Sohaimi Mior Reflects On ‘Epilog Cinta Dari Bromley’

By Mohd Afiq Zulkifli

PETALING JAYA, March 17 (Bernama) -- Nearly four decades on, the song Epilog Cinta Dari Bromley, which tells the story of an unfulfilled love, composed and performed by Sohaimi Mior Hassan, 69, continues to remain timeless, captivating local music fans across generations.

Often played on radio stations featuring retro music from the 1980s and 1990s, the ‘killer song’ from the Prolog album by the Perak-born singer—known for his macho voice and dubbed ‘Malaysia’s Broery Marantika’—is capable of stirring deep emotions with its soulful lyrics and melody.

However, not many people know the story behind the song that propelled Sohaimi’s name to prominence in the local entertainment scene. The poetic piece is often misinterpreted as reflecting his own love story, when in fact it was based on the personal experience of his friend while studying in the United Kingdom (UK).

Witnessing the romantic dilemmas faced by Malaysian students abroad, who encountered conflicts with non-Muslim partners while pursuing naval engineering studies in the country in the late 1970s, inspired him to create the memorable piece.

“I saw many friends facing that kind of problem while studying in the UK. Some fell in love with locals, but when it was time to return to Malaysia, problems arose because their partners did not want to convert to Islam.

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““While waiting for a bus, a signboard with the name ‘Bromley’ caught my attention. From there, I got the idea to write the song, and that’s how Epilog Cinta Dari Bromley came about,” he said when met at a breaking-of-fast event organised by the Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanahair here recently.

The composer, who is also known for the song Kalau Berpancaran, performed together with singer Ana Raffali and rapper Altimet, has somewhat stayed out of the local entertainment spotlight since the album released in 2011 was competed at the Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-26 (AJL26) in 2012.

When asked whether the father of three had distanced himself from the industry, Sohaimi said his low-profile nature has been part of his character since he first ventured into singing in the 1980s.

“It’s not that I’m sulking. (Even though I’m not often seen in public) I’ve written many songs, including Ramadan songs. Maybe around 20 songs, but most of them I just keep for myself. Nowadays, releasing songs is quite troublesome because you have to manage everything yourself, including applications and digital platforms.

“In the past, record companies handled everything, but now we have to do it ourselves,” said the singer, who has spent more time with his family and taking care of his grandchildren over the past decade.

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The grandfather of four said that although he is no longer actively recording songs, Sohaimi still occasionally accepts invitations to perform, especially at reunion gatherings or casual events with longtime fans.

“All my children are married and working, so I spend a lot of time helping to take care of my grandchildren at home. My main activity now is sending and picking them up from school,” he said.

“I still receive offers to sing, but I’m quite selective. Usually, I attend gatherings such as alumni reunions or events with longtime fans, and in a month there may be one or two such invitations,” he added.

-- BERNAMA