The Star
Metro (nightlife)
Saturday December 25, 2010
THIS week, the spotlight is thrown on a veteran of the scene who has not let his disability stand in the way of musical success.
Alfred Ho, who is blind, has been one of the stalwarts of the music scene for more than three decades, wowing audiences with his laid back but powerful vocals.
Right now, fans of this veteran can catch him on Tuesday nights at the Ol’Skool Bistro on Jalan Gasing in Petaling Jaya.
Ho was originally scheduled to perform only during the Christmas season but the good response from the crowd will see him staying on at the outlet until Chinese New Year.
Listening to him, it is clear that he has never let his disability stand in the way of his passion and he has a wide repertoire of golden oldies to share with the crowd.
What is special about Ho is that he takes the time to have fun while performing, and he really knows how to engage the audience.
Most requests are handled promptly and he never seems to come up empty, no matter how obscure the request might seem.
One good example of this was during a recent set when a request for Fraulein by Bobby Helms was sent up to Ho.
Without skipping a beat, he hit the buttons on his drum machine and launched into the country classic without much ado.
On a typical night out with Alfred Ho, expect to hear songs by Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson and even Bread.
Ho doesn’t limit himself to the English classic though, as he has an equally wide repertoire of Mandarin and Cantonese numbers, including several classics by Sam Hui.
This week, the Christmas mood will still be in the air so expect Ho to concentrate on great Christmas songs, all delivered with flair and style.
Alfred Ho is a classic in his own right and it is good to see this veteran back in action at the pubs.
Ho begins his sets at 9.30pm at Ol’Skool Bistro in Petaling Jaya.
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