'Oh My Kadhale': Malay, Tamil, English fusion song goes viral

KUALA LUMPUR - ‘Oh My Kadhale’(Oh My Love), a melodious song created by three Malaysians of different races, became quite a sensation after it was released in May, amassing a million views within just two weeks of its music video being posted on YouTube.

‘Oh My Kadhale’, or ‘OMK’ in short, is unique. Its uniqueness stems not only from its blend of Malay and Tamil lyrics with a touch of English but also from the fact that it is a collaboration among three close friends and musicians from different ethnic backgrounds: Zubir Khan, Ezra Kairo and Yue Wai Ming.

Sharing his story with Bernama, Zubir Khan, 24, whose real name is Muhammad Zubir Mohamad Ali and is of Malay-Pakistani parentage, said the journey of ‘OMK’ began when he was livestreaming a video on TikTok.

He said during the session, Ezra Kairo - a Malaysian Indian singer whose real name is Daniel Ezra Mohd Shafiq Nickleson - left a comment inviting him to collaborate with him (Ezra Kairo) and write a song depicting an outpouring of love and affection for one’s beloved.

"The next day, I went straight to his house and we discussed the project, which was our first collaboration,” said Zubir Khan, when met at a private event organised by EMI Records here recently.

JUST FOR FUN

According to the young singer, who speaks fluent Tamil and gained fame on social media with his rendition of Tamil songs he had composed himself, both Ezra Kairo and he composed ‘OMK’ "just for fun”, creating the rhythm and lyrics in a freestyle manner.

After completing and recording the song, they premiered it on TikTok. The positive response from music fans prompted the two artistes to launch the song’s official music video on YouTube on May 17, 2024.

"From there, everything went viral... our ‘OMK’ video attained a million views within just two weeks of being posted,” Zubir Khan said.

He said it was clear many people liked the song because it was unique and had lyrics in Malay and Tamil.

"What made it sweeter was that this song was composed with another friend of ours, Yue Wai Ming, a well-known young (Malaysian) Chinese composer who has also created songs for the nation's number one singer Datuk Siti Nurhaliza (Tarudin),” piped in Ezra Kairo, who was also present at the event.

Considering the collaboration a token of appreciation for their friendship, he said their strong synergy allowed the three of them to create ‘OMK’ in just four hours.

Ezra Kairo added they initially wanted to produce ‘OMK’ in English and Tamil but decided on Malay and Tamil instead. They also chose to infuse the song with the rhythm and style of Tamil music.

To add a unique touch to the song, Ezra Kairo sings the Malay lines while Zubir Khan performs the Tamil lyrics.

In the making of the ‘OMK’ music video, they made sure it showcased Malaysia’s ethnic diversity, with the backup dancers dressed in traditional attire to demonstrate the richness of Malaysian culture and ethnicity to the world.

ESTATE BACKGROUND

On how he learned to speak Tamil fluently, Zubir Khan said his surroundings whilst growing up in an estate in Sepang, Selangor, helped him to pick up the language.

"My family had lived in the estate since I was born and most of the people staying there, as well as my classmates, were Indians,” he said.

His interest in Tamil songs also helped Zubir Khan to learn to pronounce Tamil words correctly and he always has his Indian friends correcting his pronunciation whenever he mispronounced a word.

"Over time, I became more proficient in the language and frequently sang (cover versions of popular) Tamil (film) songs at wedding functions during the early phase of my singing career,” he said.

Zubir Khan has also composed seven songs in Tamil, one of the latest being 'Yennode Macha' (You Are My Friend), a song that illustrates the "sweetness of my friendship with my Indian friends”.

‘OMK’, he added, is also proof of "my love for my friends of other races”.

"That's why I agreed to make this song with Ezra Kairo and Yue Wai Ming so that we can instill a spirit of camaraderie and unity in people of all races.”

Responding to racist comments made by some social media users who criticised his preference for Indian music, Zubir Khan said his intentions are sincere - all he wants is to understand the cultures of other races better and unite the people through songs.

"We are all Malaysians and need each other. We must make friends with everyone in order to open up our minds as we live in a multicultural and multiethnic society,” he said, adding there are various ways to strengthen unity among the people and that he chooses to do so through the world of music. - BERNAMA