Life Into Traditional Malay Arts and Culture
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| THE STRAITS TIMES | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 CULTURAL REVOLUTION PHOTOS PRODIGY GROWS UP D Photographer Li Zhensheng Pianist Benjamin Boo hid prints under his to play in Botanic floorboards Gardens concert D3 D4 Young composers (from left) Syafiqah ‘Adha Sallehin, Danial Ariffin Azman and Bakti In tune with traditions Khair are behind upcoming performances breathing new life into traditional Malay arts and culture. PHOTOS: AZMI ATHNI, competition for those aged 16 to 30 sign that they are keen on keeping of Ikan Girl. She recently com- will be an eye-opener for them,” Young Malay composers are COURTESY OF were handed to young composers the “culture going in their craft”. pleted her studies at London’s says Syafiqah. BENJAMIN BOO not only preserving their Danial Ariffin Azman, Bakti Khair, Says the Lasalle College of the Royal College of Music and returns Nabillah and Syafiqah maintain Amni Musfirah and Zulkifli M. Arts graduate: “There’s always the to Singapore later this month. that the piece has a relatable story traditions, but also reimagining Amin, who wrote music based on stigma that the younger generation Ikan Girl – or Fish Girl – is based with Bidasari, which was made into them in a span of three weeks. is more inclined to popular and on an 18th- or 19th-century Malay a black-and-white film in 1965, star- and reinterpreting them. Nusantara Arts, says its artistic mainstream music instead of poem titled Syair Bidasari. It is ring Jins Shamsuddin and Sarimah. Nabilah Said and Nur Asyiqin director Zulkifli, decided to merge traditional genres – probably due to about a girl, Bidasari, who has a soul “There is a certain ‘Melayuness’ poetry and music to get Malay the lack of exposure . linked to that of a fish. to it, which will be a starting point Mohamad Salleh report literary enthusiasts and musicians “It’s a rich culture, but oftentimes The story is similar to that of fairy for people to understand that here collaborating. the lack of understanding creates a tale Snow White, with an evil queen classical music is not elitist, but “Language is often misunder- barrier between the young and who is jealous of Bidasari’s beauty. very accessible,” says Nabillah. A small but growing number of stood by those unfamiliar with their heritage. I think from the Here, the queen takes the fish out of young Malay music creators are Malay poetry, and music is often involvement of youth in the arts the water, which causes Bidasari to [email protected] looking to their roots and breathing underappreciated,” says Zulkifli, and culture scene here, the setting lose consciousness. She is even- new life into traditional Malay arts 33. “By combining these aspects up of musical groups, arts compa- tually rescued by a prince. [email protected] and culture. and creating a refreshing approach, nies and events, we’re on the right For Ikan Girl, Syafiqah is working From weaving in bits of Malay lit- we want to see more people taking track. It’s a healthy scene.” with The Bhumi Collective, an arts Morestories on D2 erature into their music, to bringing a step forward and contributing Meanwhile, coming up on Oct 21 group which champions Malay tra- instruments from the East and creative works to the scene.” and 23 is Ikan Girl, a multidiscipli- ditional dance and music. Nabillah West together, they are not just The works will be performed by nary performance featuring an orig- is one of its founders. BOOK IT / B3 CONCERT preserving their traditions, but also the group’s ensemble, Nusantara, inal composition by 26-year-old The music will be performed by WHERE: School Of The Arts reimagining and reinterpreting which showcases keroncong instru- Syafiqah ’Adha Sallehin, accompa- what Syafiqah describes as a “stand- them in contemporary pop and clas- ments such the cak and the cuk, nied by elements of traditional ard Malay ensemble”, comprising Concert Hall, 1 Zubir Said Drive sical music. two ukulele-like instruments. Malay dance, Bharatanatyam (tradi- the accordion, flute and violin, as WHEN: Saturday, 8pm Their efforts can be heard in two Keroncong is an Indonesian style tional Indian dance from South well as the piano and percussion ADMISSION: $35 from upcoming performances: B3 of music, but Nusantara also fea- India) and contemporary dance. instruments. Concert by youth group Nusantara tures the piano, flute and saxo- Ikan Girl is part of the Singapore She adds: “The music is a fusion www.nstarts.sg/btiga-tix Arts on Saturday, and contempo- phone. International Festival of Music, of contemporary and tradition. I rary music and dance creation Ikan Zulkifli, who has at least 150 com- which runs from Oct 13 to 30, and used not only rhythms from Malay BOOK IT /IKAN GIRL Girl on Oct 21 and 23. positions under his belt, is inspired Syafiqah, who teaches music at the music that go together with the WHERE: Chamber, The Arts Music and language will collide at by the structure, sounds and inter- School of the Arts, is the festival’s Malay dance repertoire, for exam- House, 1 Old Parliament Lane Saturday’s B3 Concert – which locking patterns of the gamelan artist-in-residence this year. ple, the joget, but I also used con- stands for Belia. Bahasa. Budaya, or orchestra. The Oct 21 performance will be temporary sound colours.” WHEN: Oct 21 (with Portrait Of A Youth. Language. Culture – when “This has a deep impact on my preceded by Portrait Of A Com- For example, to produce scenes Composer) and 23 (with Portrait nine Malay poems will be reinter- compositions either by the use of poser, with original compositions of excitement or anger, the musi- Of A Virtuoso), 7.30pm preted as musical compositions. gongs or mimicking gamelan music by Syafiqah performed by the festi- cians might play their instruments The show at the School of the Arts and its harmony,” he says. “There’s val ensemble. in unconventional ways, such as ADMISSION: $36 from Sistic Concert Hall is a culmination of a so much to discover in this region On Oct 23, it will be preceded by producing screeching sounds on a (call 6348-5555 or go to three-month project done in and every day is a new discovery.” Portrait Of A Virtuoso, with a violin or a harsh note on the flute. www.sistic.com.sg) conjunction with this year’s Bulan Young Malay composers, he recital by Syafiqah on the accordi- “I hope audiences will be open- INFO: www.sifom-sg.com Bahasa, or Malay Language Month. notes, tend to infuse elements of on and Nabillah Jalal on the piano. minded, especially those who don’t Winning entries from a poetry Malay music into their works – a Nabillah, 24, is the music director usually listen to classical music. It D2 life arts | THE STRAITS TIMES | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 | Five young Malay composers 1 2 SYAFIQAH ’ADHA SALLEHIN, 26 NABILLAH JALAL, 24 From age four till 16, Syafiqah ’Adha After four years of studying at the Sallehin was exposed to Western prestigious Royal College of Music classical music through her piano in London, Nabillah Jalal will lessons. return home for good later this But finding herself with free time month. after her O levels, she decided to It was in London that the young- join the Orkestra Melayu Singapura, est of three children became inter- which preserves and promotes tra- ested in Malay culture. ditional Malay music in Singapore. The pianist and conductor says: Around the same time, her father, “I felt strongly about how I was a fan of Malay keroncong music, Malay. Being away from Singapore, bought her an accordion. I realised that it formed a huge part “He wanted me to try it out. I of me.” guess because it looks like a piano,” For her thesis, she decided to she says with a laugh. research traditional Malay music Syafiqah, whose father is a techni- from the 1960s, an era with a cal officer and mother a housewife, wealth of original music from is the third of four children. genres such as pop yeh yeh, and on It took her six months to learn to film soundtracks. play the instrument. At first, Nabillah – who is the She would play it every week at school’s first Malay Singaporean weddings and events with Gendang student – was afraid that her Akustika, a traditional Malay music school would not allow her to do it. ensemble she joined in 2009. She She says: “Being a Western classi- also arranges music for the group. cal college, there is nobody who She mostly plays the accordion knows South-east Asian music.” now. Syafiqah is a teacher at the But her tutors referred her to PHOTO: JANE LAU School of the Arts’ music faculty supervisors from the School of and works on music composition Oriental and African Studies, University of London, commissions. who have the requisite expertise. She is not only the first Malay She also received help from musicians in Singapore, student to do a bachelor’s in music including Iskandar Khairuldin, a member of pop yeh at the National University of yeh band The Rhythm Boys, which was formed in the Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Conserv- 1960s. atory of Music, but also the school’s Since then, she has developed a particular interest in first master’s student in 2014. contemporary music, in relation to her identity as a For her master’s, she wrote a con- Malay Singaporean. temporary composition with narra- Together with six other Singaporean students in Lon- tion based on the story of Singapura don, she formed The Bhumi Collective earlier this year.