Sweet Charity guitarist Rosli Mohalim used to rock stadiums, now he finds his voice in busking

SINGAPORE – As the guitarist for pioneering local rock group Sweet Charity, whose heyday was in the 1970s and 1980s, Singaporean musician Rosli Mohalim has performed at stadiums and concert venues in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Songs like Kamelia (1980), Pelarian (1980) and Teratai (1979) became hits, and are now considered canon in the Malay rock genre.

These days, the 71-year-old makes a living as a busker serenading passers-by and fans with songs by his band as well as other rock classics.

He lives in Johor Bahru with his 59-year-old homemaker wife, but drives across the border five times a week to busk in areas such as Changi Village, Admiralty and Jurong. He relies on her and sometimes their 36-year-old son, who works in the agricultural industry and is their only child, to drive him around.

He also busks once a week in JB, but prefers doing it in Singapore as he can earn more.

While some might view the transition as a downgrade from his rock-star past, he sees it simply as “facing reality”.

“With my age and health, this is the best I can do,” says the man who has been a full-time musician his whole life, first with Sweet Charity and then as a session musician after the band became less active in the 1990s. “I have no Central Provident Fund savings because I’ve always been self-employed in music.”

In 2021, Rosli suffered a stroke when he was in Jakarta performing at a company dinner and dance.

He tells The Straits Times: “After the soundcheck, I went back to my hotel room. Early the next morning, around 5am, I woke up suddenly and got up to take wudu (ablution). When I tried to turn on the tap, my legs went numb and I collapsed.

“I was alone. I was conscious but couldn’t move. The organisers came looking for me. They found me on the bathroom floor and called an ambulance. I was hospitalised for two days.”

He was then flown back to Johor, and because of the Covid-19 restrictions then, he had to be quarantined at home for two weeks.

“For 1½ years, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move my right hand properly. I felt very down at that time. I went for all kinds of treatment – massage, acupuncture, medication. I was taking almost 10 pills at one point,” he says.

Without any income, he got by on his savings.

He eventually recovered, but his movements were not as fluid as before. While he could play the guitar again, his fingers could not move as fast as they used to.

Because music was the one thing he was good at, he started looking into busking as a source of income, and a friend directed him to apply for a licence through the National Arts Council. He passed an audition and received his licence in August 2024.

Besides songs by Sweet Charity, Rosli’s busking repertoire includes tunes from the 1960s to 1980s by the likes of British singer Eric Clapton, British-Australian trio Bee Gees and British rockers Deep Purple.

“The funny thing is, throughout my years performing on big stages, I never sang. I started singing only when I began busking. After my stroke, although I couldn’t play like before, I found that I could sing better. It felt like a blessing.”

Besides curious onlookers, his sets also draw many fans who make song requests – rock classics, of course – and take photos with him.

After many busking sessions, he says he has learnt how to read the crowd. “I look at the audience and adjust the songs. I’ll play English hits, dangdut, rock – depending on who is in front of me.”

He says his takings cover his transport and daily expenses, but declines to reveal how much. “Sometimes I earn more, sometimes I earn less, but it’s enough to make a living.”

He is still open to performing with Sweet Charity, which includes acclaimed singer-songwriter Ramli Sarip, for their occasional gigs. He last performed with them at the band’s 2023 Singapore and Malaysia tour, which included a concert at The Star Theatre.

Rosli says: “As long as Allah gives me health and strength, I will continue busking. If one day I can’t play music any more, maybe I’ll turn to art. I experiment with crystal art on guitars, though I haven’t found a way to commercialise it yet.”