DAMSEL IN DUTAMAS

Dasha Logan, aged 30, who hails from the Pearl of the Orient has been singing professionally for more than a decade. Being the daughter of the late legendary Vocalist Loganathan Arumugam of the famed Alleycats band, Dasha was offered her first singing gig at the age of 17 that kicked-started her live stage performances. The Alleycats is a local band comprising musicians from Penang which gained popularity in the late 1970s for their live rock music performances.

“I have always been singing since I was a little girl. I always knew I loved singing even back during school days. In fact, I could not wait to finish school so that I could sing in my school’s choir group,” gushes Dasha with a smile.

“If there were any concerts, I would volunteer to sing at those concerts. This is me, the girl who always love to sing,” she enthuses with a bubbly laugh.

During a recent visit to her high-rise residence at Jalan Dutamas Raya in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, Dasha shares that the reason she is a singer is because of her father.

“He was my number one inspiration. I used to watch him perform live on stage when I was a little girl and saw how much he enjoyed performing on stage. Hence, whenever I sing or perform, I try to have as much fun as I can,” says Dasha.

She adds that her father used to take her for his big concerts during Merdeka Day celebrations which were usually held

in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). He also took her for smaller concerts such as private stage performances in bars or restaurants.

“As long as we could be with him, we would follow him,” recalls Dasha fondly.

Some advice regarding the music industry that her father shared with her was that the music industry is the same like any other business whereby you need to take care of yourself and be cautious of whom who you are working with. He also advised her to remain professional when working with clients and to find the right manager and people to work with. Dasha also shares that she admires her father’s good attitude and leadership skills.

“He was very helpful towards his band members. My father was more in charge of the musical side of the business so he would send songs to his team and help them to learn up the songs.

“As such, he played a big role in ensuring that everyone did their job right. I felt that he was a very good leader as he knew how to manage his band and got along well with everyone. To me that is the true leadership skills that he possesses,” she opines.

Dasha says she performs regularly at Suzie Wong, Kuala Lumpur’s hidden bar in Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur. Friday nights especially would see her performing at TREC (Taste, Relish Experience, Celebrate) situated on Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, just to name a few. She has also graced several magazines who have managed to capture her beauty and poise on stage.

Despite her colourful on stage persona, home is where her heart is.

“I moved to Kuala Lumpur with my mother and brother. Currently, we are residing at this condominium here at Segambut, Kuala Lumpur.

“This condominium is rented from one my brother’s friend from Penang called Juliana. She owns this property so when I told her I wanted to move closer to Kuala Lumpur city, she suggested I rent this place from her,” shares Dasha.

The best part about this place she says was that everything was already ready when her family moved in.

What she likes most about the unit is that it is situated nearby all the places that she would go to sing and perform at.

The petite singer is also looking into buying a property soon.

“A few of my friends are looking into buying a place in town. Since young, we were used to attending may open houses at Batu Ferringhi in Penang and I often wish I could buy a house in that area. Currently my brother owns a place in Cyberjaya where he works.

“Hopefully, I will be able to own my own place by the time I am 35 years old,” says Dasha whose dream is to live in the heart of the city centre close to town.

Although she doesn’t mind owning an apartment, Dasha shares that she would prefer to have a landed home with a garden so that she could rear pets.

“I was brought up in a house with a garden where we kept dogs in our compound. I like things that inspire me which include having a lot of colours in one place. The owner of my current place does a great job in ensuring that all the lamps in my residence possess different designs. I really like that interior concept because sometimes you can just sit down and stare at something and get really inspired just by concentrating on something,” shares Dasha.

“Since young, I was brought up with the idea of not getting things with colours that show dirt. So, everything that I own is not white in colour but is either grey or brown and I like colourful stuff. Although you may find here my abode here mostly being painted in shades of white or beige, there are still a few things that I have personally selected for their colourful contribution to the space.”

“As someone who loves peppermint tea, I went and bought a colourful tea set from Publika even though it was expensive because I love the cup and pot that are colourfully designed. I would say that my taste for interiors is more eccentric. If you watch the American sitcom “Friends”, everything in their apartment is eccentric-looking whereby nothing matches but the interior still fits in well together. For me personally, I like things that are random which possess a unique look and are not commonly found but which will still match the interiors.”

I think that my home really reflects my personality because there are things about me that are very colourful and also, there are things about me that are very shy and quiet as I like to be by myself and read.

“So you can see both sides of me. When I sing and perform, I can be very colourful and belt out high energy performances on stage. But during the day, I just like to chill out with my mum, relax and spend time by myself.”

During her leisure time, the singer also likes to solve puzzles. But most of the time, Dasha enjoys spending time researching music and finding new songs to write. She also likes playing the piano although she suggest that she is not really good at it besides meeting up with her friends as well.

“In the daytime, if I have nothing to do, I like to spend my time at home. In the music industry, it is not just about performing at night as we also need to meet clients during the day. If I can spend time at home, I usually will do so. However, in the evenings, I prefer to watch live music or watch my friends performing. There is always something to do in Kuala Lumpur every day so I love living in the city,” enthuses Dasha.

“Some of my biggest inspirations from the music industry are Amy Winehouse, John Mayer and Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars’s music and his dressing style are interesting while John Mayer is really chilled out with his music. I try to draw inspiration from various musicians and I often learn something new from them.”

“When it comes to local artistes, my personal favourites are Najwa Mahiaddin, Talitha Tan and Kayda Aziz, who is Sheila Majid’s daughter.

“Poova Plachciak is a friend of mine and of course, Yuna and Jacklyn Victor, who have taken singing to the next level and out of the country. I know them and yet they are so humble when you meet them. It is so awesome indeed to watch them when they perform live on stage.”

Besides continuing her passion for writing music and singing, Dasha hopes to release an album sometime in September 2018.

“I am always writing songs and constantly listening to music as I do not like it when it is too quiet. Hence, if all goes well, I hope to be able to buy my own property soon as investing in properties will generate good returns in the long-term, especially when you buy at the right location.

Take for example, Jalan Dutamas Raya which is a strategic location as it is close to amenities like Publika Shopping Gallery which is just situated 10 minutes away. In fact, KLCC is only just 20 minutes away.

“It like living in two worlds here. There is this border where you will literally see a road, where on one side is all the high rise residences and apartments, and on the other side, there are all the squatter houses. Interestingly, as there will be new additions of high-rise buildings being developed in this area, the local authorities are planning on changing the name from Segambut to Kiara North to meet the demands of upgraders looking to buy a home close to the elite neighbourhood of Mont’ Kiara in Kuala Lumpur.”

“What I like about this place is that it is located on the hillside. In Penang, most of us live near the hillside and the sea. I like the fact that this quiet enclave is soon going to become a bustling area with the new developments coming up in this area.