Getting to Know the Entertainer for the Perak Palace and its People
Who doesn't know the name Sabree Beruang, who was not only very popular in Perak but also throughout the country at one time? For those of you who may have forgotten or for the younger generation who are not familiar with the name Sabree Beruang, he was an entertainer at the Perak Palace and for the common people in the state of Perak.
The real name of Sabree Beruang is Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir. He was not only an entertainer for the palace and the people of our beloved Perak, he was also friends with
the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Jaafar
,
the Raja Di-Hilir of Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain
, Raja Kobat Sallehuddin, and many other royals
of the late Sultan Idris II (the 33rd Sultan of Perak)
. The story of Sabree Beruang has faded over time, and many have forgotten him since his passing. Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir, or better known by his acquaintances as Sabree Beruang, was an individual who diligently created folk songs for the people of Perak. However, his most popular song was titled "Masa Kecil Ku Di Kampung Karai" (My Childhood in Kampung Karai).
According to his son, Sharien Bin Sabree, many of the folk songs created by Sabree Beruang were lost and not well-preserved because the late Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir did not have the chance to record them into an album due to his illness and subsequent passing.
If you are a loyal reader of orangperak.com who still has a collection of his songs, feel free to share them in the comments section for everyone to enjoy.
Sabree Beruang - Masa Kecil Ku Di Kampung Karai
For our loyal readers at orangperak.com, Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir, the original creator of the song "Masa Kecil Ku Di Kampung Karai," shared stories about his own life experiences from childhood to adulthood. Interestingly, this song was not only performed in Perak and Malaysia, but he also performed it abroad in countries such as Holland, Australia, Singapore, and many others.
Although the song is sung in Malay, it was a mandatory performance whenever Sabree Beruang, or Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir, took the stage. Even though his international audiences did not understand Malay, the rhythm and melody of the song often brought smiles to their faces and had them humming along, despite not being fluent in the language.
Continue reading to learn more about the background of Sabree Beruang. Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir was born on February 14, 1952, before our country gained independence. He was born in a village called Kampung Karai in Kuala Kangsar. Sabree Beruang received his education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Clifford and grew up in Kuala Kangsar.
Sabree Beruang began to get involved with music while attending Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Clifford with his school friend
Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain, who is now the Raja Di-Hilir of Perak
. As he grew older, he had the opportunity to join a band at the Palace. The band was called Band PANADA ISTA, which was led by
the late Sultan Idris II (the 33rd Sultan of Perak)
, who played the saxophone.
This artistically gifted individual later moved to Kuala Lumpur and worked at the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA). There, Sabree Beruang began playing music in lounges, nightclubs, and joined other bands. For our loyal readers at orangperak.com, Sabree Beruang also participated in the RTM "Rentak Juara" competition around the 1980s.
Among the folk songs he created that found a place in the hearts of listeners are:
- Masa kecil ku di Kampung Karai
- Jangan mengata orang
- Seronok jadi orang
- and many more..
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Approaching the 1990s, Mohamad Sabree Bin Haji Abu Akhir, or Sabree Beruang, focused more on solo performances and comedy acts.
Sabree Beruang and the late Sultan Azlan (the 34th Sultan of Perak)
It is said that he performed less frequently with the bands he was once part of. Sabree Beruang passed away in Taiping at the age of 58 on February 1, 2010, due to stage 4 liver cancer. Al-Fatihah for the late Sabree Beruang.
