KUALA LUMPUR — Panggung Bandaraya was graced with the Opera Serikandi Nusantara showcase yesterday, which combined enchanting Malay melodies and operatic choir ensemble telling the tales of legendary female figures through traditional songs to mark the beginning of KLWKND.
Honourable guests include Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, singer Datuk Syafinaz Selamat, celebrated dancer Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, and MyCreative Ventures chairman Noor Azmi Mat Said.
Held from today until Sunday, the curtain raiser event was led by UiTM Dean of Music Faculty Associate Professor Tazul Izan Tajuddin and collaborated closely with the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana) as well as Joe Sidek Productions in celebration of Puteri Gunung Ledang, Cik Siti Wan Kembang, Puteri Saadong, Puteri Hang Li Po, Puteri Santubong, Puteri Sejinjang, Puteri Ulek Mayang, Puteri Walinong Sari, Puteri Zaleha, Puteri Bidasari and Tun Fatimah.
Emcee Hardy Arbi presented the showcase.
It is one of the 40 programmes and activities, highlighting KL as the hub for arts and culture.
The preview performance of Opera Serikandi Nusantara is a build-up to the premiere of the full show slated to be presented by mid-2022.
“Opera Serikandi Nusantara is in a way an idea to introduce – if not reinstate the significance of – these characters (the 11 Malaysian princesses and warriors) that we grew up reading from our local children’s storybooks,” shared Tazul before the show.
“What the audience gets to experience during the preview show is about 30% of what the actual performance will be when we premiere it officially next year,” he added.
The programme composer also noted the performance to be an ode to how one would view Benjamin Britten’s ‘The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra’ and Sergei Prokofiev’s symphony known as ‘Peter and the Wolf’.
“We are also hoping to work closely with Datuk Syafinaz, who is in attendance, to depict some of the princesses highlighted through the songs next to other participating soloists that you see tonight.”
The performance features some of the country’s talented singers and musicians including Khairunnisa Diyana Md Noor (vocals – soprano), Chaing Yi Ling (vocals – mezzo-soprano), Phang Kong Chien (vocals – tenor), and the award-winning UiTM Chamber Choir led by Masashi Kishimoto with Bernard Tan on piano.
Noor Azmi said: “The role of the government to elevate the arts and culture sector in the eyes of the world is very important.”
“Initiatives introduced through Cendana and other government agencies are in hopes of raising the status of arts and culture activists in the international arena.
Events such as KLWKND, which is specially curated by the famous festival director, Joe Sidek, is expected to carve a name for Malaysia in the eyes of the world as an annual event that can attract tourists from within and outside the country to appreciate the country's arts and culture,” he said.
“More importantly, Opera Serikandi Nusantara which is based on hundreds of years old hikayat will reflect and elevate the literary aspirations of our country,” he added.
The KLWKND programme coincides with ‘The Light Project’, and several interesting and free programmes for the public to attend.
Among them, The Bamboo House at The Godown KL, Best of Malaysian Craft, Kicau Bilau at the Art Market, Art of Film-Feature (a film art performance by Amir Muhammad which tells the story of the city of Kuala Lumpur using old footage and screened award-winning films), the National Literary introduction at Panggung Bandaraya (participated by national literary figures, Professor Emeritus Muhammad Haji Salleh, Datuk Mohd Anwar Rethwan, Datuk Zurinah Hassan, and Datuk Siti Zainon Ismail) as well as a batik exhibition by Love My (Malaysia) Batik. – The Vibes, November 26, 2021
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