Take a walk down memory lane with these festive concerts in February

Love, jazz and romance set to add something extra special to these upcoming CNY-themed concerts in the Klang Valley - 'The Bloom Jazzy CNY', 'My Favourite 70s Chinese Classics' and 'Memories'. Photo: AFP

Held once every four years, Pop Pop Factory’s CNY Jazz Festival offers a unique take on well-loved Chinese New Year tunes.

This year, the festival will comprise two highlights: The Bloom Jazzy CNY concert and My Favourite 70s Chinese Classics concert, both held at Nero Event Space in PJPac in Selangor, on Feb 11 and Feb 12, respectively.

Fans of Bloom Jazzy CNY can expect a new line-up this year, including Chinese jazz chanteuse May Mow, fast-rising starlets Yuii Chan and Zoey Hui, classical singers Evelyn Toh and Stefano Chen, and Astro Chinese Classics Ultimate Champion Nicole Hon.

As in the previous editions, pianist/composer Tay Cher Siang’s WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble will be setting the jazzy music mood, with Tay on the piano, Adriel Wong on drums, AJ Popshuvit on bass and Yow Weng Wai on saxophone.

“The traditional Chinese New Year songs are so beautiful and melodious. We build on these melodies and modernise them with jazzy elements to make it appealing to an audience who want a different take on these songs. Our music director Cher Siang is one of the most recognised proponents of jazz music in Malaysia. His arrangements are always varied because he understands the lyrics and the history of the song. For example, many versions of Gong Xi Gong Xi have a festive vibe, but it is actually a sombre song about post-war China so he plays it in a mellow way,” says Leslie Loh, chief executive officer of Pop Pop Factory.

Pop Pop Factory’s CNY Jazz Festival at PJPac will be helmed by music director Tay, who will also be performing on piano. Photo: Handout

There will also be one or two modern (post-1990s) Malaysian compositions at this concert.

“It is all presented in a very light and palatable way. My favourites are numbers like Chun Zhi Chen (The Morning Of Spring) and Da Di Hui Chun (Spring Has Landed) as they are perfect for a jazzy treatment,” he notes.

The concert will be recorded live with an audiophile album release in mind.

“We hired Jacky Cheung’s former engineer Stephen Lim who is now back in Kota Kinabalu, to fly in to help us in the recording. Hopefully from this concert we shall see the birth of the first jazzy Chinese New Year album in Malaysia,” says Loh.

In My Favourite 70s Chinese Classics, Hon will cover a selection of Chinese Classics made popular by the likes of Liu Wen Zheng, Yao Su Rong, Feng Fei Fei and Yu Ya.

“We persevere through thick and thin to bring good music to jazz lovers and we hope that the audience will have a lot of fun at the festival and leave with a feeling of hope and faith after two years of hardship,” says Loh.

Love is in the air

On Feb 14, the team behind KLPac's Cabaret Series: Golden Melody will present Memories, a hotel dinner show at W Kuala Lumpur that will feature songs from Cantopop greats, including Roman Tam, Jacky Cheung and Anita Mui.

A collaboration between iFeel Group Travel and KLPac, this Chinese New Year/Valentine’s Day special edition is directed by Ian Chow and Easee Gan.

“When we were curating the programme, there was a lot of debate whether we should have lovey-dovey songs to fit the Valentine’s Day mood or a more festive Chinese New Year ambience. In the end, we decided to forego the thematic curation and chose to have something for everyone. There will be celebratory moments, reflective moments, feel-good moments, lovey-dovey moments but most of all, it will be a walk down memory lane for the majority, if not all, of the audience,” says Chow.

Ruby Faye will be performing at W Kuala Lumpur on Feb 14. Photo: @joshuachuphotos and @leggoshoot

Memories will be hosted by Pei Yin and Chiong Pei Pei, with vocalists MayJune Tan, Ruby Faye and Tan Li Yang serenading the audience for the evening.

Together with Dickson Chai (vocalist/guitarist), Toh Shir Ling (ukulele, keyboardist and vocalist) and Jacqueline Teng (music director, keyboardist and vocalist), the music team will be backed by a band comprising percussionist Alex Lee, keyboardist Andrew Lim, and electric guitarist Jeremy James Kong.

“Compared to the previous Golden Melody 1 and 2 at KLPac where it is mainly for entertainment, I think Memories will bring a different meaning for the audience. This showcase is really about spending that quality time with your loved one, be it with your spouse, your boyfriend or girlfriend, or your family members,” says Chow.

Part of the proceeds from Memories will go to KLPac’s recovery efforts.

For reservations, call 019-310 5535, 013-773 2700 or 019-322 3688.