A vibrant time for the arts

Flourishing Malaysia’s cultural life continues to provide inspiration amid the many troubles of the world.

AMID the doom and gloom in the world, with scenes of death and destruction seemingly impervious to the deceitful and opportu­nistic – it seems every week I hear of someone being scammed or finding spyware installed on their devices – there are thankfully Malaysians who seek to uplift, inspire and educate their compatriots through art.

I pay tribute to those who work so hard to punctuate the calendar with concerts, exhibitions and screenings that provide intellectual and cultural enhancements to otherwise dreary weeks.

As I write, Meniti Cakerawala 2.0 – presented by the Sutra Foun­dation supported by Yayasan Hasanah – is halfway through its tour of eight cities.

Starting in Melaka on July 18, I gave the welcoming speech as patron in Seremban (at the excellent hall of Soka International School Malaysia) the next day, and again at the auditorium of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, a week later.

They’ve since performed at the Permaisuri Zarith Sofia Opera House in the presence of its namesake who is presently Raja Permai­suri Agong, and Klang this weekend, followed by Penang, Kuching and finally Kota Kina­balu.

In my welcoming note, I wrote “at a time when scepticism about science is on the rise, this is exactly what the country needs... appre­ciation for the arts needs to be continuously stimulated and I am sure that this unprecedented multidisciplinary production will inspire budding artists who will go on to entertain, educate and enlighten generations to come.”

Having also watched the first edition of the show last December, I’m amazed by how much the storytelling has grown, in particular the narration, dancing and singing of Tan Sri Mazlan Othman herself.

If you want to see Malaysia’s pioneering astrophysicist from Negri Sembilan movingly share her love of science through choreography (with the celebrated Datuk Ramli Ibrahim and his ­legendary team) and music (featu­ring P. Ramlee and new compositions by Valerie Ross), then now is your chance.

At the 25th Anniversary of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) in Nilai, I accompanied students performing Zainal Abi­din’s Hijau and Freedom’s Mula­nya Disini. Energy from students is always invigorating but it was even more plentiful at Chung Hua High School Seremban, where there was the largest gathering and performance of drum kits in Malaysia, certified by the Malaysia Book of Records with various bands joining in, finishing with a surprise appearance by Ah Niu. I asked him to play Kuala Tereng­ganu which I first heard as a teenager, but I had to remind him of the lyrics!

No such risk with the choir I occasionally join, Vox Suara, since we carry our sheet music everywhere. Voix de l’Ocean at Alliance Française brought together the romance of the sea, environmental sustainability and audience participation in the sea shanties.

This concert was enhanced by musicians from the Euroasia Asso­ciation of Performing Arts, who joined the Siam Sinfonietta conducted by Thai National Artist Somtow Sucharitkul the following weekend.

He had written a special arrangement of the Negri Sem­bi­lan state anthem to perform in the presence of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar. For my part, I enjoyed reprising Elgar’s Salut d’Amour with the outstanding young violinist Sha Kah Yan.

Staying with classical inspiration was the huge BACHfest Malay­sia led by the indefatigable David Chin, which included Serem­ban pianist Ng Chong Lim magnificently playing The Gold­berg Variations, an immense performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, finishing with J-Azz Bach featuring Tay Cher Siang and AJ PopShuvit.

I’ll soon be performing with Ng Chong Lim in a programme cura­ted by another Seremban pianist, Foo Mei Yi (a former BBC Young Musician of the Year) in Seri Menanti, as part of a launch of another festival which I shall write about later.

A new song, Moga Baik Sahaja by Ajai was written for Memori, a film by Abid Hussain. I rarely attend movie premieres, but this story of a family afflicted by Alz­hei­mer’s, starring Hilal Azman, Hisyam Hamid and Diana Danielle, was indeed powerful in portraying how relationships change and individuals evolve when dealing with unexpected turns and difficult memories. The film is showing in cinemas now.

While the movie premiere was an enjoyable departure from my usual preference for musical concerts, I also succumbed to Datuk Farah Khan’s annual insistence that I attend her fashion show during Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (this year’s happening until this Sunday). This I did, but my understanding of how much the catwalk influences real life conti­nues to elude me.

Still, it was relevant that a diversity of individuals from different sectors were present, inclu­ding leading educationists.

I’m privileged to continue to be a participant and observer of Malaysia’s cultural life, and I hope it continues to flourish despite – or rather, more so because of – the many troubles of the world.

Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin is patron of the Euroasia Association of Performing Arts. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.