Breakers’ revival
JASON CHEAH takes note of a US-based vocal group with Malaysian ties.GIVEN the erratic state of anything that can be remotely considered a cappella in the local scene, there’s certainly plenty of room in the country for established groups of such unaccompanied singing.
The latest act set to enthral Malaysians is The Breakers, which originates from the United States. It will join what has by now become a regular line of foreign a cappella groups to perform here, like the all-male classical choirs, the King’s Singers from Britain and Ensemble Amarcord from Germany, and Australia’s contemporary/crossover troupe Ten Tenors.
The difference with The Breakers is that the vocal quintet does touch closer to home; Malaysian Adam Farouk, a Cameronian Arts Awards 2004 nominee for best musical direction, is both co-founder and music director.
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Adam Farouk began singing with The Breakers back when he was a student at a US university. |
Still, Adam feels there is room for improvement. To this end he’s revived the little group he used to be with when he studied at Cornell University in New York.
His team is scheduled for a performance – called Equinox – in Kuala Lumpur this week. Adam’s original compositions aside, its repertoire includes pop numbers such as Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered and George Michael’s Father Figure as well as rock hits by Maroon 5 and U2.
“We actually started in 2003 in New York,” Adam, 27, who does vocal percussions in The Breakers, said in a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur. The others in the group are Andy Goldin (flexi tone), Chris Wildeman (bass), Gregory Pratt (male alto) and Steve Engelbrecht (tenor).
But even they were a hangover from a larger (12 to 15-piece) a cappella outfit at the university called the Hangovers, which was in turn a subset of the Cornell University Glee Club, the institution’s oldest student organisation.
After college they stayed in touch and seized the chance to regroup when Adam introduced the idea of The Breakers, targeting pub gigs and open mike sessions. Later, they went separate ways.
Last October, the guys reunited when Adam decided it would be timely to feature The Breakers in Malaysia.
“Yes, there is a fledgling scene here with a lot of room for improvement,” said Adam, adding that “I’ve watched Wicked Pitches perform an arrangement of ours.”
As for his group, Adam said: “We try to be as versatile as possible. For instance, I started off as a baritone, moved up to tenor, and now I’m more of a flexi tone and I do vocal percussions.”
The idea is to keep the group tight and streamlined without being too stripped down.
“It’s about getting to the essence of the music so then the arrangements can be easy,” he explained. “We all have very diverse tastes of music and we don’t want to be pigeonholed.”
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The Breakers comprises (from left) Adam Farouk, Steve Engelbrecht, Andy Goldin, Greg Pratt and Chris Wilderman. |
“We actually did record a single in the United States called Passing Moment, a bittersweet ballad that I wrote,” Adam noted.
The Breakers also expects to get involved in educational projects. There are plans to collaborate with the International College of Music in Kuala Lumpur to introduce young audio engineers to the art of recording a cappella.
“If this leads to more recordings then all the better,” Adam said optimistically.
The Breakers will perform for three nights from Thursday at 8.30pm at the Securities Commission Auditorium in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Tickets, priced at RM42, RM62, RM82 and RM102, are available at Axcess Ticketing (03-7711 5000) or online (www.axcess.com.my).
Tomorrow at 9.30pm, The Breakers will present a free preview at Alexis Bistro at Great Eastern Mall in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
On Saturday, 3pm, The Breakers will conduct a master class, also at the Securities Commission Auditorium, where enthusiasts will get a short performance followed by an audience participation session. Tickets are at RM22 each.
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