For three decades, this intrepid group has performed in pubs, bars, hotels, clubs and events all over the country, impressing audiences with their flashy costumes, powerful performances, and irrepressible stage energy.
Many of its members are in their late 40s now, but age has not slowed down their musical prowess, or their sharp sense of humour. There were plenty of laughs as FMT Lifestyle recently met up with some of them, to talk about their long and colourful career.
“Yes, we’re maybe not as energetic as before. But we still rock and roll, we still party, we dance and have a great time on stage!” vocalist Ozie laughed.
“Some singers, they sing because they have to, they consider it work. But for us, we know being on stage is all about having fun,” added vocalist B Zara.
According to Ozie, Take 5 began in 1993, when she and some music-loving friends created a band in the tradition of popular acts at the time -Headwind, Artstream and Heavy Machine.
The band’s line-up has changed several times over the years: Ozie, guitarist Izat and keyboardist/vocalist Bob are the only founder members remaining, joined now by new vocalists Nora and B Zara, bassist Kunjai and drummer Ghazal.
“It’s always hard when band members leave. You’ve built such a connection with them. Mostly it’s because they get married, or because they have other commitments. But we remain on good terms,” Ozie said.
“Recently, we had a 30th anniversary celebration at Hard Rock Café KL, which was completely packed. And all 10 of our ex-members attended. Some came all the way from Penang. I was so touched!”
The band originally started with five members (hence the name!), introducing the world to their sound at the Manila Melody Restaurant and Club in Klang’s Plaza Chi Liung (now Plaza Metro). They soon grew in popularity, with fans comparing curly-haired vocalist Ozie to Colombian singer Shakira.
As time went on, they unveiled a new seven-member line-up for performances at the former Uncle Chilli’s Bar and Restaurant in the Hilton Petaling Jaya in early 2000.
Since then, they’ve performed at many live music venues around the country: this includes almost every Hard Rock Café outlet in Malaysia.
A major reason for their popularity is their versatility: while they particularly enjoy performing 70s and 80s rock, Take 5’s repertoire covers various genres and even languages – they’ve even performed K-pop hits from Blackpink and BTS.
One of Take 5’s fondest memories is performing on a cruise ship sailing through the Straits of Melaka for New Year’s Eve in 1999.
“We performed on deck, with the ship’s horns going off as we went into the new millennium. It was such an experience!” Ozie recalled fondly.
The band mostly performs at the RP Entertainment Centre at the Saujana Kuala Lumpur now, and plan to keep rocking into the foreseeable future.
“I think the reason we’ve lasted so long is because of the chemistry we have. We treat each other as a team, we respect everyone’s talent. We give everyone the chance to shine on stage,” Ozie said.
Exciting things are in store for the ladies of Take 5: Ozie, Nora and B Zara have each qualified for the Senior Vocal Performance Category of the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) Malaysia Auditions. Described as the “Olympics of world talent”, the event sees performers from over 70 countries competing for prizes and acclaim.
The three will be performing at the Audition Final Showcase at Panggung Bandaraya here on Jan 27. They hope to be chosen for Team Malaysia, who will head to the US for the WCOPA from June 28-July 6. Admission to the showcase is free.
“I’ve heard of this competition for a long time. But somehow, I always missed the audition dates. I even thought of giving up this year! But my keyboardist, who previously collaborated with the organiser, encouraged us to give it a try,” Ozie said excitedly.
“It feels great to be in the finals! But when they announced three of us made it, we looked at each other and wondered, ‘who is going to replace us for our shows?’” Nora added, laughing.
Here’s wishing the talented trio all the best. May their dreams of shining on an American stage come true.
Follow Take 5 on Facebook.