In collaboration with PASSIONS, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in PASSIONS Volume 46 in 2012, we present this story on Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah, as he continues to capture the airwaves of Malaysia.
Few entertainers represent the concept of multicultural Malaysia better than Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah. Better known as DJ Dave, this talented performer made his mark in the Malaysian music industry during the 1970s and 1980s when he wowed audiences with his unique mix of Hindi tunes sung in the Malay language. A man who broke down barriers, DJ Dave is still going strong and, as he told PASSIONS, has added on a new dimension to his songs – one that focuses on the importance of championing human values.
Perhaps what made DJ Dave stand out during his early days in the industry was the fact that he decided to take the road less travelled by. Coming from a Punjabi background, he was probably one of the first mainstream non-Malay singers to sing in Malay – a practice which no doubt created a form of music which can be described as truly Malaysian.
Those who knew DJ Dave during his younger days would not have been surprised by his move though. As he told PASSIONS, during his schooldays – particularly from Form 3 to Form 5, he won competitions in his school by singing the popular P. Ramlee number, Biarlah Aku Pergi. Despite his natural talent, DJ Dave admitted that he never thought that singing would become a career, and after leaving school he joined the postal service.
It is hard to deny a dream though, and he would soon make the decision to become a recording artiste and performed on music shows on RTM (Radio Television Malaysia) – the national and then only TV station in the country. He recalled that it was during one such performance in 1971 that he had an encounter which would change his life and the music scene in Malaysia forever.
“A child on crutches came up to me after I performed and asked me why don’t I sing Hindi songs in Malay,” he revealed. “Before that I was singing primarily in English and Hindi, so I started thinking about how I can make Malay songs more accessible to non-Malays and non-Malay music more accessible to the Malays.”
The answer was to blend the two together, and soon DJ Dave would have a string of number one hits on the Malaysian charts with songs such as Maafkanlah, Ingin Bersua and Anak Siapa di Jalanan. It did not take long for him to be spotted by a more established label, and in 1973, EMI signed him up and he would stay with them for the next 25 years.
Today at the age of 63, the seemingly ageless DJ Dave is still going strong and uses his status as a ‘crowd puller’ to advance the cause of humanity by singing for charitable causes to help physically challenged children, the destitute, as well as the elderly and infirm. Apart from that, he is also a vocal proponent of preserving Malaysia’s precious eco-system.
For DJ Dave, “Today’s child is tomorrow’s world”, and he is demonstrating his belief in this adage by giving hope to children who have been bereft of hope. In many ways, one can see the circle coming to completion. After all, it was a child who opened the eyes of DJ Dave and started him on the road to fame. In the same way, DJ Dave aka Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah, is giving children a glimpse of a better tomorrow.
