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

The 71-year-old local musician got his licence in 2024 after recovering from a stroke. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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 crosses the border five times a week by car 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”.