write stories and make music
[Excerpt from: Funk, Joanna. SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah. Kota Kinabalu: Opus Publications, 2013. 11-13. Print.] DATUK PETER PRAGAS The grass cutters sang their folk songs; I imagined what it would be like to embellish and make extensions to this native music. Datuk Peter Pragas. November 2 2009, Kota Kinabalu. When I first visited Datuk … Continue reading Excerpt: Datuk Peter Pragas
After a decade of challenges in the Malaysian music industry, graphic designer Tian Long had given up on making a living through music. Then he made a funny animated video about being a Hakka Chinese guy pleading with his girlfriend not to go to England. His YouTube inbox was flooded with messages from thousands of … Continue reading Excerpt: TIAN LONG – The Hakka Singer
In August 2008 Dr. Sophie Van Aerde arrived in Sabah from France, to marry her husband-to-be. Two weeks later, I arrived in Sabah from England, to marry my husband-to-be. Serendipity brought us together, and we not only began to play music – because Sophie’s a violinist and I’m a pianist – we became the best … Continue reading Excerpt: Sophie Van Aerde
A group of waist-high kids being adopted by a music mentor, to be tutored at his home? Seems unthinkable doesn’t it? Moses De Silva, a double bass player in Kota Kinabalu, was my translator in this interview. Warning: a bit of politically incorrect joshing between school friends here. [Excerpt from: Funk, Joanna. SabahSongs: Contemporary Music … Continue reading Excerpt: THE STORY OF KIDZ
Thanks to photographer Henry Liew for his contributions to my book. These are a few from the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2010. Here is a bit about that night. Malaysia’s stars fill the sky over Sutera Harbour – 4th KKJF Day One Everyone with Sabahan blood running through their veins will have stood the tallest, … Continue reading Excerpt: KKJF 2010
My friend Yap Keng Vui translated all the conversations with Teo Seng Chong, and I have so much to thank him for. Teo Seng Chong arrived in Sabah in 1986 at the invitation of Tshung Tsin Secondary School (TTSS), to bring Chinese orchestral music into Sabah. He is now Head of Music at TTSS, and … Continue reading Excerpt: The man who brought Chinese orchestra to Sabah
When Darrell Jones posted to the Kooralbyn Facebook community groups to ask whether anyone was interested in deliveries of fresh seafood, the response was a big “Yes!” So Darrell and Jarrelle Jones (yep, their names almost rhyme) drove all the way from Upper Coomera to Kooralbyn a few Sundays ago with their fresh seafood, and … Continue reading DJ’s Sensational Seafood comes to Kooralbyn
