Unique People

Salam 1Malaysia,

I’ve always wondered about what kind of people who support themselves by doing some exhibitions. What kind of exhibition are they showing us? What are their inspiration? How can they concentrate on only arts and their products?

Certain people can’t understand what they are thinking and how arts keep them going this far. But this artist is really rare. You can’t find it anywhere else.

Home is where his art is

2009/10/29

KUALA LUMPUR: As a teenager, because of his ability to speak and write in English he was called “orang putih” (white man) by his Orang Asli community.

Artist Shahar Koyok, who is from the Temuan tribe, learnt the language during his secondary school education at a boarding school in Banting.

Shahar Koyok presents his first solo art exhibition, ‘Through My Eyes’, which focuses mainly on the Orang Asli’s struggle to find their place in the 21st century. — Picture by Supian Ahmad

“It is a blessing for me to be able to master the language. It has indirectly helped me to present the complexity of the Orang Asli issues in my work, as well as to share their stories with the rest of the world,” said Shahar who is fondly known as Shaq.

The 24-year-old is depicting the difficulties his community is facing in finding its place in the modern world through his art.

His first solo art exhibition entitled “Through My Eyes” is on until Saturday at RA Fine Arts gallery in Jalan Aman, off Jalan Tun Razak.

Over 30 pieces are displayed. One of them is an oil painting entitled “From Sublime To Ridiculous”, in which the Orang Asli’s struggle to cope in the 21st century are expressed through the scene of a head-to-head combat between an Orang Asli warrior and a drag queen.

“I’m trying to tell the viewer that the Orang Asli are determined to preserve their heritage even if the foreign and Western cultures are having negative impact on the community,” he said at a recent preview of his works at the gallery.

Another interesting piece is called “Wuz Dat?, an acrylic painting of three Orang Asli hunters trying to shoot down a shimmering disco ball dangling brightly above them with their hunting blowpipes.

The message the young artist is trying to convey in this is “clash of cultures”.

“I am showing the dark side of modernity, which I think has contributed to the identity crises faced by many Orang Asli youth today.

“Adapting to alien culture could diminish their cultural roots,” he said.

Shaq still lives with his family in the close-knit Temuan tribe family in Pulau Kempas, Banting.

His interest in art began in his childhood, when he drew on any available surface — except paper. The walls of his home, drawn on with a piece of used charcoal, were not spared his artistic expression.

“I drew dreams. My dreams, to be exact, of my world, my heritage and my kampung surrendering to modernity. It was what I wanted my people to have, to be part of the country’s development and modernisation,” he said.

As he grew up, however, his art took a satirical slant, filled with underlying messages of the chaos that his village has been thrown into by the development and modernisation that he so wanted as a child.

“I have six siblings and I am the second youngest. My father is an oil palm farmer and my mother was a tailor who also wove baskets to supplement the family income.

“My childhood was a rich one… I went on hunting trips, learnt to set animal traps, and catch wild boars and porcupines. I also learnt about plants and herbs, and how to dig ditches for their irrigation,” he said.

Shaq, who will be graduating from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, next month, knows he has been fortunate to have received a good education.

But as the only artist to emerge from the Orang Asli community, he also knows he has a lot more to do for himself and his beloved people.

Source: NST

See? He knows his objectives and he knows what keep him going. So even though we don’t understand what inspires him or how can he keeps on stay on his track, we should take him as inspiration. We should do the same either in life, or works.

The Japan Charity Fiesta and Bazaar 2009

Hi,

I found this interesting event in newspaper today. I never heard of this event but it suprised me that they even got this event from last year and I don’t know if they even hold this event the year before. I hope this kind of event will help develop our art industry, thus world will acknowledge our arts.

Taken from NST Online.

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All things Japanese at bazaar

2009/10/26

KUALA LUMPUR: The Japan Charity Fiesta and Bazaar 2009 will be held next month.

Once again, the organisers, The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur and the Japanese Women’s Association, are inviting the public to their 37th charity bazaar to experience Japanese culture and give something back to the less fortunate.

From branded Japanese products, fashionable Harajuku kimonos and Japanese delicacies to Japanese games, there will be plenty of activities to keep visitors occupied at the bazaar which will be held at the Grand Ballroom, Hotel Nikko between 11am and 3pm on Nov 8.

“The annual Japanese Bazaar is well known for its hand-sewn items, handicraft, homemade Japanese food and merchandise contributed by Japanese manufacturers,” said Japanese Women’s Association president Chieko Kiyofuji at a press conference held recently to promote the event.

Many of the products which include items such as hair dryers, irons and cordless phones would be sold at 20 to 50 per cent below the market prices, she added.

Every year, the organising committee planned new programmes to entertain bazaar shoppers, said Kiyofuji.

“This year, the committee has introduced new activities such as traditional Japanese toy-making and ennichi which is played during Japanese festivals.”

Visitors can also have their blood pressure and cholesterol checked and gauge the state of their health at the Check Your Health corner.

“Last year, we had more than 3,500 shoppers and this year, we are expecting even more guests,” added Kiyofuji.

Proceeds from the bazaar will benefit 31 Malaysian charitable and non-governmental organisations.

To join in the fun, get a ticket by making a donation of RM12 before Nov 8 or RM15 on the day of the bazaar.

Tickets can be purchased from the counter of Japan Club, Jaya Jusco Supermarkets in Mid Valley, 1Utama and Taman Maluri and Isetan i-club at KLCC and Lot 10.

Source: NST

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Here is some pics that i found while ‘googleing’ the event.

The poster for the event - last year

The poster really emits some kind of  ‘japanese’ feeling, rite?

The banner for the event - last year

I hope the event this year will be successful, at least achieve their targets.

The people who went last year

We can see mix of nations there.

Bonzai? Hmmm..

I’m not sure if this is their culture or just some business there.. ^_^

Yup, this one for sure their culture.

Sweet ^-^

Hutan Simpan Bukit Nanas – Hutan di tengah bandar

Hutan di tengah bandar Kuala Lumpur – Selepas mengharungi minggu yang sibuk dan memenatkan, merancang untuk merehatkan minda mengharungi hutan hijau dan nyaman. Tetapi hasrat terbantut kerana setibanya disana, hujan mula turun dengan lebat. Kami masih meredah hutan dalam hujan, jalan yang licin dan merbahaya. Oleh itu kami tidak menunggu lama dan terus sampai ke puncak berdekatan dengan Menara Kuala Lumpur. Berikut koleksi gambar-gambar ekspedisi pendek kami.

Floria 2009 dapat sambutan menggalakkan

PUTRAJAYA: Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) berpuas hati dengan sambutan menggalakkan pengunjung terhadap Festival Bunga dan Taman Putrajaya (Floria 2009) yang berlangsung selama sembilan hari bermula Sabtu lalu hingga 9 Ogos ini.

Timbalan Pengarah Perhubungan Awamnya, Zaharah Selamat, berkata walaupun Floria 2009 tidak menampilkan perarakan kereta berhias, namun orang ramai khususnya peminat bunga masih berpusu-pusu mengunjungi festival berkenaan.

Malah, katanya, Presiden PPj, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman sendiri melahirkan rasa gembira ketika berucap pada perhimpunan bulanan PPJ kelmarin, berikutan jumlah pengunjung Floria 2009 sudah mencecah lebih 100,000 orang.

“Berikutan itu, kita jangka jumlah pengunjung Floria tahun ini mampu melebihi jumlah dicatatkan dua tahun lalu,” katanya ketika dihubungi.

Sementara itu, tinjauan Berita Harian mendapati, orang ramai terutama pengunjung dari luar Putrajaya dan pelancong asing sudah membanjiri tapak Floria 2009 di Persiaran Tasik, Presint 2 di sini, sejak pagi lagi.

Kebanyakan mereka bukan saja datang menikmati keindahan bunga-bungaan tetapi turut meluangkan masa membeli pelbagai produk termasuk bunga, hasil seni, hiasan taman dan landskap sebagai ‘buah tangan’.

Floria kali ini memilih tema `Kemeriahan Warna’ bagi menggambarkan kepelbagaian warna, bentuk dan spesis bunga yang dipaparkan dalam bentuk taman yang mencerminkan nilai budaya, adat resam dan masyarakat pelbagai kaum di negara ini.

Festival yang dirasmikan isteri Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor itu dibuka kepada orang ramai secara percuma dari jam 9 pagi hingga 10 malam setiap Isnin hingga Jumaat.

Waktu pameran dilanjutkan sehingga jam 12 tengah malam pada hujung minggu.

Source: Berita harian online

Hampir setengah juta pengunjung dijangka ke Floria Putrajaya 2009

Menteri Wilayah persekutuan, Senator Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin telah merasmikan pembukaan Floria Putrajaya 2009, 2 minggu lepas.Seperti biasa, tujuan utama untuk menarik lebih ramai pelancong, tidak kira pelancong dari dalam atau luar negara. Tapi, apa yang saya ingin ‘highlight’ kan di sini, adalah kita sebenarnya mempunyai tarikan yang bertaraf dunia.

Mungkin disebabkan ekonomi yang kurang memberangsangkan sekarang, barulah kita terfikir untuk melancong di dalam negara. Sekurang-kurangnya kita tukarlah cara pemikiran sedemikian. Mungkin kerana kita terlalu mengagung-agungkan tempat orang, maka kita buta terhadap keindahan negara sendiri. Kadang kala saya malu sendiri. Sering kali saya mendengar cerita mengenaipelancong luar negara lebih mengenali tempat-tempat menarik di dalam negara kita berbanding sesetengah rakyat Malaysia sendiri.

Marilah kita kenali Malaysia sebelum kita diperlekehkan oleh pelancong dari luar negara kerana mereka lebih berbangga kerana dapat melawat tempat-tempat perlancongan berbanding kita yang tidak pernah menjejakkan kaki di tempat-tempat tersebut.

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PUTRAJAYA: Lebih 400,000 pelancong tempatan dan asing dijangka menghadiri Festival Bunga dan Taman Putrajaya 2009 (Floria Putrajaya 2009) yang mempamerkan lebih 400,000 jenis bunga hiasan berwarna-warni di Persiaran Tasik, di Presint 2 di sini, selama sembilan mulai 1 hingga 9 Ogos ini.

Majlis pelancaran Floria Putrajaya 2009 bertemakan ‘Kemeriah Warna’ itu akan disempurnakan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak di sini, pada 2 Ogos.

Presiden Perbadanan Putrajaya, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, berkata program itu mampu menarik minat lebih ramai pelancong asing dan tempatan ke Putrajaya berikutan sambutan luar biasa diterima sempena penganjuran Floria Putrajaya 2007.

Samsudin berkata, penganjuran Floria Putrajaya 2009 juga membuktikan komitmen Perbadanan Putrajaya dalam usaha membangunkan Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan di sini sebagai ‘Vibrant City’.

Katanya, program berkenaan juga membuka peluang kepada pemain industri landskap dan hortikultur di Malaysia untuk mengetengahkan, mempamerkan dan memasarkan produk masing-masing.

“Saya yakin program yang mempamerkan pelbagai jenis tanaman, tumbuhan herba, landskap dan bungaan terutama orkid keluaran tempatan mampu menjadi daya tarikan kepada pelancong terutama peminat Orkid dari seluruh dunia untuk mengunjung Floria Putrajaya 2009.

“Program ini secara tidak langsung dapat memperkukuhkan imej dan mempromosikan Putrajaya sebagai “Bandaraya Dalam Taman dan Bandaraya Berbunga” serta menjadikan sektor pelancongan sebagai penggerak utama ekonomi di Putrajaya,” katanya.

Floria Putrajaya 2009 akan dibuka secara percuma setiap hari bermula jam 9 pagi hingga 10 malam. Maklumat lanjut boleh diperoleh dengan menghubungi 03-88875034 atau laman web di www.ppj.gov.my.

Source: Berita Harian Online
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Budaya menyatukan bangsa – 1Malaysia

Tari sejiwa
Oleh Shamshul Azree Samshir
sazree@bharian.com.my

Festival rai seni, semarak rumpun Malaysia

BUDAYA menyatukan bangsa. Begitulah yang dilihat apabila seni halus seperti tarian, seloka, gurindam dan syair mampu merapatkan jurang serta menepis bait-bait perbezaan di kalangan masyarakat bertamadun. 

Seni tidak pernah bersifat prejudis. Semua orang layak memberi tafsiran tersendiri dan melalui seni, ruang bagai terbuka untuk diteroka. Pada era moden, kemakmuran sesebuah negara bukan sekadar diukur daripada pencapaian ekonomi, sebaliknya bangsa maju didefinisikan dari setiap unit populasi seimbang yang tidak mengetepikan elemen rohaniah termasuk seni.

Di Malaysia, kepelbagaian kaum sudah lama menjadi simbol kekuatan negara. Integrasi antara kaum jika diperhatikan turut terbias pada seni halus yang diperturunkan zaman ke zaman. Asimilasi seni melalui penyatuan pelbagai elemen dalam rentak tari Melayu, India dan Cina misalnya, membentuk keunikan tersendiri yang hingga hari ini terus menjadi tarikan setiap kali dipersembahkan di mana saja terutama di luar negara.

Dalam mencari-cari erti seni dan bagaimana ia mampu menjadi elemen penyatuan kepelbagaian etnik di Malaysia, Festival Tari Malaysia 2009 yang bakal diadakan di Kuala Lumpur kelak, mampu menjadi naskhah terbaik dalam menilai kecintaan rakyat terhadap seni, penyatuan dan kepelbagaian resam.

Dianjurkan sejak 1992, Festival Tari Malaysia 2009 amat dinantikan penggemar seni tari dari seluruh negara. Apa yang menarik, kumpulan tarian dari Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Sabah dan Sarawak akan bersaing tiga kategori dalam persembahan yang pastinya penuh warna-warni mengikut kepakaran dan interpretasi sendiri.

Tiga kategori yang bakal menguji kumpulan lebih 150 penari, pemuzik dan pegawai teknikal dan pengiring dari enam negeri ini ialah tarian tradisional daerah; tarian rampaian tradisional dan tarian tradisional kreasi baru.

Dalam kategori tarian rampai tradisional misalnya, setiap kumpulan diwajibkan memilih sekurang-kurangnya tiga tarian dari kumpulan tarian zapin, joget, inang, Melayu asli, masri, sarah dan defey untuk dipersembahkan dengan iringan muzik secara langsung.

Pada peringkat ini, nyata elemen penyatuan dan integrasi antara kaum terserlah apabila penari yang berasal dari etnik Sabah dan Sarawak perlu menghayati dan memahirkan diri dengan tarian tradisional Melayu. Di sinilah letaknya keindahan seni kerana melalui seni tari, semua perbezaan dan kesangsian bagaikan hilang sebaliknya hanyut dalam langkah gemalai penari.

Pengarah Projek Festival Tari Malaysia 2009, Zulkarnain Ramli berkata, unsur penyatuan dan asimilasi antara kaum dapat dilihat melalui segmen tarian tradisional kreasi baru apabila setiap kumpulan yang bertanding menggabungkan unsur pelbagai kaum dalam persembahan di festival ini.

“Ini dapat dilihat melalui bentuk tarian dan kostum yang digunakan. Kita memberi kelonggaran pada segmen kreasi baru untuk mereka menterjemah kepelbagaian budaya dan etnik di Malaysia,” katanya kepada Sabtu.

Zulkarnain berkata, Festival Tari Malaysia 2009 membuka penyertaan kepada semua kelompok masyarakat tanpa mengira kaum termasuk Cina, India di seluruh negara serta kumpulan etnik di Sabah dan Sarawak.

Beliau berkata, festival kali ini akan menampilkan segmen khas pada malam penutup atau majlis penyampaian hadiah pemenang yang dijadualkan berlangsung pada 31 Julai ini.

“Segmen ini yang dinamakan Tari Kolaborasi akan menampilkan tiga koreografer iaitu Syed Mustapha, Aman Yap dan Guna yang masing-masing mewakili kaum Melayu, Cina dan India tampil ke pentas membuat persembahan bagi tempoh antara tujuh hingga lapan minit.

“Apa yang menarik, tiga koreografer berpengalaman ini akan mempersembahan tarian kreasi baru yang diterjemah berasaskan kepada layar belakang tradisi masing-masing,” katanya.

Zulkarnain berkata, naskhah yang bakal dipersembahkan Syed Mustapha, Aman dan Guna itu cukup istimewa kerana persembahan ini tidak diterajui sesiapapun dari kalangan tiga penari ini.

“Persembahan tiga koreografer ini mendedahkan peserta bagaimana tiga penari yang datang dari latar belakang dan budaya berbeza boleh duduk bersama dan berkolaborasi menghasilkan persembahan unik diiringi muzik Melayu, Cina dan India,” katanya yang berharap orang ramai tidak melepaskan peluang menyaksikan persembahan tiga penari pada segmen istimewa ini.

Zulkarnain berkata, Festival Tari Malaysia 2009 mahu menghidupkan warisan tarian tradisional dan menurunkannya kepada kumpulan penari atau generasi muda supaya tidak pupus begitu saja.
Apa kata mereka…

FESTIVAL ini menjadi medan terbaik untuk merapatkan semangat muhibah antara kumpulan tarian dan audiens dari seluruh negara termasuk yang datang dari Sabah dan Sarawak.

Kami di Sabah misalnya, mempunyai semangat kenegaraan yang tinggi. Ini dapat dilihat daripada kecintaan kami terhadap tarian tradisional Melayu yang sering menjadi tumpuan di negeri ini selain tarian etnik Sabah yang lain.

Saya menyokong inisiatif penganjur mengadakan festival ini yang pada masa sama membolehkan kami dari Sabah memperkenalkan tarian etnik masyarakat tempatan di Kuala Lumpur… Sudah tentu peserta dan audiens dapat mempelajari gerak tari kami.

Tarian Melayu Asli bukan sesuatu yang asing di Sabah malah boleh dianggap antara jenis tarian popular dan selalu dipertandingkan dalam acara dianjurkan Jabatan Pendidikan negeri, misalnya.

Mungkin ramai tidak tahu, peserta atau kumpulan tari dari Sabah sering memenangi pertandingan tarian Melayu asli peringkat sekolah menengah dan rendah yang dianjurkan di seluruh negara.

Kami dari Pertubuhan Budaya Kinabalu tidak sabar-sabar beraksi pada Festival Tari Malaysia 2009 akhir bulan ini.”

Ketua Kumpulan Pertubuhan Budaya Kinabalu, Nasriadi Abdullah

SAYA fikir Festival Tari Malaysia 2009 mempunyai tarikan elemen intergrasi yang kuat di mana peserta perlu menguasai tari tradisional Melayu sebagai salah satu syarat ditetapkan penganjur.

Nyata tari Melayu di Sarawak ada banyak perbezaan dan memiliki elemen tersendiri jika mahu dibandingkan dengan tarian Melayu di Semenanjung Malaysia. Malah, tarian zapin dan asli yang ditarikan di negeri ini juga berbeza.

Sudah pasti ada unsur asimilasi budaya antara kaum yang diterapkan sepanjang festival ini… Kita dapat bersatu melalui budaya.”

Pegawai Pengiring Kumpulan Hadrah Warisan Murni Bintulu, Ismail Zakira

Info

Acara : Festival Tari Malaysia

Tarikh : 28 Julai hingga 31 Julai 2009

Tempat : Auditorium Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) Kuala Lumpur

Info

Festival Tari Malaysia peringkat kebangsaan adalah program anjuran Kementerian Penerangan Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan sejak 1992.

Misi utama penganjuran program itu adalah untuk memantapkan kumpulan kesenian tari di Malaysia selaras mensasarkan kesenian sebagai satu pengisian kepada industri kreatif negara.

Menganjurkan pertandingan tarian dengan hanya enam kumpulan tari terbaik yang mewakili peringkat zon untuk dipertandingkan di peringkat kebangsaan.

Kategori dipertandingkan pada Festival Tari Malaysia 2009

Tarian Tradisional Daerah (Anugerah Khas Juri)

Tarian Rampaian Tradisional

Tarian Tradisional Kreasi Baru

Hadiah

Persembahan Terbaik Keseluruhan RM25,000

Persembahan Terbaik Tarian Tradisional Daerah (Anugerah Khas Juri) RM10,000

Persembahan Terbaik Tarian Rampaian Tradisional RM10,000

Persembahan Terbaik Tarian Tradisional Kreasi Baru RM10,000

Anugerah Koreografi Terbaik Tarian Rampaian Tradisional RM5,000

Anugerah Koreografi Terbaik Tarian Tradisional Kreasi Baru RM5,000

Anugerah Penataan Muzik Terbaik Tarian Rampaian Tradisional RM3,000

Anugerah Susunan Muzik Terbaik Tarian Tradisional Kreasi Baru RM3,000

Anugerah Kostum Terbaik Tarian Rampaian Tradisional RM3,000

Anugerah Kostum Terbaik Tarian Tradisional Kreasi Baru RM3,000

Saguhati Penyertaan Kumpulan (untuk 6 buah kumpulan) RM2,000

Remember, music hath charms too

I found this article in the NST. The issue is quite interesting and also important to us to read about it.

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I REFER to Johami Abdullah’s letter “Don’t sacrifice music education” (The Star, July 11). I agree that music should be seen as an equally important subject in school just as the others.

However, it is worrying to note that the Education Minister has decided that the time allocated for music education and subjects of the like will be reduced. I assume that this means art and physical education.

It puzzles me as to how the Government plans to cut short the time for these subjects because as it is, students only attend these lessons once, or to the most, twice a week.

To reduce the time allocated for these subjects is short of scraping them altogether.

While the Government emphasises on Mathematics and Science in our education system, it should also take care not to overlook the other subjects. Good grades and active involvement in the humanities subjects are not only the pre-requisites for certain tertiary courses but are in fact, the forte of many students.

As much as the Government emphasises on the science subjects, it also has to recognise that some, if not many, are not gifted in the sciences but they may be prodigies in music, art and so on.

If lesser time is spent honing the skills of these students in music and other similar subjects, how will it be possible to develop the talents of our potential Michael Jacksons and Da Vincis?

I am sure the Education Ministry has enough experts who know that the minds of human beings are subject to multiple intelligence, as discovered by Howard Gardner.

While some of us are geniuses in the logical-mathematical department, a fraction of us excel in the linguistic arena and yet others are gifted with musical intelligence.

An effective education system should manifest the best in students. Emphasising only on the sciences at the expense of the other subjects will not only produce an imbalanced generation but also frustrate students who are talented in the other subjects as they are simply not provided with the right platform to hone their skills.

After all, what is the use of having scientists and mathematicians if there are no future versions of Yo-Yo Mas and Siti Nurhalizas to entertain the former group?

RATHI THEVI PRAGASM,

Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Source: NST

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