Search was formed in the late 1970s, and Anne is the only remaining member from the founding lineup, which included former singer and guitarist Zainal Rampa and Yajit.
Anne came up with the band’s name inspired by the title of a TV documentary she loved watching.
The Johor-born musician recalls that his early days were not easy. “When he moved from Johor to Kuala Lumpur, he had to sleep in the same clubs where he played because there was nowhere to stay.”
As soon as they released their debut album Cinta Buatan Malaysia (Love Made In Malaysia) in 1985, the group found themselves at the forefront of the burgeoning Malay rock scene of the 1980s.
Their first three albums were recorded at Lion Studios, including 1987’s Mentari Merah Di Ufuk Timur (Red Sun On The Eastern Horizon).
In 1989, they scored a huge hit with “Isabella” from their fourth album, “Phenomena”, leading to sold-out stadium performances in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the greater Indonesian music market.
Search consistently released albums and songs throughout the 1990s and 2000s, even as other genres such as pop, hip-hop, and R&B began to dominate and rock music’s prominence waned.
Their latest and 12th studio album, Catharsis, was released in 2017.
According to Nasir, the band is discussing material for a new EP, which will likely draw inspiration from genres such as alternative and symphonic metal.
Search’s lineup has been in flux over the years. For example, Amy and Ann have left and rejoined the group several times and released solo albums.
Confusingly, there is also another version of search that has become popular in 2021. This version is led by Malaysian guitarist brothers Kid and Ding, long-time members of the band, and fronted by Indonesian singer Deng Deng.
Still, Anne says she never could have imagined that Saatchi’s music would still influence fans more than 40 years after they started.
“Even though we are in our 60s, it makes me happy to see the Amys still jumping around and performing on stage.”
Reservation/Search: Fantasia Blanc Sarge Live in Singapore 2024
where: The Star Theater, The Star Performing Arts Center, 1 Vista Exchange Green
when: January 19th 8pm
Admission fee: $88 to $268 from Sistic (visit www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555)