Front Row

Vocalist, percussionist and composer Santosh Logandran is known for his fusing of Indian carnatic music with a diverse array of musical styles. He’s won multiple awards, has his own band called Nadir, and has performed with the likes of Zee Avi. Santosh is launching his own solo album, called “In Pursuit of Santosham” with a night of performance - so we catch up with him on the m...

Two Malaysian choreographers are coming together to present a double bill of contemporary dance performances, in a show called “Woman - On - Man - Men”. While unified around the idea of the Ego, each choreographer explores the theme from his or her own perspective. We speak with dancers/choreographers Kenny Shim and Suhaili Micheline about the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Relatively underrated as far as musicals go, “Chess The Musical” isn’t one that make it to Malaysian shores very often - and is now being staged here by the Bentley Music Academy. Written by Tim Rice with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (of ABBA fame), the musical uses a chess tournament to satirise the politics of the Cold War between Russia and America. We speak...

“Rewind, Replay” is an exhibition by local artist Siund Tan that uses the nostalgic idea of watching television while growing up to reflect on everything from fables and folklore to history. We speak with Tan and Sophia Shung, director of Suma Orientalis gallery, about the exhibition and the inspiration behind his works. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Art Gallery, or Balai Seni Negara, is the premier national institution for the visual arts. What does it have planned for 2020 and beyond, and what role does it see itself playing when it comes to educating the Malaysian public on the visual arts? And what can we expect from the Kuala Biennale 2020? We speak with Zanita Anuar, Director of Exhibition Services, Collection and Conservati...

As 2019 comes to a close, we look back at the ups and downs, the hits and misses, of the Malaysian arts over the past year. Here, we speak with The Star’s culture editor Daryl Goh and artists Ruby Subramaniam and Blankmalaysia, about the local visual arts scene in 2019, and what they hope 2020 will bring. Click here to listen to part 1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Local stand-comic Luwita Hana Randhawa has decided to explore her experiences of being an introvert in the most antithetical way possible - by getting up onstage to talk about it. We speak with Luwita about being an introvert and a comedian, and how these two aspects some together in her performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As 2019 comes to a close, we look back at the ups and downs, the hits and misses, of the Malaysian arts over the past year. Here, we speak with actor Chacko Vadaketh, director/playwright Khairi Anwar, and dance producer Bilqis Hijjas, about the local performing arts scene in 2019, and what they hope 2020 will bring. Click here to listen to part 2. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

An art exhibition called “Domestic Bliss” brings together an artist and curator each from Malaysia and Vietnam to present a joint show here in Malaysia. The exhibition is a collaboration between ILHAM Gallery here in KL and The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre in Ho Chi Minh City. We speak with the exhibition’s curators Khatijah Rahmat and Le Thuan Uyen, about this cross-cultural...

A musical theatre production called “Lost/Found” follows the journeys of four different people who are each lost in some way. We speak with the show’s director Christopher Ling and composer/book writer Nick Choo about why this is a theme that resonates with people, and how they brought the different stories to life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In conjunction with Human Rights Day, we look at the work of a poet from Syria who is a refugee in Malaysia since 2016. Mwaffaq Al-Hajjar has become a well-known name in Malaysia’s poetry scene over the last few years, and he has published his first anthology, called Poetic Entropy. We speak with Mwaffaq about his journey as a poet, and how he uses his poetry to reflect on his own experience...

Self-care has become a bit of a buzzword these days, but it can mean different things to different people. For dancer January Low, the idea of self-care is tied up with being both a mother and an artist. And this is what she explores in her upcoming mixed media production. We speak with January about her evolving ideas of how performing, and her desire to make her artistic practice a sustainable p...

A dance theatre production, When Bells Meet Buckets, is bringing together bucket drumming and bharatanatyam, to tell stories of young people from Malaysia’s urban poor communities. The show, presented by GoodKids Malaysia and LS Creation, is the result of programmes that introduced these young people to the arts as a means of self-expression and self-empowerment. We speak with GoodKids Malay...

The Shantanand Festival of Arts is back for its 5th edition, and this year, the theme of the festival is “Interweaving”. We speak with Kumar Karthigesu and Prakash Kandasamy from The Temple of Fine Arts about how the festival brings together a diverse array of art forms to reflect on the uniqueness of the Malaysian identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Shantanand Festival of Arts is back for its 5th edition, and this year, the theme of the festival is “Interweaving”. We speak with Kumar Karthigesu and Prakash Kandasamy from The Temple of Fine Arts about how the festival brings together a diverse array of art forms to reflect on the uniqueness of the Malaysian identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local multidisciplinary artist Blankmalaysia is presenting his debut solo exhibition called “The Intolerable Interval”, which revolves around the idea of entropy - a gradual decline from order to chaos. To reflect on this concept, Blank draws on influences as wide-ranging as music, science fiction, horror films, and philosophy. We speak with him about his beginnings as an artist, his a...

When it comes to the arts, how do we start ‘em young? To celebrate Universal Children’s Day, we discuss why it is important to expose children to the arts, and some of the ways that this can be done effectively. Joining the show are Diong Chae Lian, co-founder of Gardner & Wife Theatre, and Choo Li Hsian, coordinator of children’s programmes at ILHAM Gallery. See omnystudio.c...

Odawa Wiingushk is a trio of dancers from Canada who tell the stories of three Indigenous Nations from North America through their performances. Ahead of a showcase of their dances in Kuala Lumpur, we speak with group members Lindy Kinoshameg, Leslie McCue, and Jillian Sutherland about the significance of these indigenous dances and the importance of continuing to practice them. See omnystudio.com...

Marika Sardar holds the distinction of being the first Asian curator to be appointed by the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, one of the world’s leading museums for Islamic art. Ahead of her appearance at Gallery Weekend Kuala Lumpur 2019, we speak with Marika about her interest in Islamic art, her work with the Aga Khan Museum, and how art curation is changing in contemporary times. See omnystudi...

There are few stories as iconic as that of Dr Frankenstein and his monster - from Mary Shelley’s classic novel to numerous onscreen portrayals. A local musical theatre production called Frankenstein 2039, seeks to reimagine the story of a man trying to play God, by updating and setting the story in a futuristic dystopian setting. We speak to the folks behind the show, Shafeeq Shajahan and Ha...

It might seem like quite an undertaking to commit to a 10-year project, but that’s exactly what Indonesian multidisciplinary artists Irwan Ahmett and Tita Salina have done with their The Flame of the Pacific project. The project is a series of artistic and social interventions that range from Indonesia to New Zealand, and reflect on the geopolitical issues of the “Ring of Fire” r...

Kuala Lumpur native Ganesh Bala is a musician, composer, and producer who is interested in creating neo-traditional music that infuses rhythm, timbres, and instruments from the West, Indian, and Indo-Malaysian culture. His debut instrumental album brings together Asian musical instruments with contemporary Western jazz. We speak with Ganesh ahead of his show, about his approach to fusion music and...

A project by The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur and the National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage is bringing together Japanese choreographer Un Yamada and Kelantanese traditional dance and music, to create a collaborative piece called “Blessings for Life”. We speak with Un and project coordinator and traditional dancer Zamzuriah Zahari, about finding points of connection between J...

A project by The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur and the National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage is bringing together Japanese choreographer Un Yamada and Kelantanese traditional dance and music, to create a collaborative piece called “Blessings for Life”. We speak with Un and project coordinator and traditional dancer Zamzuriah Zahari, about finding points of connection between J...

The late Ismail Zain is a familiar name in the Malaysian art world, both as an artist and a cultural icon. An exhibition of his works, called (Mem)bayang Maksud, celebrates his unique approach to making Malaysian art and his view of what it meant to be Malaysian. We speak with the exhibition’s curator Jaafar Ismail and Badan Warisan Malaysia president Elizabeth Cardosa, about Ismail’s...