| My
13 favourite Ah Niu's songs: |
| 1) Speak
My Language |
Ah Niu's
first and only English song. A reminiscence of the Beatles.
Here, Ah Niu shows his potential to go into other forms of music
such as rock music. However, the song was banned on the air waves
of Malaysian radio stations due to the sensitivity of the lyrics.
It touches on the controversial use of English as a mode of communication
among English -educated and Mandarin -educated Chinese in
Malaysia.
Ah Niu: It was based
on my feelings about the English-speaking Malaysian Chinese while
I was in college. I'm Chinese-educated, so I found communicating
very difficult. Very traumatic time. I didn't understand why I couldn't
speak in Chinese with my own people.
Brian Cheong of Star
Newspaper: So you're anti-English-speaking Chinese?
Ah Niu: Not anymore.
I realise you'd have to understand their background as well.
|
| 2) Black
Sun Glasses Heroin |
A good Cantonese
rock track. Imagination must have run wild for him with the
idea of a fat lady weighing 300 pounds. There's a riff here sounds
which sounds very much like James Bond 007.
|
| 3) Are U
Still Ok? |
A lovely
piano melody throughout the song. There's no guarantee in
life sometimes and we will be down. But I still have u.
|
| 4) Sing
a Song for U |
With a
guitar, he just wants to sing a song for u to hear. Wherever
there is happiness, there are sadness. Who dared say he's not afraid
of getting injured.
|
| 5) Blue
Blur |
A tranquil
sea waves intro. Depiction of Ah Niu sitting by the sea-
side waiting for the sun to rise and feel the warmth temperature
of life.
|
| 6) Kuala
Trengganu |
Ah Niu's only
Bahasa Malaysia song. Arming with a harmonica intro,
he tries to paint a picture of the beauty of Kuala Trengganu and
his wish to be a bird flying in the blue sky.
|
| 7) City
Blue Sky |
(touches on the subject
of haze pollution)
"Kuala Lumpur
is so full of people, cars and troubles!" Ah Niu said his experience
in Kuala Lumpur prompted him to compose City Blue Sky which is about
being able to remind oneself of the bright, beautiful sky above,
despite the ugliness around us.
|
| 8) Girls
Over There, Look Over Here |
(the most popular
song in Asia at one time)
Asked what gave him the idea
to compose the fun and easy song, Ah Niu laughed and said:
"I stayed in a boys' hostel and there was a girls' hostel opposite.
So, to attract the girls' attention, I created the song and sang
to them."
|
| 9) Big Belly |
(funny lyrics)
"I ponder on
what will happen if one day a man has a pot
belly and the woman he married has become old and wrinkled. Will
they still love each other as much as the time when they met? Is
love forever?", Ah Niu said.
|
| 10) Most
Romantic Song |
Ah Niu's first
Cantonese song. This must be a song dedicated to his wife,
I guess!
|
| 11) Trishaw
Vegetable Seller |
"In Geoge Town,
I once saw an old man pedaling a trishaw and a car driver honked
at him, trying to push him aside. Seeing that, it dawned upon me
how irrelevant the skyscrapers and modern-day vehicles are to him.
If anything, he does not seem to have a place amid the development.",
said Ah Niu.
|
| 12) Mamak
Stall |
Another hot spot
for Malaysian youth when they are not in coffee bean. Mamak stalls
are Indian Muslims stalls which operates till the wee hours of 3pm,
selling Roti Canai.
|
| 13) Abunene |
A song which gives
an Indian flavour influence in his music.
|