Gideon Hilarius performing at the launch of his debut album at Suria Sabah yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: A teaching position at SK Pulau Gaya did not get in the way of one spirited Sabahan to venture into the music industry.
Gedion Hilarius, 35, who goes by his stage name GD Hilarius, realised his passion for music with the launch of his debut album at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall here yesterday, which was attended by the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai, who represented Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment.
The self-published album entitled ‘Suara Hati,’ features 10 songs which were drawn from Gedion’s personal experiences, composed and written by local lyricists such as Bernard Laimen Michael, Douglas Henry, DJ Denis Primus and Hazzon Elip.
Of the 10 songs, four of them are in the Malay language, four more in Dusun, one in Kadazan and one in English.
The English track, ‘Always Be,’ was written solely by Gedion, documenting his first attempt at songwriting.
Gedion, who is also a seasoned emcee and makeup artist, had made a name for himself in the entertainment industry through various achievements.
In 2014 alone, he won the state-level Sugandoi in conjunction with the Harvest Festival, released his first single entitled ‘Suara Hati’ which made the final cut for the Juara Lagu Carta Lagu Artis Sabah RTM and performed at the Sunset Music Festival at the Tip of Borneo in Kudat.
Gedion had also made it into the top 20 of the second season for the reality singing competition One In a Million, was in the top 24 of Malaysian Idol season two and made it into the top 10 of POPSTARS Malaysia.
After three years in the making, ‘Suara Hati’ is now available in a double CD format, including an audio CD and a karaoke DVD, at a retail price of RM35.
Meanwhile, Rosmadi urged youths to be resilient in chasing their dreams and ambitions, instead of throwing in the towel when faced with hurdles.
He said continuous effort is key to realise one’s aspirations in the future.
“Gedion Hilarius is a good example as he was a teacher who did not give up on his dream of making it in the music industry, thus earning him the title ‘artiste’ today.
“This is because the words ‘give up’ do not exist in the world of music and as an educator, he is the best example for his students to keep working towards their goal,” he said.
Rosmadi also said youths should scrape the words “give up” out of their vocabulary in pursuit of success.
He said album launches provide a platform for singers to promote and partake in producing and showcasing quality work.