IT has been a week since Loganathan Arumugam, better-known as Loga of vintage group The Alleycats, passed on.
This must surely be the longest week of mourning, not only for those involved in the music industry but also for many Malaysians who have grown up with The Alleycats' sound of music.
Loga has been compared to the legendary P Ramlee and Sudirman Arshad as among the 'cream' of Malaysian musicians and entertainers whose music and life long work had crossed the diverse racial and cultural boundaries of Malaysians. The Alleycats was a band comprising Indian and Chinese members belting out Malay numbers that every Malaysian loved to sing along with.
I may be too young to enjoy P Ramlee's music and songs but I am very much aware that Ramlee is considered a national icon. Now, history will also carve out another name in the same mould - Loganathan Arumugam. By the way he is honoured and revered after his passing, I have no doubt that Loga truly deserves that recognition.
Fitting honour
Fittingly, the government has also honoured Loga's memories via a three-part programme on RTM1 . The first segment was aired over national television last Wednesday.
Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin's tribute to Loga was also touching. He said, "Loganathan touched millions of people in his lifetime. We want to give people an opportunity to pay tribute," adding that RTM had received the family permission to air the show, Loga Dalam Kenangan (Loga in Memory).
The next two parts, also 15 minutes each, will be aired over the next two weeks in the same time slot at 8.45pm. RTM stations Traxx FM, Minnal FM and KL FM were also having special programmes in memory of Loga, which would include tributes from fellow artistes.
Another honour for the late musician may come from the MIC as its president Samy Vellu, who is also works minister, had announced that the party would discuss at its next meeting on how to honour Loga, whose mother, Meenambal Arumugam, 82, has been a long-time MIC member.
Loga and his brother David were the predominant figures in the group that was formed in Penang in 1969, making it one of the longest-surviving bands in the country.
The Alleycats begun by playing in clubs around the country before signing a recording deal with PolyGram Records in 1978. To date, they have 30 albums to their credit. Their timeless hits include Sampaikan Salam, Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu Sebelum Mu and Sekuntum Mawar Merah .
The band also won many awards, notably among them are the Muzik-Muzik winners award and the Malaysian Book of Records award for being the longest surviving Pop band in the country.
The launching of their latest effort,
Rasa
had been postponed due to Loga's illness. David has assured fans that the album will be released soon as Loga would want them to continue their efforts.
Suffering with a smile
Loga's death from lung cancer last Monday came as a shock to many. This was why seasoned listeners who have been watching the Alleycats gigs in recent months have noticed the absence of Loga's serenading voice.
Although he was suffering from a bad cough for a year, doctors were only able to diagnose his lung cancer eight months ago. Cancer brings a sense of dread to many. It strikes fear in our hearts with thoughts of possible death and reminds us of our own mortality.
I've seen the magnitude of a cancer patient's suffering through my late grandmother. She just laid on the couch with defeat haunting her eyes every time she came back from her chemotherapy session. Her inability to even eat a grape added to her misery.
When I read that Loga was still able to joke and smile despite his pain, I was truly amazed. It must have taken more than the courage of a lion and the strength of Hercules to do so. I'm sure every smile and joke from him during those trying times were in the best interests of his family to help them cope with their fears for him.
Last Thursday, the family home in Tanjung Bungah was filled with family members, friends and fans, some of whom had travelled as far away as Singapore to Penang to pay their last respects.
While avid fans have declared that they will set up a website to keep his memory and songs alive, bloggers like Jeff Ooi and Edmund Yeo (son of Eric Yeo who produced some of Alleycats' albums) penned down their thoughts right on the day of Loga's death.
Jeff's message to Loga was short but creatively and beautifully expressed using a few songs by the Alleycats:
Kerana kau ...Alleycats' music taught us Malaysians to be once blind of colours. It won't be Noktah Terakhir for Malaysians who choose to stay together and be at peace with one another... Hingga akhir nanti.
Other than reminiscing about playing and speaking with 'Uncle Loga' and 'Uncle David', Edmund wrote about his amazement towards their Afro-styled hair and ability to speak Hokkien, a common Chinese dialect in Penang.
Like Jeff Ooi, he also linked videos of Alleycats' performances to his tribute so that his readers can share a little of Malaysia's pop history.
Fans in Malaysiakini
Not surprisingly, there are also many Alleycats fans among Malaysiakini team members. Let me end this tribute to Loga with these messages of love and affection from my colleagues.
Muhammad Azlan Zamhari: The Alleycats are a classic act. Their music and songs are gems. I particularly like Suara Kekasih, Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu and Sampaikanlah Salam Cintaku Padanya - songs I used to enjoy humming in the shower.
Last week, it was fitting that a multi-racial group (including a mat salleh ) comprising myself and five individuals raised our glasses after dinner at an eatery in memory of Loga. All of us were very fond of him. The Alleycats' music transcends all our cultural barriers.
With Loga's death, Malaysia lost an artistic son - one we will always remember and cherish.
Goodbye Loga....I'm sure, it's very musical, joyful and cheerful where you are now.
Nash Rahman: The Alleycats is a non-Malay music group who has a very special place in the hearts of millions of their Malay fans. I am going to miss Loga very, very much".
Premesh Chandran: Alleycats are the Beatles of Malaysia. Never ending!
Priah Marimuthu: Loga, the earthly world will terribly miss your voice but may you continue to bring joy and comfort to those above.
Our hearts cry, our souls grief,
To know that your presence is no longer felt,
Now you're with God and in His arms you rest,
And He takes with Him, only the best.
S Vicknesan: Farewell Loga. The sunshine that you brought into the lives of all Malaysians will forever light us up whenever your music is played. Continue your journey, your memory will be an everlasting tune in the symphony of all the lives you and Alleycats touched. Thank you for the music.
On Wednesday: 'The Cats lose their whiskers' by Abdar Rahman Koya
Watch the 5-minute video.
OOI KELLY is an intern at Malaysiakini.
