Touching hearts and creating magic with his euphoric voice, the ‘BGM King’ of the Kollywood industry, Yuvan Shankar Raja, was back after precisely a year to bewitch his fans at the Axiata Arena with the aptly titled High on U1 Live in KL 2023 concert, which saw a crowd of 12,000 attendees.
High On U1, one of the year’s most indelible musical events, took place on July 15, 2023. Stadium Axiata Arena was filled to capacity with an overwhelming crowd of concertgoers, creating a spectacular atmosphere.
Our Mannin Mainthan, Hindra Bose, also known as Mamajamapuma, was incredibly engaging with the audience. Mamajamapuma’s hosting caused a great deal of laughter to erupt from the crowd, filling the stadium.
Performances Of Our Homegrown Artists
The local artists show started with Asal Kolaaru, OfRo, and Durai from Chennai, India. The group is known as Atticulture. When they performed the song Jorthale, the entire stadium hyped.
Following that, Amos Paul and Arvind Raj performed along with Music Kitchen. The trio have the power to weave magic with their music and create heart-touching tracks that can reach into the depths of one’s soul.
Following that, Lockup’s performances justified why local songs are unique in their own way.
From there on, DJ Jay and DJ Ruckes took over the stage. DJ Jay and DJ Ruckes laid the groundwork for the show. The crowd sang along to the DJ’s beat while dancing and relishing the performance.
Following that, Kavidhai Gundar performed, giving the crowd a feel of the 90s vibe.
Darkkey’s Sambarock is the Mannin Mainthan’s final performance, raised the energy level of the audience. When the crowd sang along to Darkkey’s Akkamage, it was evident that a song that was released more than 27 years ago was still as groovy as ever. Their rocking performance wrapped up the local artist’s show.
THE GRAND ENTRY OF OUR BGM KING YUVAN SHANKAR RAJA
Lazer check ,cameras check ,lights check ,led check, sound check…. the Auditorium ROARED!
The lights went off. Pitch black, with glows of light emitting one by one. The tension within the arena was tangible when the background sounds of “lazer check, camera check, lights check, and sound check” were playing. Roars ignited from the crowd emphatically as the ‘BGM King’, Yuvan Shankar Raja appeared from the cage while performing with the famous “Innum Oru Iravu”, That was enough to fill the Axiata Arena with excitement and explosion. Done in an all-black ensemble, he looked very much like the cool sensation he is.
That moment was SPECTACULAR!
Following that, he performed Veera Soora from Naane Varuven along with phenomenal artists, including Ranjith Govind, Rahul Nambiar, Haricharan. The wow moment was when our BGM King started to dance along with the dancers; it was surreal.
THE ENTRY OF MAMAKUTTY!
As soon as I say the word “Mamakutty”, everyone immediately reminded of Pradeep Ranganathan. Yes, Pradeep Ranganathan’s arrival made everyone in the stadium go frenzy. He started his speech with the song lyrics Vinnokodi Varanum, and the arena was bursting with the word Mamakutty. He later told the crowd that this was his very first time coming to Malaysia, and he was surprised to see the amount of love that Malaysians have for him. Yuvan and Mamakutty then performed Saachitale from the film Love Today, and they also revealed that they had changed the ending of some lyrics of the Saachitale song when they performed together. It was fantastic to hear this combo live.
Yuvan and Pradeep performed their iconic song, Mamakutty, from the film Love Today. The upbeat music of the track was captivating. In the single, the reactions given by Pradeep might tickle your funny bones, and it was precisely because of that that it became a world-famous song. When this song was performed by Yuvan ,Pradeep and Rakshitha the arena went wild again.
ORU NAALIL
The magic of Oru Naalil was amplified by Yuvan’s voice; he definitely enthralled the audience with his iconic album, which deserves an entire spot to date. Yuvan is a musician who can make you sway under his melodies that feel like they are moving you back and forth, then light you up like a rocket ready to launch from the earth. The song that rings in your ears like an echoing bee was the highlight of the day.
UNPLUGGED SEGMENT OF U1
What happened next was pure magic when Joshmarkraj, a guitarist, and Manoj Kumar, a violinist, joined Yuvan on stage for an unplugged performance of some of his best hits, including Idhu Kadhala, Pogathey, Idhuvarai, Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, Oru Devathai and many more. The songs were pleasing to the ears when the man himself performed the unplugged version with these two talented musicians. Our BGM King’s soulful performance left the entire arena in shock – and- awe.
Lastly, here comes the surprise! Don’t Runaway Asia just kept the surprises coming for the concertgoers with the revelation of the iconic Malaysian legend, Datuk Zainal Abidin, midway through the concert. The combination of Yuvan and Zainal was a treat to the ears, as the two legends stunned the crowd with their unplugged rendition.
HERE COMES OUR ATMAN… THE ONE AND ONLY SILAMBARASAN (STR)… THE ARENA WENT WILD!!!
When our BGM King and Mc Sanna announced, “Let’s call Simbu (Silambarasan, STR) on stage” , the arena went berserk. At one point, the Arena went pin-drop silent to witness our one and only STR come on stage. When he appeared, no one could stand up straight, and no one could keep quiet. The whole stadium went crazy nearly for 2–5 minutes.
To add more excitement to the concert, Yuvan was performing alongside the one and only Silambarasan. After their fantastic collaboration in Maaanadu, fans couldn’t wait to witness this amazing combo live again.
In the blink of an eye, STR started to perform, and his performance was stupendous as he sang some of his greatest hits, including Loosu Penne, Thatthai Thattai, En Aasai Mythaliyea, and Yemmadi Aathadi. This high-energy dance-beat number from him is still on everyone’s playlist due to its infectious energy and mind-blowing dance moves. They were groove-worthy songs. It was an absolute bliss to witness STR perform live.
ULAGAMELLAM , YUVAN SHANKAR RAJA REMEMBERS LATE LYRICIST NA MUTHUKUMAR
Before starting to perform this song, Yuvan mentioned his late best friend and lyricist, Na. Muthukumar. We can all see that he truly misses him, which shows the close personal bond that the two shared apart from a professional relationship. When he carried out this song in his own way, the audience was mesmerised by his performance.
EVVALOVOH PANNITHOM ITHEY PANNE MATHOMA? YES IT’S OUR PREMGI’S INTRO
Another highlight of the concert was the delightful camaraderie between Yuvan Shankar Raja and the talented actor Premgi. Their comedic chemistry on stage added an extra layer of entertainment, bringing laughter and joy to the audience. The seamless blend of music and humour created an enchanting and unforgettable experience. Premgi, Vijay Yesudass, Rakshitha, and Yuvan Shankar Raja himself performed the Pul Pesum Poo Pesum song. The voices of the singers are a major plus in the song. Especially the voices of Premgi, Vijay Yesudass, and Rakshitha were very unique when they performed.
WHERE IS THE PARTY TONIGHT ….”MALAYSIA LE” WAS FLAWLESS ENDING
Where is the party? penned by Silambarasan himself, Ranjith, Rahul Nambiar, Hari Priya, Priyanka, Rakshitha, Diwakar, Haricharan, Premji, Pradeep, Rukhshar, Vishnu Priya, and Vijay Yesudas performing it together. The song begins with a unique sound and is the last song of the night. The arena was blasted once again by this fantastic performance. The lines “Where is the party tonight? Malaysia leh”, was given a new meaning after that night because it was really a party indeed. Yuvan has satisfied the appetite of the audience with his music score without compromising on his style. It was the combination of Yuvan’s brilliant setlist and the power of the crowd that made the closing song so tremendously memorable.
It was amazing to see so many music fans gathered to meet this real-life legend. Let’s give a special shoutout to Don’t Run Away Asia, the brainchild of HIGH ON U1 LIVE IN KL, who put on a breathtaking concert. You guys have made us lose our voice for the next few days!
Finally, I must acknowledge the outstanding work of the musicians, band, and dancers. They should all be recognised for their contributions, as they were all important to the concert’s success.
Concert organisers, Don’t Run Away Asia, had a brilliant, groundbreaking concept to construct a centre stage for their highly anticipated first ever Tamil Concert in Malaysia. Spearheaded by visionary Dato Ramesh Arumugam and AL, Chief Corporate Officer, this revolutionary idea aims to bring a new dimension to the show, providing an unforgettable experience for music enthusiasts.
Don’t Run Away Asia collaborated with production partner Vue and Sound Innovation to bring this concept to life. With their expertise and dedication, they successfully took on the challenges and meticulously executed the idea, turning it into a tangible reality.
VARNAM MALAYSIA is the Official Media Partner of “ HIGH ON U1” Live in KL!
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