- - Written by Pang Khee Teik
25-09-2001

Out of the smoky dimness, a voice was heard requesting for a song to be dedicated to the Americans. I appreciated the sentiments. But what抯 the point - Here at the Harmonica & Accordion Concert at No Black Tie, we were an audience comprising largely of Malaysians; an elderly couple from Macedonia joined us at my table. The performers, all above 50 years of age, are from Korea, China, Japan and Malaysia. Are we in need of condolences?

I suppose it is inappropriate to be enjoying music in times of tragedy. In America, they are trying to momentarily ban radio stations from playing songs like Peter, Paul and Mary抯 Leaving On A Jet Plane. But the attack in America and America抯 response to it had brought on grim thoughts from which I needed to escape.

It was a heartening experience, therefore, to watch last Friday the five elderly musicians on stage share music from their harmonica. Taking turns each year to organise a Harmonica Festival in their homeland, they have arrived this year in Kuala Lumpur through the efforts of our local representative Mr Chong Ah Kow. The batik-clad Chong, who is president of the Malaysian Harmonica Society as well as the World Champion on the tremolo harmonica in 1989, introduced each of his friend by their age: 揟his is Mr Lee Hea Bong. He is only 57 years old!?

The first set was a showing-off repertoire. Mr Wang Yu Qian from Shanghai was a cute sight as he struggled to keep his large specs from slipping down his bridge. But playing on two harmonicas simultaneously, he effortlessly blew out chords and melody ?and at such an amazing pace too ?that he sounded like a band all on his own. Our Malaysian champion also knocked our jaws open with a virtuoso performance of the classic Flower Drum Song, creating complex percussive rhythms by blowing and sucking all the right holes. If you think that is showing off, you ought to hear the charismatic Mr Lee Hea Bong of Korea with his four-holes harmonica. He made us laugh in amazement before stirring our emotions with a medley of folk-songs.

The serious-looking Mr Juko Saito from Japan then wrenched the moment with a minor-keyed Japanese melody. Like Bruce Springsteen did on The Ghost of Tom Joad, Saito made the harmonica weep with tears so real the entire room went quiet. His compatriot, a chirpy Mr Yasuhara Mano, then picked us up with two sunny French songs played on the accordion before they all took a short intermission.

The lady from Macedonia, a piano teacher herself, said to me during the interval, 揟he MPO musicians should be here, to learn how to play with feelings.?Indeed, the musicians here tonight not only showed off extra-ordinary dexterity on their instrument, they also communicated with us all the range of sorrow and joy that the harmonica can yield.

Having warmed up to the small audience, the second set found the musicians all behaving at least 20 years younger. Among the familiar songs they threw at us was a rustic rendition of Take Five that turned the smoky pub into a cowboy noir film ?you could almost hear the coyotes howling outside. Playing in duets, trios and various combinations that included friends and wives, their prepared set ended with all five performing a Japanese song titled Homeland. But this was not to be the end yet. Their camaraderie, their musical intimacy, the way they teased each other, had turned this concert into a camp-fire session. Nobody wanted to leave. Not even the musicians. Suffice is to say, I had never heard so many encores in my life -  without having to ask for them.

It was at this point that a member of the audience asked for a song for the Americans. Quickly, Yasuhara Mano from Japan gave us Amazing Grace. This song, often rendered at funeral services with so much contrived pathos, was played tonight with a bluesy lightness that was truly heartbreaking. But it only lasted one verse and then the group did haphazard snatches from various songs that included Oh Louisiana, Don抰 You Cry For Me.

I don抰 think the musicians, most of whom do not speak much English, had understood the request. Having performed songs from all over Asia, they must have assumed someone was asking for American songs. The 慸edication?ended with a ridiculously upbeat performance of Oh When The Saints Go Marching In. Not only is this a song about folks going to heaven, it is actually about Judgment Day. I am sure it is on the banned-songs-list in America.

Somewhere out there, they are talking war, they are talking crusades and sides to take. I looked around the pub; I will take this side. With these fun-loving harmonica players. If it comes to the crunch, I imagined No Black Tie, despite its poor ventilation, would make a cool bomb shelter. Together we would survive on beer and play music till we can play no more.

Photos by Pang Khee Teik.
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