It was a much-anticipated night as renowned Indonesian crooner, Marcellius Kirana Hamonangan Siahaan or more popularly known as Marcell took centre stage at the Zepp KL on December 9th 2022.
As a boon to his adoring Malaysian fans, the celebrated vocalist fulfilled his promise in presenting Marcell Dua Dekade, his latest solo concert which marked his 20-year involvement as a professional singer and musician in the regional music industry.
Despite being a rocker at heart, Marcell is in fact popularly known as a Pop R & B singer and that night he pleased his fans with a delightful musical repertoire consisting of some of his most well-known hits.
The dashing 45-year-old (who looks much younger than his age) started the night with a lovely rendition of the up-beat ‘Ketika Kau Menyapa’. After setting the mood he proceeded with ‘Sudahlah’ another uplifting track from his quintessential debut album along with ‘Kau Bisa Ku Bisa’.
Known for his very warm and sincere personality, Marcell naturally took some time to greet and thank the audience for attending the auspicious evening. And though many enjoyed his playful banter, the star jokingly mentioned that his wife advised him to do less talking and more singing which he obligingly did throughout the show.
Belting out some of his most popular hits from two colourful decades, the concert hall was further enhanced by expected ‘backing vocals’ from the audience when he performed.
This was especially true when he sang ‘Jangan Pernah Berubah’ and (the writer’s personal favourite) ‘Peri Cintaku’, which sings of forbidden interfaith love.
The night was also made extra memorable when he performed covers of popular Malaysian songs like ‘Puteri Remaja’ and Search’s ‘Rozana’ with a different jazzy injection.
Also known for his Platinum Playlist album which includes cover songs from some of Indonesia’s biggest singers, he took the opportunity to fill the night with his heart-wrenching version of ‘Bahasa Kalbu’ (originally performed by Indonesian Diva Titi DJ) and ‘Kini’ (originally sung by Indonesia’s ballad queen Rossa).
True to his gifts, Marcell successfully delivered, and his masculine rendition of these songs never disappoints.
Closing the evening through his final set, the star made his loyal fans walk down memory lane through his earliest and probably most renowned chart toppers.
Fans sang along and swayed to the melodious tunes of ‘Takkan Terganti’ before accepting his invitation to shake things up a little as be belted out, the contagious ‘Hanya Memuji’ which catapulted him into the Indonesian music industry with his duet partner Shanty.
Though it would have been nice if he had performed the duet track with a Malaysian female singer, but nevertheless his solo performance was wonderful as expected.
The night was put to a spectacular end as Marcell carefully sang his biggest ballads ‘Firasat’, and his debut single ‘Semusim’ which effortlessly captivated the audience and threw most of them (especially the writer) into a net of never-ending nostalgia.
Finally completing the evening with ‘Mendendam’, the star received the standing ovation he deserved for successfully entertaining his fans despite the 20 long years.
And though to some this concert review may seem a tad biased as the writer is a Marcell fan, but he can assure you that Marcell is a true performer. You just have to attend his show at least once in your life to understand the magic he creates through his music.
Here’s to 20 great years and hopefully to many many more! Thank you Marcell for a splendid evening and two decades of your inimitable craft!
