KAMI
FIZI, 36
FENDI, 35
BY FIKRI FADZIL

During one of the shoots, I popped the question (of course trying to be diplomatic at the same time, I offered Fendi a smoke).

“So, aren’t you guys scared that this won’t portray the scene as it is?” I said.

“It’s not about the scene lah. It’s about these five kids, about friendship,” Fendi replied. “It’s not about the scene, but like any other teenager, music plays an important part in their life.”

Coming from the DIY/indie/underground scene, Fizi and Fendi managed to do what’s almost impossible—showcasing independent musicians on a mainstream TV series, as well as a full length movie. I felt it was a rather sizeable risk, especially when they requested me to compose a song for one of the scenes (in the TV series). That’s not to say I didn’t have any confidence with the local independent scene, but rather, my concern was about how the whole pond would perceive the show.

But Fizi and Fendi seem to have thought this out. KAMI has managed to introduce to the mainstream culture this pool of independent creatives that they could also relate to. I felt that the encouragement and creative freedom given by Fizi and Fendi throughout my involvement with the project, was a reminder that if you don’t see or hear something you like, well son, you might as well do it yourself. It’s a philosophy that naturally fueled me to embark on my own little music project, The Wknd Sessions.

Fikri Fadzil is a multimedia / graphic designer, part time musician and a co-producer of The Wknd sessions. He had a small guest role in KAMI: The Series where he was referred to as “Brad Pitt”.