SabahSongs book
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Signing a Book for CK Wong, Photographer
CK Wong is a photographer in Kota Kinabalu. His work appeared in my blog SabahSongs, as we were all covering performing musicians in the heyday of ten years ago. I was writing about them and photographers were covering events. The other day I was chatting to CK although I didn’t recognise him because we were… Continue reading
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Playing for Datuk CL Chan’s book launch – audio
I was so pleased to be able to play background piano for the book launch for Datuk CL Chan’s book ‘Family Ties’, which is a history of five generations of his family, from their journey from China to Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu. Datuk Chan is the founder of Natural History Publications (Borneo) and he published… Continue reading
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SabahSongs book in Tanjung Aru new library
Thank you Emmanuel “Nuk” Chee for sending me this photo. A new library has just opened up in the Tanjung Aru area of Kota Kinabalu. Nuk saw the SabahSongs book on a trolley. Let’s hope they place it where everyone can find it! Yay! Thanks again Nuk ♥️🤗 Continue reading
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Datuk Peter Pragas
When I first visited Datuk Peter Pragas, he welcomed me with a gentleness which made me feel quietly delighted and humbled. We shared a plate of biscuits and soft drinks at his daughter Jeanette’s home, off Jalan Bundusan. The living room was heaving with evidence of the Datuk’s musical achievement in Sabah: newspaper articles, publications,… Continue reading
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Tian Long – the Hakka Singer
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
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Sophie Van Aerde
In 2008 Dr. Sophie Van Aerde arrived in Sabah from France. Two weeks later, I arrived in Sabah from England. We soon formed a violin-piano duo called Klasik Elastik. Here, Sophie talks about the French education programme which helped her musical talent flourish in the most natural way. [Excerpt from: Funk, Joanna. SabahSongs: Contemporary Music… Continue reading
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Sunset Symphony – music in a Kudat paradise
The photographs in the book were better, supplied by the Sabah Tourism Board. But Kudat manages to shine, even with what I have here. [Excerpt from: Funk, Joanna. SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah. Kota Kinabalu: Opus Publications, 2013. 44-50. Print.] The story was first published in my blog SabahSongs before the blog became a book.… Continue reading
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The man who brought Chinese orchestra to Sabah
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
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Ethnomusicology scholars pick up my book!
Ethnomusicology scholars have picked up my book SabahSongs: Contemporary Music In Sabah. 😀 The 5th symposium of the International Council of Traditional Music study group on Performing Arts Of South East Asia (PASEA) held their event in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from 16-22 July 2018. Thank you Yap KV for showing me these lovely photos. Yap… Continue reading
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My book seen at a public library in Sabah
My friend Yap sent me a photo of my SabahSongs book in the Penampang (Sabah, Malaysia) Public Library today. Great to see 👍. Thank you Yap! Continue reading
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My book as someone’s present
It feels so good to see my book given to someone (whom I don’t know) as a present. Wow! I hope they enjoy reading it. Continue reading
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Sabah holiday 2015. My book in Gaya Island Resort library
My cousin Shevon WhatsApped this photo to me, taken at the library in Gaya Island Resort. Continue reading
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The Johnny Rodgers Band got my book!
The Johnny Rodgers Band musos have my book, SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah, courtesy of book sponsors the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (SPaRKS). So nice! Continue reading
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My book in Times book store!
My cousin Alyssa saw my book in a Times book store window in Kota Kinabalu. I remember looking at a similar window this time last year before the book was out. I tried to imagine it sitting among other beautiful glossy books about Sabah. It seemed like a dream. Thank you Alyssa. Continue reading
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Music is a thing of beauty; it brings good things to your life – Raphael Lustchevsky
Steinway artist Raphael Alexandre Lustchevsky performed a Chopin recital in Kota Kinabalu on May 8, 2010 as part of the worldwide celebrations “Chopin2010”. 2010 was the 200th anniversary of the birth date of Frédéric François Chopin. I chatted with him after his masterclass, and he said: Music is a thing of beauty; it brings good… Continue reading
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Sophie Van Aerde – violinist, doctor
This was written for my first blog, but Sophie is a big part of my life, so here it is again. 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… Continue reading
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A gallery of the SabahSongs book
It’s just nice to see where it’s getting around 🙂 Continue reading
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Grammy award-winning U.S. folk musos presented with the SabahSongs book!
The U.S. Embassy partnered with SPArKS (Society of Performing Arts in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah), ME Malaysia, Sri Pelancongan Sabah, and American Voices to bring to Kota Kinabalu a concert on American Roots Music on January 09 2013 by Grammy Awards Duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Maxcer, together with Barbara Lamb. Here, SPArKS President Cheong Kok… Continue reading
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Blogger to author
I wrote my first blog SabahSongs from 2009-12. It was about people working in the field of music in Sabah, on the island of Borneo, where I was living at the time. When I said I was moving to Australia, readers of the blog asked me to turn it into a book. Eight manic weeks… Continue reading
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Book Launch Speeches — Video and Transcripts
Video and transcripts of the speeches at the book launch of SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah, at the Jesselton Hotel, Kota Kinabalu on December 20, 2012. Speech by Datuk CL Chan (the publisher) First of all I would like to thank YB Datuk Masidi Manjun for taking his very precious time to be here with… Continue reading
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Book launch transcripts VIDEO
Video and transcripts of the speeches at the book launch of SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah, at the Jesselton Hotel, Kota Kinabalu on December 20, 2012. Speech by Datuk CL Chan (the publisher) First of all I would like to thank YB Datuk Masidi Manjun for taking his very precious time to be here with… Continue reading
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Book launch media coverage
Here is some media coverage about the book launch of SabahSongs: Contemporary Music in Sabah. Most of it is out of Malaysia, in English, Chinese and Malay, but some websites from elsewhere took the story from newsfeeds. Click on them to enlarge. English Chinese Malay Continue reading
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Ready for the book launch!
With less than a week to go to the book launch, we are down to press packs and other publicity. Two days after the launch, we move to Brisbane, Australia. I’m now writing in my new blog, for thIs Australian phase of my life. Writing the music blog SabahSongs for the last three years was… Continue reading
About Joanna
Joanna is British Australian. She worked mainly in financial news in London. In her forties she moved to her parents’ birthplace, Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. She became a pianist at the Jesselton Hotel in Kota Kinabalu and wrote a blog about musicians, which was popular among Sabahans at home and abroad. The blog was turned into a coffee table book when the Ministry of Tourism and Culture expressed interest. Joanna came to Australia in 2012. This is her second blog.
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