his-story

14th December 2004 

A day to remember

He was born into a family that had clawed its way from a rural village to the city. It was a well-to-do household by some standards, with more than ten people crammed into a 400-square-foot shophouse. Life was a struggle for everyone, even before he came into the world.

Everyone thought his birth was a miracle: the arrival of the only son in the family. But the miracle came with a cruel twist. He was born with multiple health conditions, including a visual disability, a devastating blow to a family already struggling to make ends meet.

Throughout his childhood, he underwent years of training to cope with his visual disability, all while being admitted to the hospital almost every other month. Those were the dog days of his life, or so he hoped.

Music was his only refuge. He loved imagining himself performing on stage, lost in a world where he could be someone else. Yet what could be more frustrating than dreaming of the stage while being held back by stage fright and deep-rooted insecurities about his appearance? He feared that simply being himself would bring shame upon his family.

Growing up in an Asian family could be suffocating in ways he could never quite explain. He was expected to follow a path laid out by his parents and his already-successful cousins, all in the name of saving face. Everyone has to put on a mask!

He could never bring himself to tell others about his past or the sorrow he had carried for so long. So he began writing songs. Not merely to express himself, but to capture fleeting moments and emotions he wished he could freeze in time.Cappadocia Sunset marked a turning point. It was the moment he began to realise that beauty still exist in the world, that there were things capable of pulling him out of his seemingly endless sorrow. For once, he felt alive. He felt seen. And, perhaps for the first time, he felt that he belonged.

Connecting with people was never easy for him. Although he loved discovering other people's stories, he struggled with the betrayals and uncertainties that came with human connections. Eventually, he retreated into himself, locking himself in a dark cage.

Perhaps that is why he is so fascinated by life in all its forms. He loves animals because they express themselves without have to pretend. Their intentions seem simpler, their affection are more honest, and their presence are free from the complexities he has come to fear in human relationships.

He is grateful to have been surrounded by kind-hearted and understanding souls who have shown him that kindness still exists in this world. And perhaps that is all he has ever wanted to do in return: to spread that kindness across the world, to see others thrive, and to root for people even when the world gives them reasons to give up.

16th October 2024

Growing up was realising that the world was nothing like the storybooks had led him to believe. Humans were complicated, and so was society. We created rules that chained people, yet those who made the rules often held the power to rewrite them. People fought relentlessly for fame and fortune, only to find themselves surrounded by leeches who wanted to take everything they had to offer. Perhaps that was how Sorrow came to life.

He has always loved creating art, both visual and musical. To him, art possesses the power to convey a message, capture an emotion, and leave a lasting impact on someone's mind. After all, humans are sensory beings. Creating art is not merely something he enjoys; it is something he needs. Without the freedom to create something new, life itself would feel unbearably dull.

Just realized I have not talked about the country he was born in: shame on me! Born in Malaysia's capital city, he grew up surrounded by a tapestry of cultures, each with its own stories, traditions, and expressions. This multicultural upbringing nurtured his fascination with the world, inspiring him to weave diverse cultural elements into his art. To him, music and art are not confined by borders; they are opportunities to explore, connect, and bring different worlds together.

to be continued