
TUNGGU SEKEJAP:
THE P.RAMLEE SUITE
Wild Rice Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre,
Funan Centre
Thursday (14 May 2025)
This review was published in The Straits Times on 17 May 2025 with the title "Virtuoso strings of Foo Say Ming and re:mix shine in P.Ramlee tribute show".
Singaporeans and Malaysians rarely agree on many issues, especially the origins of hawker food, but an exception is the musical genius of Tan Sri P.Ramlee (1929-1973). Born in Penang, he made his career as multi-talented singer, actor and film director in Singapore (with Shaw Organisation’s Malay Film Productions) during the 1950s and 60s, before dying in relative obscurity in Kuala Lumpur at the young age of 44.
A military industrial complex has been built around his cult on both sides of the Causeway, including covers from personalities as diverse as President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, British pianist Sir Stephen Hough and countless bathroom singers.
 |
Photo: Ung Ruey Loon |
The latest tribute is Tunggu Sekejap: The P.Ramlee Suite, a 75-minute documentary-styled musical-concert by Wild Rice, directed by Ivan Heng with nine of P.Ramlee’s songs orchestrated as a classical three-movement suite by local composer-arranger Julian Wong.
 |
Photo: Ung Ruey Loon |
Following the successful mould set by Wong’s Don’t Call Him Mr. Mari Kita, his tribute to Zubir Said, this production had the luxury of Singapore’s crack string ensemble and purveyor of musical nostalgia, the 30-person re:mix led by Singapore Symphony Orchestra first violinist Foo Say Ming.
Foo had already premiered the Suite in 2018, but this was to be a fully fleshed-out performance with Wong as a highly personable host in conversation with a reincarnated Ramlee, played by his uncanny doppelganger Fadhli Ramlee (no relation despite the name). As tribute artists go, this beats every Elvis impersonator ever to step on stage.
 |
Photo: Ung Ruey Loon |
Recounting a life’s work in English and a smattering of Malay (with projected English surtitles for those who have forgotten their Bahasa Kebangsaan), this was a touching profile of career highs and lows with lots of good humour thrown in. Well-researched and illustrated with black and white footage from movies and pre-independance Singapore, much can be gleened by just paying attention. Factoid: The P in P.Ramlee stands for Puteh, his father’s name.
 |
Photo: Ung Ruey Loon |
As a prelude, Di Tanjong Katong from Kelly Tang’s Sketches of Singapore opened the show, setting the mood for the songs to come. Wong and both Ramlees are crooners not belters, thus more sympathetic to the music’s sentimentality. The svelte strings, however, stole the show.
 |
Photo: Ung Ruey Loon |
Foo’s solo violin part in the opening Moderato movement set hearts aflutter, doing so with no little virtuosity. The songs Azizah, Jangan Tinggal Daku and Malam Bulan Dipagar Bintang, though stirring, were not as familiar as those in the slow movement’s Adagio, coupling No.1 hit Getaran Jiwa (Soul Vibrations) with the eponymous Tunggu Sekejap (Wait A Moment). Both were moving slow numbers which have a similar beginning.
The Vivace finale was written in Rondo form, with Anak-ku Sazali being the recurring theme. With three other songs filling the gaps, the Suite was brought to a grandstanding close with scenes of P.Ramlee’s life strung together as an apotheosis. Wong was hauled onstage for a sung encore of Tunggu Sekejap, another precious moment well worth waiting for.
 |
Photo: Ung Ruey Loon |
This very enjoyable production runs till 31 May, with shows from Wednesdays to Sundays.
Book your tickets here:
https://tix.wildrice.com.sg/wr/booking/ramlee0525
 |
Director Ivan Heng acknowledges everyone involved in this production. |