Front Row

OUR ArtProjects is an art consultancy and project platform established in 2013, which aims to focus on identifying and representing important practices in Malaysian art, with an emphasis on emerging and mid-career talents. We find out about the company's plans to advance vital, meaningful yet inclusive dialogue among artists, enthusiasts, collectors, curators, and institutions in Malaysia and arou...

Local vocal group Tapestry are set to present a fun-filled show called "Stereo & Popcorn" which features a mix of songs from radio, music theatre and the silver screen. We find out all about the group and get a teaser of the interactive show in store from Charity Lee, the Founder and Musical Director of Tapestry and Jason Voon, one of the group's bass singers. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Both legends and consummate performers in their own right, pianist and vocalist Don Gomes and percussionist Louis Soliano will join forces with Malaysian bassist Wan Azfarezal for a jazzy performance at No Black Tie. We get to know more about their remarkable careers and find out what they've lined up for their upcoming performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Described as a testimony to dancer/ choreographer James Kan's depth and vision as a choreographer, this beautiful piece highlights the complex struggle between a fragmented soul and a complete outer body, balancing between illusion and reality. We find out more about this dance performance from James himself, who is joined by Assistant Choreographer Lee Wen Yan and Publicity Manager Wong Pui Yi. S...

'Postcards from Rosa' is Singapore playwright Desmond Sim's tribute to his late grandmother, which promises to warm the hearts of all with its take on tradition and family life. Christopher Ling directs Marina Tan in this journey of laughter, hope, tears and discovery, which is told by the title character Rosa, a Peranakan grandmother. Chris and Marina join us to share more. See omnystudio.com/lis...

Based on the Academy Award-winning film by Akira Kurosawa, this stage production is set against the backdrop of modern-day Osaka, where a shocking crime takes place. The search for the truth is not so simple, and we find out about the intrigue in store from lead actors Doppo Narita and Patrick Teoh. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Gershwin to P. Ramlee, the Choir of The Philharmonic Society of Selangor are celebrating unforgettable eras in music with a series of charity concerts called Heart & Soul, in conjunction with their 55th anniversary. We hear all about it from Brenda James, a committee member of the Selangor Phil, and also Christine Wong, the Founder and President of the Special Children Society of Ampang (...

Known as the Clay Artist, Husny Dahlan is a Muslim-American artist whose work is said to be informed by Islamic as well as Western and Japanese traditions, and also by the experience of being a Muslim in post-9/11 America. Here in Malaysia for a series of events, he discusses his career in art and his plans for his stay here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bunraku is a 400-year old Japanese tradition, which is set to be performed for the first time ever in Malaysia by upcoming Living National Treasure of Japan, Kanjuro Kiritake III. Mio Yachita, Head of the Cultural Affairs Department, The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) shares the historical background and significance of this art form, while giving a rundown of the events in store here in Ku...

Noticing a lack of dialogue on local art, both Sharmin Parameswaran and her partner, Rachel Jenagaratnam, came up with a concept that would facilitate conversations, which they both felt was necessary to the overall discourse on art. The result is "Art in Search of Words," an exhibition curated and commissioned for the recently concluded #Word Festival by art gallery Interpr8. Sharmin, the owner o...

Set to perform at No Black Tie, we get to know the musical trio Born, who are known for their direct and catchy compositions which range from groovy to melancholy. We hear from pianist Born Sanders, drummer Peter Weissink and bassist Martin B about what they have in store for their first performance in Kuala Lumpur. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian Social Research Institute or MSRI is a non-profit organization that runs the The Sahabat Support Centre. Known as the SSC for short, they provide services to refugees from minority communities who are living in Malaysia waiting to be resettled in a third country. This World Refugee Day, we speak to Yolanda Lopez, a programme officer with MSRI, about the work she does through the orga...

The New York Times describes comedian/actor/ host/ travel writer Tom Rhodes as "a mostly natural intellect with a knack for reporting the harsh realities of life with a dark and absurdly optimistic cynicism." Headliner for the 'Jolly June Jacks with The Comedy Club KL' show this month, we get to know this international act better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all read the letters in the papers - the ones that start with 'Dear [Name]' and end in tears and foibles. Now Jon Atherton and Andrew Netto are offering to make things right, fielding questions from the audience in their upcoming show The Agony Uncles. Rizal Kamal, Founder and CEO of Vivify & LOL Events, joins Andrew Netto to tell us more about the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Ballerinos entertain and astound the audience with their combination of brilliant dancing technique, tongue-in-cheek and blatant humour with intentional foibles, dancing mishaps and, of course, hissy fits! Here to tell us more are Victor Trevino, Artistic Director and Founder of Les Ballets Eloelle, and one of the dancers, Jhonatan Mendez. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee Ren Xin is a dancer and choreographer whose work focuses mainly on instant performance, contact improvisation and the human. She will be leading a workshop at the 5th MyDance Festival, and will also be presenting an excerpt she choreographed from Singapore's The Human Expression Second Company.  Ren Xin joins us in the studio to tell us more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

The MyDance Festival aims to show off the depth and diversity of dance in Malaysia, and with Chwi Lynn Lee this afternoon are two participants: Lim Sae Min, director and David Lim, curator of Show Reels, here to tell us more about the events they are managing within the festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Often dubbed the Olympics of the art world, Art Basel is renowned as both the largest and most highly acclaimed display of global contemporary art, and is now heading to Asia for its inaugural Hong Kong exhibition, which kicks off on the 23rd of May 2013. Out of more than 600 galleries who applied, only 245 were selected for participation, Wei-Ling Gallery being the only gallery from Malaysia. Gal...

Combining Broadway style music with an essentially Malaysian story, the musical Broken Bridges won the hearts of many when it first premiered back in 2006, thanks to its catchy tunes and relatable characters and plot.  Set to be restaged from today - nearly a decade since its premiere, Meera Sivasothy meets the writers of the acclaimed musical, Lim Chuang Yik and Teng Ky-Gan, who join her to...

One is a classical pianist par excellence, the other a drummer/producer extraordinaire. Together, pianist Mei Lin Hii and drummer Lewis Pragasam joined their almost other-wordly musical forces in an attempt to redefine classical music as we know it.  The combined powers of the award-winning duo led to "Beat Goes Bach", a project which explores the possibilities of mashing up classical Bach mu...

As well as being a true guitar innovator, he is also a master concert performer, dazzling audiences with his solo shows which combine virtuosity, emotion and humour with a strong stage presence. Original in his approach to music, he designs and handcrafts his own twin neck guitars to achieve his unique musical voice.    Peter Dickson joins Meera Sivasothy to talk about his background and...

Described as the artist with scalpel and brush, Sir Roy Yorke Calne is a pioneer of organ transplants - the surgeon who in the 1950s found ways to stop the human immune system from rejecting implanted hearts, livers and kidneys.  An artist and writer as well, Sir Roy's works have been exhibited internationally,  including in the US, throughout Europe and in Asia.  A retrospective of...

A talented photographer and reporter, Francoise Huguier is famous for her works that document her travels around the globe. Here latest exhibition, "Vertical / Horizontal", is set to kick off in Kuala Lumpur, and is said to offer an immersion into the middle classes of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Meera Sivasothy finds out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wonderful artist with unusual musical talent, Claude Diallo is said to have an uncanny ability to play not only complex and changing cross rhythms, but also poly rhythms on the piano that incorporate original melodies.  Here in Kuala Lumpur for three nights of jazzy performances, Meera Sivasothy gets to know this globe-trotting jazz pianist and find out more about his musical journey here i...

The Enfiniti Academy is starting two brand new courses: Technical 360, designed to teach participants all about stage production and behind-the-scenes of theatre, and Let's Dance!, a dancing course with award-winning dancer and dance instructor Suhaili Micheline.  Suhaili Micheline and Joanna Bassey, the Programme Director of Enfiniti Academy, join Meera Sivasothy in the studio to tell us mor...