Yap Keng Vui

  • Prof. Dr Danny Wong — Sabahan Historian

    Sabah is very proud of its eminent historian, Professor Datuk Dr Danny Wong Tze Ken. I have included a summary of his distinguished career at the bottom of this post. So when my friend Yap said, “Eh, I’m bringing you… Continue reading

    Prof. Dr Danny Wong — Sabahan Historian
  • KKIFF: Watching ‘The Sight of Borneo Kirin’

    I was so excited to see the film ‘The Sight of Borneo Kirin’, by Pentium Tee! It was Day 2 of the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) and Yap had a ticket for me. He warned me, “I’m in… Continue reading

    KKIFF: Watching ‘The Sight of Borneo Kirin’
  • Making Sabah Guitars

    Yap Keng Vui, Roger Wang, Gordon Pan, Allen Lin, and Timothy Tang are here in Yap’s workshop. They recently acquired the contents of a Canadian luthier’s workshop in Kuala Lumpur, because he was returning to Canada. So today they are… Continue reading

    Making Sabah Guitars
  • Sabah 2022: Woodwork, calligraphy and the moon

    I’m spoiled from the moment I land in Sabah. Relatives greet me at the airport — poor things! The flight from Kuala Lumpur arrives at such a dreadful time, it gets into Kota Kinabalu at 12.40am and I actually walked… Continue reading

    Sabah 2022: Woodwork, calligraphy and the moon
  • 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.]… Continue reading

    Sunset Symphony – music in a Kudat paradise
  • 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… Continue reading

    The man who brought Chinese orchestra to Sabah
  • 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… Continue reading

    Ethnomusicology scholars pick up my book!
  • 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

    My book seen at a public library in Sabah