED MOST
WAS A PAIR OF ADIDAS SHOES, StanSmith AND A PAIR OF LEATHER BOOTS.


THOSE WERE HARD TO COME BY  IN THE LATE 70S. Even if there was, It was mad costly. Most of these items were so expensive, why am I not surprise it is  'MADE IN USA' Mind you, it was NOT CHINA OR THAILAND as nowadays, Most of the items now are imitations and can be easily bought anywhere and it is so much cheaper. I do not like that, imitation stuffs.


My most proudly owned item was a pair of RAYBAN Made in USA. It was perfect. It was so genuine that I felt it was going to shatter even when I hold it. It was too precious in the eyes. Oh, how I loved those pair of sunglasses. It was like my companion, I wore it everyday, even when I perform (day or night).


COMING BACK TO MY FIRST ALBUM, It was called,

KINI AKU SENDIRI

  

I could not tell you how it felt when the first time I hear my song on air (which was a cover version of Leo Sayer's - More than I can Say which I covered it in, Bahasa Melayu.) It was BEYOND WORDS. THAT WONDERFUL FEELING WAS SO HARD TO DESCRIBE AND I STILL HAVE GOOSEBUMPS WHEN I THINK OF IT. JOY WAS ONE OF THE FEELING. HAPPINESS WAS THE WORD. IT DEFINITELY WAS A GREAT FEELING. I JUST CANNOT DESCRIBE IN WORDS BUT THE FEELING WILL ALWAYS  BE IN MY HEART.


So the answer to my question, If there were all those modern gadgets, such as YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK SOCIAL MEDIA AND GOOD SOUND RECORDING COMPUTERS (I use the old garage band, how senior can I get in this field)


I AM ENABLE TO DOWNLOAD MYSELF TO WORLDWIDE,   I AM SURE MY CAREER AS THE 80'S ARTIST WILL BE DIFFERENT TODAY.


As time goes by,  again. I HAVE MADE FEW MORE ALBUMS. AS USUAL, THE PRESS AND TV STATIONS WERE NEVER SUPPORTIVE.


I wanted my own identity. I don't want to be just another puppet to everyone, to be a somebody who easily be forgotten and most of all, I want to make MY OWN MUSIC. I wanted to be a Rocker and Produce a Rock Album just like THE BEATLES, ROLLING STONES, YARDS BIRDS, LED ZEPPLIN, BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE, LYNYRD SKYNYRD AND MANY MORE. JUST TO NAME A FEW THOSE FOREIGN STARS, SINGER AND GROUPS THAT I REALLY ADMIRED.


During that time, ROCK music was BAD. THERE WERE ALWAYS A CENSOR BOARD AND RULES THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED.

To them, Rock is bad. 

To me, Rock is just a music genre.

I can't help but to admit. Being in the limelight was like a puppet to them. I hated it. I felt like a nobody and a waste of talent.

Maybe if I have followed what they wanted LIFE WOULD BE EASIER?  NO. I HAVE MY PRINCIPLES, I wanted my own identity, I believe that is what a performer needs. NOT another silly ordinary singer, A tomorrow star and later a yesterday star. THAT, is not my style.

MAKING MUSIC WAS MY LIFE AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE MANIPULATED BY THEM. I TOLD THEM TO 'WRITE THEIR OWN STORIES'  I WAS BLACKLISTED. TYPICAL,

People are still people, just what can you do.

TO THEM,  I WAS REBELLIONS AND NON CO- OPERATIVE ARTIST.   IF THERE WERE THE CYBER WORLD INTERNET AND YOUTUBE THOSE DAYS. IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT BALL GAME. THE BALL WILL BE AT MY COURT.  WE CAN TELL OUR SIDE OF STORY BY JUST A CLICK AT OUR FINGERTIPS AND POST IT.

THAT WAS THEN, I STARTED SINGING IN EXPO SHOWS, UNDER CANOPY , PUBS, DISCO, SUPPER CLUB AND NIGHTCLUBS, AS  ITS WAS CALLED THOSE DAYS. I NEVER REGRETTED THOSE EXPERIENCED AND THE EXPOSURES,  I BECAME A BETTER THAN BEING A PUPPET TO THOSE PEOPLE. I BECAME A BETTER ENTERTAINER.

LATER,  I WAS OFFERED AGAIN. BY A RECORDING LABEL. A FEW MORE ALBUMS AND CD'S (Now CD ERA) WERE PRODUCED. THE JOURNEY BEGAN AGAIN. I DARE SAY,

 "I MANAGED TO MAKE MANY PEOPLE RICH AND RICHES THAN I AM TODAY"

TO ME, It is not about being famous, but how long is your staying power and stamina.

 TO BE ABLE TO STAY  IN THIS MUSIC INDUSTRY.

I HONESTLY MANAGED ALMOST 30 OVER YEARS VERY WELL AND MANY STILL REMEMBER MY NAME INCLUDING THE OLD AND YOUNG. BECAUSE I AM SIMPLY THE BEST. You may call it vain, but its true.

I AM THE BEST

NOW, I HAVE A CHOICE.

I HAVE MY OWN COMPOSITIONS OF SONGS TO BE RELEASED UNDER MY OWN LABEL AND DEFINITELY WILL BE HAVING LOTS OF FUN PERFORMING ON SHOWCASES IN FRONT OF ALL MY ADMIRER, OLD AND NEW FANS THAT GAVE ME EXTRAORDINARY ENERGY FOR A MATURED MAN LIKE ME.

DO FOLLOW MY JOURNEY THROUGHOUT 2012 AND SO ON.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF SURPRISES ALONG THE WAY.