WAH IDRIS CUTS A DIFFERENT TUNE FOR FORMULA ONE
Describing it as the new ‘trademark of Malaysia’s Formula One’, musician Datuk Wah Idris believed his newly produced GP Soundtrack would serve as a two-pronged tool to promote the F1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix and to further enhance Malaysia’s prominence in the eyes of the world.
“I always believe that music has the strange power in driving a message effectively. This is what this GP Soundtrack is all about – delivering a message about Malaysia’s F1,” said Wah Idris, who composed the theme song for the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games 1998 – Standing in the Eyes of the World.
Entering its ninth edition this year, Wah said it was timely that Malaysia has something special in its association with Formula One and he believed that the GP Soundtrack could be marketed as an international product by Malaysia for the sports.
“I would like it to be a trademark for the Formula One sports and every fan of Formula One would want to have one. Simply because it’s unique and special and it’s F1; and, it’s contributed to the world by Malaysia,” he said.
Mixing the sounds heard during an F1 race from revving engines to screeching brake points with various musical tunes and elements, Wah Idris produced a theme song ‘It’s Thrilling Out There’ which he named as the Original Mix.
“From that Original Mix, we produced six other versions from house music for the discos, rock, jazz, classical, R&B as well as the Irama Malaysia Mix under their respective titles ‘It’s Pulsating Out There’, ‘It’s Louder Out There’, ‘It’s Dramatic Out There’, ‘It Glorious Out There’, ‘It’s Scorching Out There’ and It’s Bigger Out There’.
“These are all themes that are currently being promoted by SIC for the current ninth edition of the Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix. Now, each theme has a song by itself,” said Wah, who believed the songs would prominently help SIC in promoting the event.
Having involved in music for more than 20 years with more than 200 song compositions, Wah said he was honoured to be approached by Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for the job, which he started since last December.
“I would not say it is my best work ever; but it’s definitely the most challenging that I have ever done,” said Wah, who became the first Malaysian to win an international award in music through his song ‘OK’ at the Golden Kite World Song Festival in Kuala Lumpur in 1986.
Selling at RM19.90, the GP Soundtrack CD was launched by SIC General Manager Datuk Azmi Murad on Saturday (March 24) where it was played for the first time to a loud thunderous approval of a packed One Utama crowd.
“Now that we have the tune and all the music arrangement, the next logical step would be to incorporate lyrics and singers to it. I would love to have seven sets of singers to sing the seven different mixes.
“That call, however, would need to be made by SIC. But, it would be fitting if we could do it for the 10th edition of the race next year. That would be simply amazing,” said the Ipoh-born Wah, who has a double degree in jazz composition and music arrangement from Berkley College of Music in Boston.
First organised by SIC in 1999, the Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix is a national project by the Government to jumpstart Malaysian motorsports apart from serving as a tool to enhance Malaysia’s image in the international arena, to generate interest for transfer of technology and to help develop Malaysia’s automotive sector.
The 2007 edition would be held from 6th to 8th April as Round 2 of this year’s Formula One World Championship.
Describing it as the new ‘trademark of Malaysia’s Formula One’, musician Datuk Wah Idris believed his newly produced GP Soundtrack would serve as a two-pronged tool to promote the F1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix and to further enhance Malaysia’s prominence in the eyes of the world.
“I always believe that music has the strange power in driving a message effectively. This is what this GP Soundtrack is all about – delivering a message about Malaysia’s F1,” said Wah Idris, who composed the theme song for the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games 1998 – Standing in the Eyes of the World.
Entering its ninth edition this year, Wah said it was timely that Malaysia has something special in its association with Formula One and he believed that the GP Soundtrack could be marketed as an international product by Malaysia for the sports.
“I would like it to be a trademark for the Formula One sports and every fan of Formula One would want to have one. Simply because it’s unique and special and it’s F1; and, it’s contributed to the world by Malaysia,” he said.
Mixing the sounds heard during an F1 race from revving engines to screeching brake points with various musical tunes and elements, Wah Idris produced a theme song ‘It’s Thrilling Out There’ which he named as the Original Mix.
“From that Original Mix, we produced six other versions from house music for the discos, rock, jazz, classical, R&B as well as the Irama Malaysia Mix under their respective titles ‘It’s Pulsating Out There’, ‘It’s Louder Out There’, ‘It’s Dramatic Out There’, ‘It Glorious Out There’, ‘It’s Scorching Out There’ and It’s Bigger Out There’.
“These are all themes that are currently being promoted by SIC for the current ninth edition of the Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix. Now, each theme has a song by itself,” said Wah, who believed the songs would prominently help SIC in promoting the event.
Having involved in music for more than 20 years with more than 200 song compositions, Wah said he was honoured to be approached by Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for the job, which he started since last December.
“I would not say it is my best work ever; but it’s definitely the most challenging that I have ever done,” said Wah, who became the first Malaysian to win an international award in music through his song ‘OK’ at the Golden Kite World Song Festival in Kuala Lumpur in 1986.
Selling at RM19.90, the GP Soundtrack CD was launched by SIC General Manager Datuk Azmi Murad on Saturday (March 24) where it was played for the first time to a loud thunderous approval of a packed One Utama crowd.
“Now that we have the tune and all the music arrangement, the next logical step would be to incorporate lyrics and singers to it. I would love to have seven sets of singers to sing the seven different mixes.
“That call, however, would need to be made by SIC. But, it would be fitting if we could do it for the 10th edition of the race next year. That would be simply amazing,” said the Ipoh-born Wah, who has a double degree in jazz composition and music arrangement from Berkley College of Music in Boston.
First organised by SIC in 1999, the Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix is a national project by the Government to jumpstart Malaysian motorsports apart from serving as a tool to enhance Malaysia’s image in the international arena, to generate interest for transfer of technology and to help develop Malaysia’s automotive sector.
The 2007 edition would be held from 6th to 8th April as Round 2 of this year’s Formula One World Championship.