KUALA LUMPUR: Having frequented The Curve for years to enjoy the music and dancing there since before the pandemic reared its ugly head, Serene Oon never once expected a video of her singing and dancing would go viral on social media.
Over the last couple of days, a video of Oon and her friend Winnie Ting singing along to The Curve's pianist Yang I-Deun's rendition of a popular Singaporean song, Hanya Sekali by the Ideal Sisters, was shared widely on several social media platforms.
In the video which was shot on Nov 14, Oon is the lady wearing a yellow face mask, while Ting was wearing a colourful mask.
Many applauded the ladies' obvious appreciation for Malay music, with many in awe that they knew the lyrics of the song by heart.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Oon who is in her late 50s, said both her and Ting, a housewife in her 40s, were surprised when told a short clip taken of them singing had gone viral.
"We were just enjoying the beat and melody of the music and we just sang with our face masks on," Oon said.
Being a regular at the various music spots in The Curve, Oon started frequenting the shopping mall in Mutiara Damansara since eight years ago.
Recalling her first time, she said she was browsing in some shops when she suddenly heard the sound of "beautiful piano music" being played.
"There was this talented Korean pianist playing the piano and I just fell in love with his music and from that day onwards, I became a regular fan," Oon said.
I-Deun plays in the afternoon on weekends at The Curve. He has garnered a fan base at the shopping mall, where some of them would drop by just to listen to him play and catch up with friends.
While the music and dancing stopped during the various movement control orders, it is slowly making a comeback after the Klang Valley transitioned into Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
"I love listening to Mr Yang I-Deun's piano music as he always seems to be expressing the songs from his heart," Oon said, adding that I-Deun has a wide repertoire which included oldies and evergreen hits.
Another pulling factor was that he would also play music from various countries including South Korea, North Korea, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, among others.
"Through his music, we were exposed to so many beautiful songs of foreign languages. It really is an enriching experience when Mr Yang I-Deun introduced us to foreign songs," Oon added.
When asked what is her favourite Malay song, it didn't take Oon long to say Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza's Bukan Cinta Biasa, although she admitted that there are many local songs she enjoys listening to.
"My favourite local artists are Francissca Peters, Alleycats, Ella, Misha Omar, Datuk M. Nasir, Datuk Sheila Majid, the late Sudirman Hj Arshad, Amy Mastura, Fish Leong, Penny Tai, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin and many more," she said.
Apart from enjoying I-Deun's music, Oon was also a regular at the shopping mall's The Street section.
Previously, there was a restaurant called Asam Pedas, located several doors away from Starbucks, where a band from the Philippines used to play six nights a week.
"There used to be a remarkable four-family member Filipino band known as D'Cuatro Calientes. It was made up of Ms Connie Seranno, her husband Danny Olivera, their son Billy and his wife Lizza.
"They used to perform at The Street and while we listened to the songs they played, we would sing along and dance to the music," Oon fondly recalled.
While D'Cuatro Calientes no longer performs there, the group of dancers who call themselves AP (short for Asam Pedas) Family, would still meet up occassionally and dance to the music of the buskers who perform at The Curve.
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