Front Row

Aiwei Foo’s first solo exhibition, “Forever Gone But Always Exists” features six recent works on paper by the artist, as well as a piece of performance art. The exhibition and performance are described as the artist’s avenue in challenging the conventional ideas of time and permanence, and through it she explores the nuances of memory, life, and the eternal imprint that transitory things leave behind on the axis of time. We speak to Aiwei to find out more about her eclectic career as an multidisciplinary artist, and what to expect from this first solo exhibition, which is happening at Suma Orientalis Fine Art.

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Kalpana Dance Theatre (KDT) will be presenting a weekend of two solo Bharatanatyam recitals - 'Kaivalyam - a journey to liberation' by Danya Rubinee Lim, and 'Tvameva - to You, I Surrender' by Shobita Nagulendran. Accompanied by a live orchestra, the aim of these double bill solo presentations is to pay obeisance to the roots of Bharatanatyam, which initially started as a solo performing art and was only later popularised as group performances. The dancers featured are both senior dancers of Kalpana Dance Theatre, and both performances will feature entirely new and original choreographies of Bharatanatyam exponent, Shri PT Narendran. We find out what's in store from Artistic Director Shangita Namasivayam, Choreographer Shri PT Narendran, and dancers Danya Rubinee Lim and Shobita Nagulendran. 

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From the Cordillera Mountain Range, to hilly Chiang Mai, The Young KL Singers invites us on a mysterious journey, with a selection of choral songs on folklore and folktales from South East Asia. We find out what's in store in this upcoming music concert titled Spice, Magic & Mystique from Mak Chi Hoe (Music Director / Co-Director), and Kathleen Roshene (Vocalist and Section Leader).

Image Credit: The Young KL Singers and klpac

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Venunadham, A Carnatic Flute-Nadhaswaram Jugalbandhi is a one-night only performance, featuring Carnatic flautist Dr B. Vijaygopal, M. Karthikeyan on the nadhaswaram, mridangist Vijay Natesan and ghatam artiste Krishnaswamy Sankararaman, who are all visiting from India. We speak to Dr Sivabalan Shanmuga Sundram, the co-organiser of the concert from Thrive Talent Tank, to find out more about Carnatic music, what to expect at this concert, and how the show will also be incorporating Malaysian segments into the repertoire.

Image Credit: Thrive Talent Tank

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From their humble but delicious beginnings as BuburChaCha to what they are now known as, SIX2EIGHT, the acapella gang is back for their 30th anniversary show - 30 Years of Rockapella - featuring both the older and newer active members of the group. Promising hits like Only You, Blue Moon, It’s Now or Never and Stupid Cupid just to name a few, the concert will feature 30 songs in a two-hour acapella concert, and we catch up with Nicole Ann Thomas and James Wong, both members and vocalists from SIX2EIGHT, to find out more.

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The klpac Symphonic Band opens its 2024 season with a tribute to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson in the concert titled, This Is It: Tribute to Michael Jackson. Whether with The Jackson 5 or as a solo artist, Michael Jackson gave us countless chart-topping hits, and in this upcoming concert conducted by Cheryl Mah, we get the chance to relive these very hits such as “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Smooth Criminal” and many more all-time favourites. We find out more about what's in store from Chew Sze Gee, a flautist and the Vice President of The klpac Symphonic Band, and Lydia Ong, the concertmistress of the This Is It: Tribute to Michael Jackson show.

Image credit: This Is It: Tribute to Michael Jackson

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The idea behind the "Can She Do It?" art exhibition was to challenge gender stereotypes and celebrate women's empowerment. Featuring a collection of artworks from various women artists, the exhibition promises to showcase an array of thought-provoking artworks that explore themes of resilience, courage, and determination. We speak to Nazura Rahime, the co-curator of the show and Gallery Owner of A.P. Art Gallery, and Nurul Fatma, also a co-curator of the show, to find out more. 

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In the upcoming performance "Late Love" renowned dancer Aman Yap, who is also the Founder & Artistic Director of  Dua Space Dance Theatre, explores his relationship with this passion - dance - after being in the business for 36 years. In the four pieces that make up Late Love, Aman reflects deeply on the profound changes in the dance scene through the years, expressing both awe for the evolving cultural scene, but also concern for the financial challenges faced by artists. He joins us to share how he has translated some of his innermost emotions into the dance pieces we'll be seeing on stage.

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Merdu Puisi is a performance by The Poetics Collective within the VerSeS Music Ensembles, that focuses on Malaysian poetry in the Malay language, set to music by Malaysian composers. The performance will feature the work of local poets, including that of the late Sasterawan Negara Usman Awang, and other living Malaysian poets. Aiming to promote the ‘art song’ genre among Malaysians, while also fostering the art of poetry-writing and appreciation of the Malay language, the concert will also feature a selection of 'lagu rakyat' or folk songs arranged in the classical music style. We speak to Scott Woo (Project Director) and Khairunnisa Diyana Md Noor (Soprano) from The Poetics Collective to find out more. 

Image credit: VerSeS Music Ensembles

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Garam is a semi-devised play described as a metatheatre about the thoughts, memories, and experiences of six artists finding connections with each other, amidst their inner struggles with feelings of disconnection and alienation. A piece by Asyraf Syahir, the Founder and Artistic Director of EJKLS Seni, we find out what's in store from Asyraf, and also from cast member Emily Thomas.

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