Sofea Helmy’s uphill battle to support local music talents

MALAYSIANSKINI | In her quest to build a platform for the local music scene, Sofea Helmy, 19, has not only faced objections from those within the industry but received threats and derogatory comments leading her to lodge a police report last year.

Despite this, Sofea (above, left) still hangs on to her music project - Kumandang Zine - which she began last year with the intent of organising live music events.

Speaking to Malaysiakini at a cafe in Taman Paramount, Sofea lamented about the objections she received from some of her contemporaries in the local music scene.

“We’re so comfortable with being sheltered for many years that we’re so unfamiliar with the new. We don’t welcome new ideas - not even giving them a chance.

“That’s something I’ve had to face and it makes you a tougher person. People question whether I’m experienced (in organising music events).

“Three months into the scene (with this project), I was called names like ‘anak babi’ (piglet) and ‘pelacur’ (prostitute). They even threatened to hit me.

“I actually cried over this and lodged a police report because it was cyberbullying. Everything (the name-calling) stopped after that,” said Sofea, who noted that her detractors were much older than her.

“They (the bullies) were all adults. Maturity has nothing to do with age at all.”

Recalling when Kumandang Zine first started, like many others, Sofea found herself isolated at home when the pandemic began.

When the Covid-19 restrictions began easing up, she went for a music gig called "Rock The Casbah" - which inspired her to write reviews.

“Around the same time, my sister was in an online class doodling a sketch of an amoeba.

“I wanted to immortalise the image and make a zine, but before I could write it, I wanted to make sure I personally experienced (the local music scene).

“I didn’t have enough knowledge about the gig scene. If I wanted to write a zine, (I realised) I had to organise a gig,” said the university student, who is primarily based in Johor.

Despite it not looking like a traditional zine, many of Kumandang Zine’s online posts - which can be found on Instagram - read like a diary, observing the indie music scene and working towards platforming and documenting bands who may only just be starting through its events.

She and her partner, Hidayat Aris, 28, have organised nearly 10 music gigs - of different genres - as well as supporting poetry readings thus far, since the project's inception last year.

Unlike some local DIY music events, these gigs attract audiences from all ages and all walks of life.

Acknowledging this, Sofea said that she wanted her events to be a safe space for all, inspired by her mother’s work as a schoolteacher.

“I’m always on standby. My gigs are family-friendly. 99 percent of my family are there. That’s why ‘Kumandang’ (which means ‘reverb’ in Malay) is so special.

"One of the attendees - who was 15 years old - even brought their grandmother!” said Sofea, who grew up in a family interested in music and cited Velvet Underground as one of her favourite musical acts.

Asked about the challenges she faced in starting this project, Sofea spoke of the values her mother instilled in her.

“My mother nurtured in us this idea that we should not take something as a challenge.

“As such, I chose not to look at things like that. It’s about how you perceive something - if you’re talking about challenges.

“And I don’t like to prolong and dwell on a problem. My biggest challenge is myself - whether I want to do something or not," she said.

Hidayat, who has been supporting Sofea’s project since his band took part in one of her first few gigs around Klang Valley, said that the experience has been an eye-opener for him.

The drummer, who originates from Pontian, Johor, said that he first came to Kuala Lumpur last year and was drawn to Sofea’s ambition to platform new bands.

“Slowly, I was following Kumandang Zine's development.

“Before I came to Kuala Lumpur, I was a busker. With the help of friends from (local band) Esok Mendung and YouTube, I began learning how to work sound systems - starting from smaller ones (that were aimed at mic-ing solo acts) to accommodating a full band with many different instruments.

“I saw that as a challenge I was willing to face and learn,” said Hidayat, who manages the sound production of events organised by the project.

Mic-ing up is the act of attaching a microphone to a musician or an instrument, to allow their audience to hear them better.

On the sustainability of the project, the duo stated that the funding for the project comes primarily through sales of Sofea’s s'mores pie business.

“My mother and I bake s'mores pies. That’s how we fund our gigs! We do backline work too, on top of the s'mores pies. S'mores pies, big dreams.

“It came about when I was looking for pocket money. I also recently got into singing, so Hidayat and I have been performing,” said Sofea.

She also cited music industry advocate and event manager Jennifer Thompson as a source of inspiration.

"I look up to Jennifer Thompson. It's so rare to see women being in the scene. I like how she conducts her events. I like how she shares her input (on the entertainment world) online," said Sofea.

Looking towards the future, Sofea expressed hopes of saving enough to start her own creative house to facilitate a young, vibrant creative scene in Malaysia.

"Even if in the future, the original 'Kumandang' team is no longer, we hope someone can carry the torch on and make that space," added Hidayat.

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