WHAT defines a cultural centre?
Last April, while interviewing one of the nation’s cultural icons and Sutra Dance Theatre artistic director Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, the team was mesmerised by the lush scenery that the dance centre calls home.
From the exterior to every turn of the corner in the inner spaces, the house reflects an appreciation of our history's cultural roots and heritage.
The time and effort taken by the Sutra Foundation in creating a space that is unique and pays homage to the past are truly remarkable. This can be seen in the attention and care that its founder put in the details through an immersive experience just by being present.
“This was my father’s house, and one of the first few to be built here (Titiwangsa),” shared Ramli.
“I still remember back in the early 60s, maybe in 1962, when the tin mines were still around, and the road was still red earth.
If walls could tell a story
“The garden area used to be where squatters were living until one day somehow it got burned down. I decided to call up the surveyor, and we found out that our land extended over where you can see the fence today,” said the veteran performing artist.
“So, the property was a little bit bigger than it was initially expected, and I did not have to dig the turf where the mini amphitheatre is.
Ramli noted that they had found a well within the landmass that the squatters used as a source for clean water as we toured the grounds. "But we transferred it to a different area where you can see fishes,” he added.
The well can be seen at the property withstanding the changes of the environment until today.
However, the 70-year-old shared that he never lived in this house where it was rented to the Indonesian embassy back in the day.
The aesthetic of the house back then was very different as well where it “…had a lot of grills”.
Ramli noted that the area was a "kongsi" area. There were a lot of clans/triads where skirmishes broke out so the ex-chief police officer of Selangor, Tan Sri P. Alagendra was – presumably living – around.
“A lot of these old areas in Kuala Lumpur are character building areas where they are home to a lot of the leaders and/or public figures that we know to date.
“I’m sure my father could never imagine that the place would be an arts centre. I love it because the home is small (intimate), and it is versatile where a lot of spontaneity and creative work could take place.
“I’m not married, and I do not want my legacy or the work that I have contributed over the years simply disappear,” shared Ramli.
“I love my nephews and nieces, but I can’t expect them to be inclined as I am towards the arts, where my life is truly about and for it.
“I would like to give something back to the nation – in the form of the Sutra Foundation.
“Artists need beautiful places to create. They need inspiring spaces to work especially during the creative process where their minds can be free to explore,” he added. – The Vibes, June 13, 2021
Discover in detail the private (but open to those eager to learn about the intricacy of arts and culture) abode by watching the video below, which documents the exclusive tour guided by Ramli himself:
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