C. Khor
Blues music may be a niche genre in Malaysia. Still, a group of enthusiasts is working to keep its sound alive. Midnight Mojo Union is holding a Penang blues festival on 31 October, running for 10 hours straight.
Organiser and event director Leo Mukhtar runs the event under Lepakhaus Enterprise. To him, it means more than a night of live performances. “To me, blues is more than just a genre of music. It’s a way of expressing emotions, telling stories and connecting people with sound. Blues is also a history and stories that continue to connect people around the world,” he told theSun.
Leo said dedicated blues events are relatively uncommon in Malaysia. His festival aims to keep the tradition alive. Otherwise, it could fade from the local music scene.
From a Kulim restaurant to a Penang festival
The event traces back to a blues-themed restaurant Leo and his team ran in Kulim, Kedah, for about 13 years. It also featured live music every night. That gave the organisers years of exposure to musicians and audiences within the local blues scene.
The experience eventually led them to consider taking blues beyond the smaller setting of restaurant performances. So their first major event was Blues With Nature 2024, a three-day festival held at Sungai Tengas in Kulim.
Also, more than 10 blues bands performed at that festival, with Blues Gang taking on the headlining role. Following that experience, the organisers decided to bring their next event to Penang instead.
“We chose Penang this time because of its tourist attractions,” Leo said. He added the move gave them a chance to introduce the blues genre to a wider audience. This year’s event is more compact than the 2024 festival, but still runs a full 10 hours.
Who is playing at MMU Backroom Blues
Six bands will perform: Blues Gang, Trigger Finger Trio, Bluez Bugs, Ipoh Blues, Gasmoney, and Jagindas. Two solo acts join them, Along Zip Zieller and Nabil Nazmi. Most of the participating acts also come from Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh, Perak.
Some performers sing in English, while others use Malay. This reflects the different ways Malaysian musicians have adopted and interpreted the blues tradition. Leo said Malaysian blues combines the soul and emotion of blues with Malaysian cultures, languages, and local experiences.
Meanwhile, musician and author Seir Rashid, 55, wrote the biography The Blues Gang. He said most Malaysian blues musicians started out playing American blues. They were also influenced by players from other countries, though the local identity inevitably comes through.
“But somehow, every true musician needs to be original and share their inner side through blues music. There are not many differences, only the journey, the language and local elements. The soul is very much the same,” he said. Performances will feature guitars, blues harmonica, keyboards, and drums, and Ipoh Blues will include a female performer.
Blues Gang headlines, and how to attend
Headlining the festival is Blues Gang, formed in 1973 in Johor Bahru. The band is widely regarded as one of the pioneering names in the Malaysian blues scene. It holds a Malaysia Book of Records recognition as the oldest blues band in the country.
Blues Gang remains best known for Apo Nak Dikato, sung in the Negeri Sembilan dialect. The veteran act returns as this year’s star performer, after appearing at the organisers’ inaugural festival in 2024. The organisers hope their events can give Malaysian blues musicians a platform instead of letting the genre fade away.
Specifically, MMU Backroom Blues takes place at Chulia Court on 31 October. Early-bird tickets cost RM80 until 30 September, and normal tickets cost RM130 from 1 October. Organisers have also capped attendance at 200 people.
Those interested can contact the organiser at 016-3071874 for more details. Early-bird pricing ends in two weeks. After that, prices rise. Fans hoping to catch Blues Gang and the rest of the Penang blues festival lineup will pay the higher rate.
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