KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Kuching-born singer-songwriter Amir Jahari’s latest single Hasrat has been riding high on music charts since its release on February 20.

The song, featured in the film Imaginur, has been consistently in the top ranking tunes on Spotify and Apple Music for Malaysia. On top of that, it also grabbed the second spot on TikTok’s Global Trending Songs of the Week (March 12), beating Blackpink’s Shut Down and Pink Venom.

The response prompted Amir and his team, Nusantarasa, to organise a special music showcase for Hasrat, held at Dataran Karyawan, Finas on March 18. Safe to say, the show has rekindled the fire within Amir.

The Hasrat showcase

“The showcase was truly unexpected, 1,200 people came for the evening and night sessions and this is by far the biggest solo showcase I have ever done,

“My biggest showcase previously was Aku Juga Manusia which had around 250 attendees, but the Hasrat show saw 400 people attending its evening session and another 800 for night session.

“During the last song of the set, which was Hasrat, everyone sang along and I’ve never felt that kind of experience. It gave me goosebumps. It was truly unexpected,” Amir told Malay Mail.

The 31-year-old singer revealed the show initially had only one session. However, after tickets sold out within a few hours, he and his team decided to add another session.

He shared that one of his longtime supporters, an entrepreneur only known as Faiz, bought 30 tickets amounting to around RM1,000 and had asked Amir to do a giveaway for his fans.

Faiz had been supporting Amir ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, especially during the Movement Control Order when live performances were put on hold.

From Hamba and Back to Amir Jahari

Amir’s fans may have known that for a short period last year, he used the moniker Hamba and even released a five-song EP under the name.

Amir described Hamba as his alter ego and the Sang Perindu singer decided to revert to Amir Jahari following his father’s passing due to cancer in May 2022.

“I went back to Kuching and was given the opportunity to spend the last three days with him. After that, he passed away.

“I also managed to be with him during the funeral rites. As I lowered his head to the ground, it dawned upon me that my father had left his legacy.

“And I asked myself, how I could continue his legacy? That’s when I decided to go back to Amir Jahari,” he said.

His father’s passing affected him deeply. Amir, who has been away from home since he was 18, last saw his father healthy in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic followed, and he was unable to see him during MCO.

“My father was a police officer. He’s very disciplined. He taught my siblings and I the importance of identity and how to stand our ground.

“Although he does not have much influence on my music, he has always supported and acknowledged my talent,” he said.

Amir added that his reverting back to Amir Jahari does not mean the end for Hamba as he was planning to turn it into a J-Rock inspired band.

Amir Jahari performing at the Hasrat music showcase at Dataran Karyawan, Finas on March 18. — Picture by Hari Anggara.
Amir Jahari performing at the Hasrat music showcase at Dataran Karyawan, Finas on March 18. — Picture by Hari Anggara.

“I’m Back”

The Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) finalist admitted that during the period of making Hasrat in 2019, he was going through depression and had almost lost his faith in music making and himself.

It was Imaginur director Nik Amir Mustapha who convinced him otherwise. “Nik pushed me really hard. I didn’t believe in my songs anymore, I didn’t believe in myself. When the song came out and it suddenly became a hit, then I realised something.

“If we don’t trust our own work, who will? I was lucky because Nik Amir was there. During the end of the first session of the showcase, he came to see me backstage and hugged me in tears.

“My confidence in music was restored. After the Hasrat music showcase, I’m back. During the audience’s singalong at the end of the showcase, that was the moment I came back,” he said.

Moving forward, Amir is planning to compete in the arena of stars yet again by submitting Hasrat for this year’s AJL.

He also teased another single next year, but for now, his focus is on Hasrat.

Amir Jahari started his career in music in 2008 as a street performer at Kuching Waterfront.

His journey continued after he was chosen as one of the contestants for Akademi Fantasia (Season 9) in 2011 and although Amir was voted out in the third week, his spirit remained strong.

He released his 2013 breakthrough album titled Penghibur Jalanan where his debut single Tanpamu made it as one of the as finalists for AJL 27 in 2013.

The album, which was a musical documentation of his years as a busker, also spawned radio hits in subsequent singles. Penghibur Jalanan, Gelisah, Aku Juga Manusia and Selalu Ada not only made it to all music charts but also earned him multiple nominations for Anugerah Industri Muzik and Anugerah Planet Muzik as well as nabbing him MACP's Most Promising Young Composer in 2015.