Retro Reggae

No Black Tie May/June 08

click to enlarge june calendar

May 26 ~ Monday
Acoustic evening with Isaac Henry

9.30pm No cover

May 27 ~ Tuesday
Rachel Guerzo Trio

9.30pm rm30 ( 1 drink)

Rachel Guerzo, a third generation jazz vocalist and pianist from a long line of musicians, has been performing professionally since the young age of 16. Lauded for her ability to command pitch and dynamics on the piano as well as vocals, Rachel is KL’s only female jazz pianist/vocalist.

May 28 ~ Wednesday
Melissa Indot

10pm rm40

May 29 ~ Thursday
Brazilian Sambas and Bossa Novas with Cheong on guitar and vocals, Nizam on percussion

9.30pm rm20

May 30 & 31 ~ Friday & Saturday World Percussion Ensemble with Lewis Pragasam (d), Eric Li (p), Zailan Razak (b) & special guest Valtinho Anastacio (perc/v)

rm40 10.30pm

Valtinho Anastacio continues to carry on the legacy of his fellow Brazilian percussionists, his individual dynamics as a musician and vocalist put him in a category of his own.

He began working with major Brazilian artists, including the legendary Elis Regina, who selected him from more than 700 candidates to perform with her in the highly acclaimed musical Saudade do Brazil, as well as to record the show's top-selling double album on Warner Bros.

After a successful tour of Europe and Japan with his own group that culminated with his electrifying performance at the All That Jazz Festival in Tokyo, Valtinho moved to New York City, where he still resides and continues to captivate and thrill audiences with his unique vocal and percussive skills and his charismatic stage presence.

For reservation please call 21423737 9after 5pm) or email noblacktie2003@yahoo.com

Report on the XLive Festival

all images by Johan Nasir

X Marks The Spot

With the festival site opening much later than advertised, XLive took a little time to warm up. But, the reward was a rocking party that carried on into the wee hours of the morning, 4:00 am to be exact.

XLive did experience some teething problems but then again which new festival doesn’t? With the weather holding out nicely and the crowd in good spirits, an excellent time was had by the 15,000 partygoers who made the effort to attend.

Organised by Pervert Music and Xpax Celcom, the Genting Outdoor Theme Park was divided into three open-air arenas, the XLive Main Stage, XL-TRONIC and XLR8. Each arena saw international, regional and local artists, deejays and live acts sharing the stage.

Besides being the first outdoor music festival to be held at Genting since 2004, XLive festival was also historical in that it was the first time that a music event of such magnitude was held in its outdoor theme park.

The XLive Main Stage located at The Avenue of the Stars, was the place to hang with the irresistible Missy Elliot promising a distinct hip-hop and R ’n’B flavour.

Opening for Elliot were two local hip-hop attractions, turntablists Stylustiks and Spaceship, featuring DJ Goldfish, Soul-funk band Maliq & D’Essentials and nu-jazz/pop progenitors Parkdrive.But really, the night was all about Elliot and thankfully she did not disappoint.

Missy Elliott (born Melissa Arnette Elliott on July 1, 1971), is a five-time Grammy Award-winning American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. With record sales of 7.6 million in the US, she is the only female rapper to have six platinum albums, including one double platinum plaque.

Elliott is known for a series of hits and diverse music videos including "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", "Hot Boyz", "Get Ur Freak On", "One Minute Man", "Work It", "Gossip Folks", "Pass That Dutch", "Lose Control" and "Ching-a-Ling." In addition, Elliott has worked extensively as a songwriter and producer for other artists, both alone and with her producer and childhood friend Timbaland.

Elliott's songwriting and production credits include work for a number of other female artists, among them Aaliyah, Monica, Destiny's Child, Mýa, Whitney Houston, Trina, Nicole Wray, Fantasia, Ciara, Raven Symone, Keyshia Cole, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Lil' Mo.

The energy-sapping wait for her punctuated by listening to trippy music instantly vanished the minute Elliot made her attention-grabbing appearance on stage sporting an 80s fringe bob hair do and decked out in regulation bling, sports wear and black hoodie.

Suddenly appearing from behind a red curtain carried on stage atop a covered sedan chair, the quirky performer wasted no time in working the crowd with mischievous glee, all while executing her precision rhymes with effortless ease.

As subtle as a sledgehammer, her live act combined all the thrills and adrenaline rush of a slickly choreographed rap party with elements of magic, comedy, theatre, music and dance making for an aural and visual extravaganza.

Her dancers busting moves everywhere on stage, illusionists, plenty of audience interaction, deafening pyrotechnics, confetti, fire sticks, props, costume changes all within the opening few songs!

Her in-your-face approach proved hugely popular with the audience as they turned the The Arena of the Stars into a heaving mass of grooving bodies. Elliott stuck to her hits, so we got infectiously catchy reworked versions of Work It, Get Ur Freak On and Pass The Dutch.

At regular intervals, her deejay ground the music to a halt, allowing Elliott to take centerstage and indulge in some audience antics.

Taking off her snazzy, blinged out sneakers she offered them as a prize for the audience member who could jump the highest managing to conjure up some wild scenes on the dance floor, although in the end she only threw a sweat soaked towel into the crowd.

All too soon, despite chants of encore! encore! and Missy! Missy! she disappeared. I mean literally disappeared. The red curtain went up, fireworks flashed and she was gone in a flash.

There were plenty of sonic thrills to be had over at the XLR8 stage where progressive, experimental and edgy dance music was very much the order of the day and the vibe in the crowd extremely cordial, to say the least.

Twilight Actiongirl set the ball rolling with an adventurous set that attempted to fuse hard-hitting electro grooves with the odd indie anthem thrown in for good measure.

Indonesian trio Goodnight Electric also proved that their love for kitschy electro indie melodies were a winner, with their look, their songs as well as the attitude. In the end, their anthemic Depeche Mode-meets-New Order sound succeeded in drawing more party people to the arena.

Local deejay B4C, whose wicked funky combination of clean breakbeats and funky techno turned out to be another winner. Nu-rave duo LapSap, featuring Mr Puah and 5ft, turned in a set of thumping techno and electro.

Over at the XL-TRONIC stage trance guru DJ Yoji seemed to have things well in control with his hypnotic beat. Hello thumping bass!

The only downside was that when the party ended, the festival areas were heavily strewn with litter. Tsk tsk Malaysians! When will you ever learn?

Journey - Bondage to Freedom

Journey is a three-in-one album. It has two CDs and one DVD. The first CD features ten songs, nine of which are taken from the “Buddhist Hymns” book compiled by Datuk Dr Victor Wee. The tenth song, “Chief”, written by Nathan, is a moving tribute to his late Chief, Venerable Dr K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera, who passed away on August 31st, 2006.

Most of the singers featured in this first CD are experienced singers and musicians. The second CD is a recital of the “Maha Mangala Sutta” (Sutta of the Highest Blessings) by Venerable K. Nanda, who unhesitantly said yes to Bro Nathan’s invitation and flew from the US to record the Maha Mangala Sutta even though the Venerable was not feeling well at the time of recording.

The DVD is a bonus feature on this album. It is a video portrayal of the late Chief, Venerable Dr K. Sri Dhammananda, as a personal tribute from Nathan, who regards the late Chief as his mentor and spiritual teacher. As Nathan says, many people in the Buddhist community would have felt a glaring vacuum left by their late Chief.

Proceeds from the sales of the album will go to the respective temples and buddhist centres that sell the album. For more info click here.

The Making of…The Penang World Music Festival 2008

The Penang World Music Festival had its second run this year and frigglive was there to witness the action. Instead of taking the lazy way out and rewording the press release into an article as most journalists are prone to do (click here for a perfect example of that) or writing the standard yadda yadda review (click here for an example) we decided to work hard to give you something different.

Yes folks, for three days Johan and myself stalked the various people behind the festival, sweated in the humid heat with the army of people working in the background, partied until morning with the bands and interviewed just about everybody to bring you…

The Making of…The Penang World Music Festival 2008

Part 1. The technical components behind the concert:

The set consisted of two huge stages side by side to facilitate the smooth transition of performances, with bands performing on alternate stages to avoid the delay caused by equipment set-ups. Equally huge screens ensured that no one in the audience missed out on the action happening on stage.

Artistic Director Ms Yeoh Jun-Lin informed me that her crew was careful not to disturb or destroy the natural flora and fauna of the Botanical Gardens and on closer inspection I found her claim to be perfectly true.

For sound power, there are clusters or rows of baffles of 4, 6 and 8 speakers
mounted in towers and on both sides of the scene. These reach till 250,000 sound watts. The mixer boasts a massive 124 channels.

Light power: The light show is equal to the sound with 300,000 light watts, which was really astonishing in its variety. The numbers included: intelligent lights like Gobos, Martins, 500 static lights, 170 varilites, 80 icons, filters with more than 70 colors in the stroboscopic lights, and so on.

The screens reached 10 m (30 feet) in diameter and can complete the show with many types of video clips and projections.

The montage: After setting the basic frame, the light console tables are installed. After that, the sound equipments are installed. The whole process can last 12 and a half hours.

Set against a perfect backdrop of rustic lush green hills the scene’s dimensions varied greatly. The height oscillated between 5 and 25 m (15 to 75 feet). This is an engineering marvel, a piece of work that can spin, hide in smoke, has flying platforms, telescopic bridges and even a crane.

The neuralgic center of the concert was situated in a control called "house", where illumination and sound are tuned through an expanded computerized control table, fundamental for the sound to perfectly reach all the audience.

To EQ the sound for 1 band is difficult enough. Imagine 15 bands from all over the world armed with a plethora of ethnic instruments. Although the concert was held in an open air venue, the sound was remarkably true and consistent, a testimony to the expertise of Scotsman Niall Macaulay, producer and sound engineer extraordinaire.

In order to avoid energy cuts during the concert, two or more three-phase generators of 500 kW each are used. A hose, called a snake, connects the central console table with the scene. Almost 8 km of cable are employed.

Publicity and awareness for the festival were undertaken by the Penang Tourism Action Council. There were banners and signages all over the island, and a couple of newspaper ads in the weeks preceding the event.

This being a Penang state-owned event, security was the responsibility of the Royal Malaysian Police and they were present in considerable numbers, directing traffic and ensuring that there were no untoward incidents to mar the smooth flow of the festival.

Trailers and transport consisted of caravan trailers, buses, private cars and vans, the identity marks of big tours. Revelers were ferried in shuttles from the car parks to the concert venue. The concert itself moved more than 50 trucks and 350 material tonnes of equipment.

Behind the scene, a small complex is hidden, including dressing rooms, dining room, a rest room, a make-up room, bathrooms, storage area and a host of other requirements for the musicians.

For a busybody press person like me, there was an air-conditioned media center equipped with 10 wifi connected laptops, an interview area with a casual café table and chair set-up, free mineral water, hot beverages, instant noodles, biscuits and burgers, run by the good people of Smascom PR.

All images above by kind courtesy of Niall Macaulay http://onlocationrecordings.co.uk/

Dave Avran interviewing Niall Macaulay

image credit: Johan Nasir

Part 2. Interview with Ms Yeoh Jun-Lin, Artistic Director of the PWMF

updated June 27th, 2008

Part 2. Interview with Ms Yeoh Jun-Lin, Artistic Director of the PWMF

I have been familiar with Ms Yeoh Jun-Lin’s work as the prime mover and driving force behind the highly successful Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), now into its 11^th year and the equally popular Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF).

At the outset, let me state clearly that I am a big fan and have tremendous admiration for this lady who has put Malaysia on the international map for well organized world class music festivals. Click here to read more.

Jun-Lin has since moved on from both RWMF and MIJF to explore further opportunities and thus initiated the Genting International Jazz Festival (GIJF), where I finally got a chance to meet her. She brings much needed street cred to the PWMF.

Asked for the secret to her success, Jun-Lin casually shrugs it off to her obsessive-compulsive nature, the need to be involved in every single stage of preparation and to give “600%” to ensure not only success but to strive for perfection.

To give you an indication of how hard this lady works, she starts preparing a year in advance (2 years would be better, she says) scouring for the ideal venue and traveling worldwide attending music expos, workshops and other festivals, and then sifting through an average of 500 music CDs and band biographies to short-list the finalists that will appear in her shows.

To make things even more complicated, she has to ensure that each band is truly unique and thus it is difficult to compare apple to apple as there is no standard benchmark. This is where Jun-Lin scores as her expertise and experience kick in to guide her in her final selections. Those who have attended any of her events know that she has consistently delivered world class entertainment.

Throughout the interview, Jun-Lin very politely and steadfastly deflected my recognition of her considerable achievements, preferring instead to highlight her crew and praised them for the sheer amount of work put into each event that she organizes.

She also credited her family as her inspiration, bemoaning the fact that she works “horrendous hours” and doesn’t get to spend as much time with them as she would like to. To relax, she enjoys dancing.

Jun-Lin is on the ball all the time, flitting around the site to oversee every single aspect of the daily set-up, sharing the heat, rain, minor emergencies and other difficulties endured by her crew. She sleeps as little as them while on the job, and earned my respect when she politely declined my offer to pack “Penang’s best Nasi Kandar” for her, stating that she would eat the same food as her team did.

Emcee Hendrick Foh said he was amazed by her professionalism. “I don’t know where she finds all that energy”.

Interviews with some of her staff (who shall remain nameless as promised) revealed that they too have a great amount of respect for her. “She pushes herself so hard so how can we let her down?” said one muscular and bare - chested roadie.

When I asked another guy about discipline problems and the possibility of “recreational medicine” being used among them, he paid Jun-Lin the highest compliment. “Boss work so hard to make this. She is one of us. No way we are going to make her “kecewa” (Bahasa Malaysia for "to let her down").

images by Johan Nasir

PWMF Part 3. A Pictorial of The Festival

The Finale


The Crowds


Lo Cor De La Plana (France) & Afenginn (Denmark)


Kenge Kenge (Kenya)



Kries (Croatia) & Diplomats of Drums (Malaysia)



Afenginn (Denmark) & Galant, Tu Perds Ton Temps (Canada)



Galant, Tu Perds Ton Temps (Canada) & Lo Cor De La Plana (France)

more info on the bands here.

all images by Johan Nasir

PWMF Final: Part 4. Our Impressions

3rd from left:YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Victor Wee, 2nd from right: YBhg. Dato’ Kee Phaik Cheen

PWMF Final: Part 4. Our Impressions

A music festival is only as good as the quality of the bands and in this respect PWMF does itself proud. It far exceeded last year’s rain drenched inaugural turn out of approximately 5000 people by three times.

Despite her self-effacing ways, the credit for this sits squarely on Ms Yeoh Jun-Lin’s shoulders for the band selection and spurring her team to do an excellent job.

What worries us is the future of the festival. When politics interferes with the arts it can only lead to disaster. Keep an eye on the upcoming RWMF for an example of this. It is now less than 45 days to ground zero and their website does not have complete information on the performers.

Magazine editors are already complaining as they need 3 weeks lead time to go into print.

As for PWMF, there is a distinct lack of cooperation between the Penang Tourism Action Council and Penang Tourism Development Committee (the state government) as evidenced by this article.

During the Press Conference on the second day, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia, YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Victor Wee and Chairman of the Penang Tourism Action Council, YBhg. Dato’ Kee Phaik Cheen appeared ill-prepared and politicized their answers much to our dismay.

When Johan asked for the attendance, we were told that it was at 6000 people for the second day and there were embarrassed faces when questioned how they arrived at this figure. PTAC Events Manager Ashwin G was hastily sent for and poked his head through the door to announce 3000 people for the first day and approximately 4000 for the second, based on ticket sales. Of course we already had this information earlier.

Johan then pointed out that although the PTAC had done a good job of creating awareness for the festival by the sheer number of buntings and signages placed at strategic points all around the island, our interviews revealed that Penangites had become blasé with such monthly promotions and did not pay them any attention anymore, thereby missing an opportunity to attend a world class festival in their own backyard.

“Penangites are not our target market. Now that’s sure one thumbs up for domestic and international tourism,” said Dr. Wee, “Just goes to show how successful and beneficial such an event can become, benefiting the local populace with very real and tangible economic spin-offs.”.

While it was a “nice” answer, it did not answer our question. Johan tried again by asking how Penang intended to brand their festival as different from RWMF and where they saw the festival heading in two year’s time.

“When the Festival began last year, people were asking what it was all about,” answered Dr. Wee “This year, they’re asking us for next year’s festival dates already,” revealing that PWMF2009 would be held May 1-3, 2009 at the same venue.

YBhg. Dato’ Kee Phaik Cheen added that the council was committed to further capitalize on enhancing the event’s popularity by ensuring that the bands for PWMF were different from RWMF.

“The Festival’s definitely a bigger success compared to last year’s,” she said, “That’s why we’ll need not just to maintain the good work that’s started, but we’ll also have to heighten it to ensure that it becomes even more successful.”

Again, it was a “nice” answer, but it certainly did not answer our question. A subsequent question by the Nanyang reporter on future events had them scrambling all over the place looking for a schedule of events

Ah, politics. Share the love, guys. Give credit where credit is due. There’s enough to go around.

image credit: Johan Nasir

Performers - Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival

For some strange reason, Frigglive has been experiencing difficulty in getting information from the Rainforest World Music Festival Organising Committee this year. What's weird is that the bios of the local bands are the ones missing.

The confirmed list of performers performing at Rainforest World Music Festival on July 11 to 13 2008 are:

1) Ross Daly Quartet (Greece)
A virtuoso of Eastern musical instruments, British-born Ross Daly plays the Cretan lyra, Afghan rabab, tarhu, laouto, kemence, oud, saz and tanbur. The unique sound of his music reflects his personal philosophy, influenced by the Sufi tradition which stresses the sacred nature of music itself, the enormous power contained within it, and the necessity for those who concern themselves with it to unreservedly and selflessly give themselves to it. This process results in an experience of music of a transcendental and spiritual nature, equally shared by musicians and audience alike.

2) Kasai Masai (Congo/UK)
Born in the Congo, based in London, Kasaï Masaï brings us the traditional sound of remote equatorial villages with a sophisticated urban twist. Led by percussionist, singer and dancer, “Voodoo King” Nickens Nkoso, the band plays ancestral music rooted in the healing power of percussion and chanting - combined with the provocative sound of the Congolese folk guitar and the sensual growl of the saxophone.

3) Hiroshi Motofuji (Japan)
Hiroshi began playing taiko drums at 10 and by 15 had joined Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, a leading professional taiko troupe based in Tokyo. He was conferred the title "Master of Taiko" at 27 and in the late 1980s formed a "taiko-rock" group called Musashi. With his outstanding technique, dynamic rhythm, and innovative spirit, Hiroshi Motofuji is at 43 widely acknowledged as one of Japan's premier taiko drummers.

4) Oikyataan (India)
Based in Chennai, Oikyotaan comprises musicians from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds who have interacted with the folk musicians of the West Bengal Baul tradition - using Fakiri, Bhatiyalli, Jhumur and Bhavaiyya Bengali folk melodies as their inspiration - and adding to it a cool and captivating contemporary flavour.

5) Cholo Valderamma (Colombia)
With 16 albums to his credit, Orlando "Cholo" Valderrama has been acclaimed as a true master of the llanero (South American cowboy) tradition which features the harp as a key instrument. This is music that celebrates magical nights under open skies and the freedom of the rugged llanero lifestyle, with an undercurrent of yearning for a distant home and the comfort of loved ones.

6) New Rope String Band (UK)
This versatile quartet plays (in their own words) "a big assortment of things and all sorts of hoedown pan-celtic old-timey up-beat down-home music. All this combined with bizarre physical nonsense and clowning about. And singing. And dancing. Sheer visualosity and laughableness, boundless energy, exuberant spectacles and beautiful music executed with kindness. What could possibly go wrong?"

7) Yakande (Gambia/Guinea)
The name "Yakande" is a merger of Yakhouba Sissokho (a wizard of the mystical kora from Gambia) and Kandet Dioubate (a bewitching Guinean diva with an enchanting voice). Their sizzling musical rapport and sensuous groove will get you swaying and gyrating in ecstasy.

8) Pinikpikan (Philipppines)
Fusing indigenous Igorot and Manabo folk motifs with an eclectic mix of Afro-Cuban, Arabic, Asian and other world-beat flavours, this exciting 10-piece band is fronted by a diminutive but dynamite female vocalist named Carol Rodriguez Bello, noted for her primal Manabo singing style. The festive and funky Pinikpikan sound celebrates our rhythmic connection with all of life.

9) Adel Salameh (Palestine)
Oud player and composer Adel Salameh was born in Nablus, Palestine, in 1966. He immigrated to Europe in 1990, quickly gaining a reputation as a master of the oud. Adel performs with celebrated Algerian vocalist NAZIHA AZZOUZ who began singing ancient Andalusian songs at age 12. She met Adel in 1998 when studying Arabic music with him and soon discovered they shared a common musical destiny. The French newspaper, Le Monde, on Naziha's vocal quality: "This is no ordinary voice. This voice is coming from Paradise."

10) Fadomorse (Portugal)
Fast emerging as a major force in the evolution of fado - the oldest urban folk music in the world – this high-energy 7-piece group is charactised by eclectic modern influences like Frank Zappa and rooted in ancient African rhythms and mediaeval Iberian folk. Dionízio Faízca’s distinctive fado guitar technique and Toninho Arreboutas’s lyrical basswork adds a muscular edge to the soulful passion that marks Fadomorse as one folk-fusion band that totally rocks!

11) Beltaine (Poland)
Danceable and dynamic folk-fusion from seven polished musicians of Polish origin, with a distinctly Celtic soul. Their music is exuberant, passionate, spontaneous, soul-stirring, and irresistible. The lineup includes Adam Romanski on fiddle; Grzegorz Chudy on accordion and bansuri (Indian flute); Jan Galczewski on mandolin, bouzouki, bodhran, guitar and Galician bagpipes. Get ready to sweat!

12) Sheldon Blackman & The Love Circle (Trinidad & Tobago)
Sheldon Blackman purveys a little-known brand of Caribbean music known as jamoo, which evolved at the end of the 1960s from an indigenous Trinidadian style called soca, which itself developed from calypso. Sheldon’s late father Garfield, aka Ras Shorty I, is credited as having invented the genre jamoo -which is, in Sheldon’s own words, "about good substance, a positive message and something to glorify God." The Love Circle comprises family members and friends who work together as several groups within the group, with the younger ones exploring new forms like "reggae-rap" and "jazz hip-hop." Sheldon Blackman & The Love Circle is all about cool vibes and uplifting messages.

13) Agnition (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
No info from Rainforest - to be uploaded soon.

14) Orchestra Anak Jati Bisaya (Sarawak, Malaysia)
No info from Rainforest - to be uploaded soon.

15) Sarawak Cultural Village (Sarawak)
Danceable and dynamic folk-fusion from seven polished musicians of Polish origin, with a distinctly Celtic soul. Their music is exuberant, passionate, spontaneous, soul-stirring, and irresistible. The lineup includes Adam Romanski on fiddle; Grzegorz Chudy on accordion and bansuri (Indian flute); Jan Galczewski on mandolin, bouzouki, bodhran, guitar and Galician bagpipes. Get ready to sweat!

16) Kani'd (Sarawak)
No info from Rainforest - to be uploaded soon.

17) Tuku' Kame' (Sarawak, Malaysia)
No info from Rainforest - to be uploaded soon.

Discovery Stage Band Competition

Do you have what it takes to become the nation’s next big band? Ever thought of performing on the same stage with the country’s finest?

If you believe that your band has got the edge to make it big in the scene, then this may just be your chance. Pack up your stuff and bring it on!

Nightwish Communications presents Discovery Stage Band Competition. With RM 10, 000 worth of cash and prizes to be won, Discover Stage provides the opportunity for bands from all across the country to take part in a one of a kind battle of the bands.

Bands can participate through two categories: Independent/New Sound (Alternative, Indie, Industrial, Pop Punk, Brit Rock, Electronica etc.) and Blues Fever (Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Rock & Roll, Reggae, Country etc.). Expect to be blown away by the eclectic mix of band genres competing in the event.

The event will take place in numerous zones including Northern (Penang), Eastern (K. Terengganu), Southern (Johor Bharu), Central (KL) and the summit, Discovery Stage Music Festival in Damansara on June 26.

http://klblues.com/v2/

Nokia IAC Music Discovery Showcase

Nokia IAC Music Discovery Showcase
Show at The Zouk Terrace Bar featuring numerous acts including Markiza & Peter G. Brown, Azmyl Yunor, Pete Teo, Silent Scream, Alda Tan & Stonebay.

There will also be a full rock event in Zouk featuring The Times, Auburn, They Will Kill Us All, Deserters, Brainhead, Altimet, Jay, Point Blank, Transient Vortex and others.
www.nokia.com.my/IAC
Saturday 10th May
3.00 pm and ends at 9.00 pm
Free entry

Review: Kenny G - Rhythm & Romance Live in Genting

Kenny G - Rhythm & Romance
Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands
Saturday 26th April 2008
by Johan Nasir

Sadly, news of Kenny G performing in Genting's Arena of Stars somehow did not reach quite a number of people who only either found out too late or after the event. That somehow did not matter as it did not affect the full house turnout filling up the 6000 capacity venue. This being his second time performing in Malaysia was likely the factor why a number of others gave it a miss but it just goes to show his huge fan base in this region.

I missed it the last time and an opportunity to catch him perform, with the thoughtful invitation from Genting, was something I just couldn't pass up. The show was supposed to begin at 8pm but due to the arrival of our royal guests, the show started slightly later than planned. Lights went out at 8.30pm and in typical concert fashion, everyone started screaming like it was a rock concert.

Catching the audience by surprise, he started blowing his first note in the dark and no one knew where he was until the spot light came on guiding him to enter the hall from behind the audience much to the their delight. It was rather hilarious to see the media photographers who were all standing by near the stage scrambling in the opposite direction to snap their shots. Hang on, I was one of them too!

Kenny started the set with "Home" and continued walking through the audience and followed up with "Silhouette" and held a long E note on his soprano saxophone for what felt like forever. It had the audience amazed as to how he held his breath and the continuous note for over 5 minutes while casually shaking hands with the crowd, greeting the royal guests, waving his hands in the air to the audience and went up on stage, all while still holding that continuous single note.

He then carried on with the next few songs "Sade" and "Everlasting" and paused to finally speak to his audience saying "Thank You, Hello, It's good to be back in Malaysia, Happy to be here in Genting and Hope everyone enjoyed the show so far and with permission, he's going to present the next song called Havana". Entirely in Malay! The crowd laughed along with him as he made funny gestures to remember some of his words but he pulled it off and was rewarded with a roaring clap and appreciation from the whole audience.

Taking a quick break, we were left to be entertained by percussionist Ron Powell, who had his brilliant solo moment taunting and teasing the crowd to sing along until he went into full swing display of his real talent complete with a juggling act. Kenny came back on with a few more tracks and continued his serenade with his popular collection from previous albums with "G-Bop", "Malibu Dreams", "Forever" and "Sister Rose".

Being a concert in Genting, it was no surprise that the majority of the guests were Chinese and when Kenny continued with "Jasmine Flower", it just hit the right note with the audience who were humming along to his song. It was after "The Walk" that he took a break to explain that the soprano saxophone he was using on stage was the very same one he used since his high school days.

Kenny demonstrated the long note stunt he did at the beginning and explained how he was able to hold it for so long. He holds the world record for holding the longest E note for 45 minutes 47 seconds through a technique called "Nasal Cam", (breathing circularly rapidly in via the nose while continuously exhaling via the mouth).

The stage setup was changed slightly for his next set, a medley of songs from his Cuban influenced latest album, "Rhythm & Romance". Pianist Robert Damper then continued with his melodious solo set. His band was also made up of Swedish Bassist Vail Johnsson, Ron Powell on Percussions, Guitarist John Raymond all of whom Kenny has played together with for more than 20 years touring the world with the exception of Drummer Daniel Bejarano who only recently joined the band last year.

The highlight of the evening was Kenny's “duet” with Louis Armstrong, courtesy of original video footage of "What A Wonderful World" on the screen. Seeing Louis & hearing it live, with the overtones of Kenny's saxophone just gave it that whole emotional dimension.

The upbeat "Pick up the Pieces" was a perfect follow up after that on the Alto Sax and while Vail did his Bass solo set, Kenny did his magic act of running around the back to do his walk through the crowd again. By this time, some of the Datin's and Aunties were already on the verge of passing out from the excitement of having Kenny serenade them up close and personal.


He said his farewell at 10.30pm. A two hour concert. Well worth it I thought. Naturally, we all wanted more and chanted for Kenny to come back on to do his encore and he did it with "Cadenza", "Songbird" and the anthem from Titanic the movie, "My Heart Will Go On". It was a "You just had to be there!" awesome evening.

One thing has to be said though; the coordination for the autograph signing with Kenny could have been better strategised by the Genting staff. There was very little proper crowd management and even though there was a visible line, there should have been signage and enough security staff at hand to control the ensuing chaos. Malaysians being Malaysians simply refuse to understand the concept of queuing up. The irony of it was those who jumped queue made the most noise about the signing session being not properly organized simply because they didn't want to go to the back of the long line and decided to push those who queued up properly to satisfy their own kiasu needs. It was a rather disgusting sight to see after such a beautiful evening. Thankfully the autographs made up for it.