This was the first Telethon of its kind in the Maldives and was held on 14th November 1991. It was a fundraiser for the Childrens’ Welfare Fund and it raised MRf 520,001.00 (Maldivian Rufiyaa, Five Hundred Twenty Thousand and One).
All the major bands performed in this event. I was initially involved in the sound reinforcement. The spirit of participation was unanimous and everyone contributed in their own capacities. This meant everything, from speakers to gear to participation.
Nashid (Zero Degree Atoll) returned from abroad in the evening and quickly worked out a performance. We could only play at dawn as all the bands had their times fixed. The line up consisted of Nashid, Mohoj, Ibrahim Amir and myself.
I remember one incident particularly well. We were playing some blues (I think it was ‘Summer Time’) and I have a habit of closing my eyes when playing. When I opened my eyes, after quite a number of bars, I saw the sunrise in front of me. It was a beautiful scene and experience. I may never have this experience again, a sunrise while playing bass.