YALUMBA, Australia's oldest family-owned winery, has paid tribute to four top solo Malaysian musicians, namely Alex Peters, Gerard Singh, Rafique Rashid and Amir Yussof.
All four were selected by Yalumba to receive special awards for their solo performances in the local music industry.
The four were identified after a survey of music leaders here revealed that they received the highest number of mentions.
In saluting these four top solo Malaysian artists, Riche Monde, the sole distributor of Yalumba wines in Malaysia, organised a night to remember with great performances by all four artistes.
The night, dubbed "Music through the Grape Vine", started with a 30-minute solo performance by Amir Yussof, followed by individual performances by Rafique Rashid, Gerard Singh and Alex Peters to a packed crowd.
Following show time, the special awards were presented by Robert Remnant, managing director of Riche Monde, to the four artistes.
This was followed by the presentation of a special honourary award to Paul Ponnudorai.
Remnant, said the company has always made it a priority to recognise local individual artistes, whether they are involved in art, fashion, photography or music.
"For example, we had Moet & Chandon paying tribute to local fashion; Dom Perignon paying tribute to local artists - each a perfectionist in their chosen discipline; and now we have Yalumba paying tribute to Malaysian solo artistes.
"Malaysian music has come a long way over the years and has grown steadily to become a big industry here.
"It has attained a level of maturity that all Malaysian can relate to and it has already crossed international borders into the rest of Asia and the world.
"Peters, Gerard Singh, Rafique and Amir have strived hard and long to achieve the status that they are in today.
"Yalumba has always been a staunch supporter of the arts, especially music, and only salutes the best, as is the case in this tribute to the four nominated Malaysian musicians," Remnant said.
The Yalumba Wine Company, located at Eden Valley Road, Angaston, South Australia, is Australia's oldest family-owned winery.
The Star - Metro, December 17, 1999
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