Front Row

The zombies are among us - and they're out to get you! With many mystifying and unexplained deaths occurring in our country, could the culprits possibly be the undead? Playwright Adiwijaya and actor Ashraf Zain tell us about this new petrifying conspiracy theory, and their new theatrical production, "Serangan Zombi Pertama Di Malaysia." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Described as mesmerizing, hypnotic and joyous, "Tapestry, Traditions in Transition" is a celebration of Malaysia's dance heritage, performed by the young students of the faculty of Dance from Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan, otherwise known as ASWARA. Joseph Gonzales, Dean of the Faculty of Dance at ASWARA talks about the efforts to keep our rich traditions alive, and how the practice a...

Influenced by everything from the newspaper to love and life in general, Reza Salleh is a singer-songwriter and gig organiser extraordinaire. Blessed with a soulful voice, the industrious Reza not only performs, but has also helped promote fellow local indie musicians to the Malaysian masses by organising the homemade music show Mooshine. Moonshine turns 5 this month and Reza joins talks about thi...

Described as being 'ferociously physical' WG-Spiel and Poetic Structure are a double bill of new works by award-winning Australian choreographer Daniel Jaber. Featuring performances by both Malaysian and Australian dancers, Daniel, together with Rimbun Dahan's Bilqis Hijjas, talk about all things dance and choreography, including this latest marriage of Australian and Asian talents, which is part...

While the changing times spell the decline - and sometimes even death knell - of certain traditional art practices, there remains those faithful few who continue to practice and promote these jewels of heritage. Nirmala Karuppiah is a photographer whose latest body of works pay tribute to and explores the ancient dance forms of Makyong and Chinese Opera. She talks about her latest exhibition, 'Cap...

Giving an insightful new perspective on loss and self-discovery, Lost & Found is a spanking new production which features colourful true stories from an equally colourful and young 12 cast members. The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre's Joe Hasham talks about this collaboration of his with Gavin Yap, and about nurturing young artistic talent in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Minosuke Nishikawa fills us in on the intricacies of Nihon Buyo, which, literally translated, means Classical Japanese dance. Minosuke-san, an almost life-long practitioner of Nihon Buyo, will speak of the art form's origins and rich 400 year history, and run through what constitutes traditional Japanese dance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a style that infuses jazz, blues and soul, singer-pianist Anthony Strong is set to make his Malaysian debut in October 2010 as part of Alexis Bistro's International Jazz Series. With influences ranging from Burt Bacharach to Stevie Wonder, this 25 year-old London-based musician gives us a glimpse of his musical journey thus far, and a sample of his musical style. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Art galore for one and all awaits you at Malaysia's very own homegrown art expo. Returning for a fourth run, the Art Expo Malaysia 2010 boasts of an even greater and diverse collection of artworks on display, from both local and international participants. Telling us about the struggles and triumphs of putting this expo together, and the benefits of this endeavour, are Art Expo's Organising chairm...

Characterized by simplicity and synchronization, Bachata is a dance form that originated from the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. The World Bachata Festival, Kuala Lumpur makes its debut this week and festival organiser Liitha Krishnan and Bachata exponent Jorge Elizondo from the United States, to talk about this romantic dance and the feisty festival that's in store. See omnystudio.com/listener...

2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the famed pianist Robert Schumann and a special concert called 'Of Foreign Lands and People' will be staged to celebrate his life and works. Kok-Ting Chong and Dr. Volker Wolf of Artists Platform and Goethe-Institut Malaysia respectively, enlighten us on Schumann's life, and the tributary concert they've got lined up. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Three Malaysian artists - Chi Too, Minstrel Kuik and Poodien - take centre stage at this year's Three Young Contemporaries art exhibition, which specifically showcases the works of up and coming artists. The exhibition's curator Eva McGovern introduces us to the works of these rising arty stars, and to tell us what's in store at the exhibition, which is presented by Valentine Willie Fine Art Kuala...

The fall of Saigon and the plight of its boat people may not quite seem the stuff of a stand-up comedy routine, but Vietnamese-born comedian Hung Le manages to add some hilarity to the horror. Having taken his stand-up routine all over the world, Hung Le is set to perform in Malaysia at the 'Kings and Queen of Comedy Asia' show. He tells us more about his colourful life, and what he and the rest o...

Young, energetic poet-rapper Omar Musa explains the business of spoken word poetry, which has now become a democratizing force to be reckoned with. Learn more about slam poetry and also about Omar's written and spoken poetry, which focuses on issues of justice, individual dignity and community identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Taylor-Leech is an Australian-based sound designer, producer and composer, who is currently the artist-in-residence at Instant Cafe's House of Art & Ideas [CHAI]. He enlightens us about the artistry of sound, and talks about the upcoming performance, installation and recording projects that he has in store as part of his residency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love, life and desire, as experienced by Malaysian women, are the stories you will find at HerStory. This art project is dedicated to providing a space for Malaysian women to collectively and creatively express themselves, in a more holistic manner. Womens rights advocate Angela M Kuga Thas and writer Julya Oui tell us about their distinctly Malaysian project of empowerment. See omnystudio.com/lis...

Photocrafter Suchen SK shares his experiences as a traveller and photographer, while giving a sneak peek of his latest project, a coffee-table book on waste management in Malaysia, titled "Wonderland, Beyond the Bin". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Euripedes' classic Greek tragedy, Medea , is given a traditional Malay twist, in Teater Rakyat's upcoming performance at The Actors Studio. Chorus members Elza Irdalynna and Siti Farrah Abdullah to talk to us about this production, which will incorporate elements of dikir barat and gamelan, among others, to bring this tale of betrayal and revenge to life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

A tough childhood, broken home, lack of formal education and severe poverty led a teenage Yong Vui Kong straight into the arms of bad company. Now on death row for drug trafficking in Singapore, the repentant 22-year old has little hope of survival. 'Banduan Akhir di Sel Akhir' is an upcoming play presented by Rumah Anak Teater in collaboration with Amnesty International Malaysia, which is inspire...

Envision: Braille As Art is a unique artistic achievement, inviting both visually impaired and sighted people to experience the works on display through the senses of touch and sound. Artists and co-organisers of the exhibition, Philip Wong and Susanna Goho-Quek talk about the conception and execution of this exhibition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heartfelt acoustic tunes are set to reverberate at the Actor's Studio at RE:play, a concert dubbed a night of acoustic covers. Join musicians Ian Chow and Tony Leo Selvaraj as they discuss their respective music careers, and the soulful performance they've got planned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LiveShocks is an event that aims to gather writers of all colour, shape and talent to share their work aloud, unencumbered and uncensored, in a comfortable environment. Alex Chua, Elza Irdalynna and Nick Dorian from the The Electric Minds Project, the organisers of LiveShocks, join us to further elaborate on this project of growth, and how you too can unleash that inner writer in you. See omnystud...

The Indie Youth Festival was launched with the aim of empowering youths to explore and discover things that they are passionate about, in a free and unfettered manner. Festival organiser Jasmine Low and E-sports Tournament Manager Eric Seah discuss this year's 10-day festival, which is packed with events related to music, film, beatboxing and gaming - just to name a few. Find out more about acitiv...

The Short and Sweet Festival is the biggest short play festival and competition in the world, which follows a quirky 10 minute format for each entry. Originating from Sydney, this third installment of the Malaysian edition sees the introduction of the Musical Theatre category, which joins the dance and theatre categories. Actor and director Megat Sharizal tells us more about the festival and compe...

My God is my Truck - Heroic Portraiture from the Far Side of Paradise , is the much awaited solo exhibition by visual artist Anurendra Jegadeva, which has been in the making for the last two years. This self-professed nostalgist-artist talks about his life and his latest body of work, the inspiration behind it, and the enduring power of the painted image. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...