KL SING SONG 2009!
The 5th Annual Showcase of Malaysian Singer Songwriters Music Concert

Date: Fri 30 & Sat 31 Oct, 8.30pm & Sun 1 Nov, 3pm
Venue: The Annexe Gallery
Address: 2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel +603-2070 1137
www.annexegallery.com
Presented by Troubadours Enterprise
Admission: RM25 (Presale), RM30 (Door)
Passes available online at http://www.applause.org.my

Troubadours Enterprise is proud to present KL Sing Song, an annual showcase of the best of Malaysian singer songwriters. Now in its 5th year, KL Sing Song 2009 presents yet another smashing instalment of soulful and endearing songs of love, life and survival as written and performed by our very own modern troubadours. This year we’re featuring 19 singer songwriters performing in three concerts held over three days at our new venue, The Annexe Gallery, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. This year’s list of stellar performers include Najwa, Nick Davis, Wani Ardy, Esam Salleh @ Slowjaxx, Ray Cheong, and Nik who will be performing in KL Sing Song for the first time. Also featured are KL Sing Song stalwarts Pete Teo, Meor, Liyana Fizi (from Estrella), and Karen Nunis Blackstone. We also welcome back to KL Sing Song our favourites Yuna, Melina William, Rendra Zawawi, Edwin & Albert, Paolo Delfino, Sharidir & Nizam P, Otam and special guest David Knight.

Passes for KL Sing Song 2009 will be available for sale online at http://www.applause.org.my starting 26 September 2009.

+ FRI 30 OCT, 8.30pm
Melina William, Rendra Zawawi, Paolo Delfino, Nick Davis, Izzy Mohamed, Wani Ardy

+SAT 31 OCT, 8.30pm
Pete Teo, Karen Nunis Blackstone, Liyana Fizi (from Estrella), Meor, Slowjaxx, Edwin & Albert

+SUN 1 NOV, 3pm
Yuna, Najwa, Otam, Sharidir & Nizam P, Nik, David Knight, Ray Cheong

Poster designed by Shahril Nizam

SINGER SONGWRITER BIOS
In alphabetical order

DAVID KNIGHT
David Knight has played widely within the San Francisco Bay Area, most notably during his run with the ambient/rock band Day One Symphony. He has also toured the east coast of the US, played shows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and a solo tour in Kuala Lumpur in 2008. His current catalog includes the Day One Symphony EP 'A Vicious Circle' (2005), his own 'Collected Works (2005-08),' and the online EP 'Mandala.' David is also a member of Bay Area band Panthelion as a singer/guitarist/effects technician.
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/knightdavidl

EDWIN & ALBERT
"We're not a duo, not a band, not a group…we're cousins!" says Edwin, one half of, well, Edwin & Albert. They both have different taste for soft drinks and the brand of hair gel they use but they both share a love for The Beatles. Members of the same church, they've been performing on and off since 2005 and write mostly happy, catchy uplifting songs that smell of rainbows and morning dew. Music has always been a way of finding beauty and happiness in the midst of their chaotic lives and playing music and writing songs helps them to do just that.
Visit: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40822552488

IZZY MOHAMED
Coming soon!

KAREN NUNIS BLACKSTONE
Karen Nunis Blackstone is a Malaysian singer songwriter, and visual artist currently based in Singapore. Her songs are a fusion of blues, jazz, folk and rock, with lyrics that explore her “East meets West” background. Karen has performed extensively locally and overseas, including Japan, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Los Angeles, and New York. She released her first album “Give Me Sanity” in 2000, followed by her second album “Dark Sun Big Rain” in 2008, which was nominated for Best English Album at the AIM 2009.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/karennunisblackstone

MEOR
Meor Aziddin Yusof is an independent Malay language folk singer-songwriter who has been performing since 1984 and has had a major label recording release Pesta Jiwa (2000) before deciding to take the independent route and continued his craft as a busker in Kuala Lumpur, notably in Kuala Lumpur's Central Market. He is the most prolific local independent singer-songwriter with six albums to date. His critically acclaimed album “Itu Padang... Aku Disitu” (2003) is considered a classic in the non-mainstream music scene.
Visit http://www.pestajiwa.net

NICK DAVIS
Nick Davis is an actor, singer songwriter and composer. He composed and performed music for Helena Foo's directorial debut "The Shape Of Things" and recently acted and composed music for "Lao Jiu, The Ninth Born" directed by Chee Sek Thim. He is recently worked on a new project composing for Helena Foo's "Three", a physical theatre piece and acted as the character William, a play written by Shanon Shah, and directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi, AIRCOND. He currently produces an acoustic show called "This Is Acoustic" with singer songwriter Ian Chow at KLpac.
Visit: http://nickdavismusic.blogspot.com

LIYANA FIZI
Liyana Fizi, from the pop band Estrella, has been wowing local audiences with her heartfelt songs of youthful romance, showcasing her sensual girl-next-door vibe, melodic songwriting and chilled out bossa nova-ish groove. Their self-titled debut album was a huge hit and their songs “Stay” and "Ternyata" have topped almost every local music chart.
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/estrellaband

MELINA WILLIAM
Renowned as the feisty, energetic and accomplished vocalist, guitarist and bassist of local rock band Tempered Mental, Melina William originally hails from Sarawak and has been gradually building a reputation as a talent to be reckoned with in the local music scene. Tempered Mental recently released their debut album, produced by Greg Henderson.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/temperedmentaltm

NAJWA
Coming soon!

NIK
Hailing from Pahang Darul Makmur , Nik bin Jidan is a full time music busker who also performs at indie shows and corporate gigs. He has released 2 EPs entitled ‘Garisan Abstrak’ and ‘javidnamah c4-llpk’. His songs deal with themes of love and humanity. Known for his aggressive strumming and loud, raspy vocals, Nik, a self taught musician, is a familiar face at Central Market where he sometimes busks as well as various popular spots in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

OTAM
Having lived and busked in Calgary, Canada, for several years, Otam made a splash in local circuit with his chilled out acoustic jams, laid back songs and gruff vocals upon returning home. One of the most affable personalities amongst the acoustic performers in town, Otam is sure to wins hearts and new fans at his gigs.
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/otamandnovak

PAOLO DELFINO
Dirty sneakers, broken guitar picks, lush guitar playing and soulful sounds would aptly describe Philippines-born and Malaysia-bred, Paolo Delfino. With a style of music that incorporates strong melodies, acoustic textures and old-school soul mixed with pop sensibilities and a dash of retro vibes, Paolo is quickly garnering attention with his fresh sound and quirky songwriting. No self-indulgent 5 minute solos here, he’s on a mission to entertain and he aims to please. He released an EP in 2008 called “In Between The Odds & Evens”
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/paolodelfino

PETE TEO
Pete Teo achieved cult fame in the Hong Kong alternative pop scene as one half of the duo Mid-Century. After disbanding the group, Teo returned to Malaysia, and gradually returned to making music industry as an independent solo artiste. Known for his intelligent and accomplished songwriting and performances, his debut solo album “Rustic Living for Urbanites” (2003) was released to critical acclaim, winning awards and backed by promotional performances in Japan, USA and Singapore. Teo also founded a series of concerts called “The Songwriters Round” which featured many local singer songwriters. He released his second album “Television” (2007) which won Best English Album at AIM 2008. He is very active in the film industry, appearing in films by James Lee and Ho Yuhang and contributing to film soundtracks including Yasmin Ahmad’s “Talentime”. Most recently he produced 15Malaysia, a short film project involving 15 Malaysian filmmakers and artistes.
Visit http://www.peteteo.com

RAY CHEONG
Ray Cheong has a voice as true as a bell, world-weary as a Charlie Chaplin smile, as broken as a heart. Hailing from Penang, Ray has performed both as a solo artiste and with his band on numerous stages including the “U-Countdown 2007 New Year’s Eve Concert” with famous Taiwan artistes, Project OMG, KL GP Couture and Cusine Festival, No Black Tie and more. Ray was winner of Digi Celebriteen Singing Competition 2006 and was featured as one of CLEO magazine’s 50 most eligible bachelors. His music is a funky blend of bluesy pop rock that has drawn comparisons with John Mayer and Ben Harper.
Visit http://amp.channelv.com/raycheong

RENDRA ZAWAWI
Rendra Zawawi is a soul-folk acoustic singer-songwriter known for his strong vocals and his honest yet dynamic songs. Rendra writes about everyday life - love, turmoils, environment, wars. His studies abroad in UK have given him unique influences on his music - both in melody compositions and lyrics. He has performed extensively locally and overseas, including Japan and Dublin. Rendra released an independant EP in the year 2005 which was recorded in Luncai Emas. In 2007 he released a CD-R of his new materials.
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/rendrazawawi

SHARIDIR & NIZAM P
Known to be one of the most talented buskers around, Sharidir or formerly known by his nickname Sherry, is a veteran independent folksinger-songwriter who writes distinctively unique songs, with equally unique and melodious vocal styling that is both strong and raw. With experience of busking overseas and performing songs in both English and Malay, he has been entertaining passersby in the streets of Central Market , KL for the past decade or more. His performances are also supported by fellow partner Nizam P on percussions.
Visit: http://www.the-wknd.com/index.php/sessions?task=videodirectlink&id=35

SLOWJAXX
Founding member of The Stoned Revivals, Esam Salleh dabbles in stripped down acoustic music on his solo project Slowjaxx, cheekily branding his form of music as “void deck rubber soul”. Born in Singapore, Esam moved to KL in 2006 and has performed and collaborated extensively with musicians and artists in both countries and overseas in Vietnam, Thailand, San Francisco and Haight Ashbury. Esam plans to invade Melbourne next.
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/thestonedrevivals

WANI ARDY
A pasisonate wordsmith, Wani Ardy personifies the bipolarities of modern twentysomething. Her campfire-esque singalongs are celebratory, intense and nurturing, the perfect soundtrack to growing up, getting lost and finding your way back home in the big city. She released a self-released EP in 2008 which has been making its rounds around town and winning new listeners.
Visit: http://www.myspace.com/waniardy

YUNA
Yunalis Zarai began writing songs when she was 14 years old, and started performing at 19 for small acoustic shows for cafes and events, and continued performing at numerous places around Malaysia for the past 3 years. Yuna’s meteoric rise into the local independent scene is largely thanks to the strong following she gained through her Myspace Music account. It is hard to resist the charm she enthuses in her music, causing her daily listenership that to rack up to a thousand or two; an astonishing feat by a local act.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/yunaroomrecords

KL SING SONG RETURNS

Troubadours has been taking quite a long break... Azmyl's been busy recording his album, Sei Hon's been up to his neck with his day job at the National Art Gallery and Jerome's been busy promoting his album. But no worries, we're still alive. And we're returning to organising KL Sing Song 2008.

Mark the dates on your calendar: 18, 19 and 20 July!

Hello everyone, This is way way over due, BUT, all good things come to those who wait what, right? So, here it is, the pics for KL SING SONG 2007!!!

PICS FOR THE SECOND NIGHT

Hope you guys are all excited about KL Sing Song 2007. To help warm yer cockles for the show, check out this special Poptopus player on the right that the nice folks at Popfolio created especially for the concert, featuring songs by some of the singer songwriters who will be performing.

If you like, you can copy the link code and embed it on your own blog or webpage to share with others. We encourage it! The link will be expiring two weeks after the show.

Enjoy!

Yep, it's back. Our annual showcase of local singer songwriters, this year to be hosted by KL Performing Arts Centre for the second time. Sorry about the lateness of this post. We had a bit of a problem with confirming our list of performers. But we finally did it and here's the rest of the news!

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Troubadours Enterprise and KLPAC
are proud to present

KL SING SONG 2007
12 Malaysian Singer Songwriters in Concert

Featuring:
* Pete Teo
* Shanon Shah
* Mia Palencia
* Reza Salleh
* Melina William
* Azmyl Yunor
* Mei Chern
* Jerome Kugan
* Estrella
* Tan Sei Hon
* Mili'z
* Meor

emcee: Fahmi Fadzil

Venue: KL Performing Arts Centre, Pentas 2
Date: 20 and 21 July 2006
Time: 8:30pm – 11pm
Tickets: RM25 (Adults), RM20 (Students, Disabled)


Tickets available at KLPAC (03 - 40479 000) and The Actors Studio, Bangsar Shopping Complex (03 - 2094 9400). Or email tickets@klpac.com. No advance bookings.

Tickets also available directly through Troubadours Enterprise. Call Tan Sei Hon (012 - 285 0931) for more info.


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What will the performances be like? Who'll be performing on which night?

The performances will be held in a "round" format in an acoustic setting. (With professional stage lighting and sound!) Some of the artistes will be backed by one to three muso friends.

On Friday 20 July, the lineup will be: Mia Palencia, Reza Salleh, Melina William, Mei Chern, Jerome Kugan, and Mili'z.

On Saturday 21 July, the lineup will be: Pete Teo, Shanon Shah, Azmyl Yunor, Meor, Estrella, and Tan Sei Hon.


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Who are the singer songwriters?

Glad you ask...



PETE TEO
Pete Teo achieved cult fame in the Hong Kong alternative pop scene as one half of the duo Mid-Century. After disbanding the group, Teo returned to Malaysia, and gradually returned to making music industry as an independent solo artiste. Known for his intelligent and accomplished songwriting and performances, his debut solo album “Rustic Living for Urbanites” was released to critical acclaim, winning awards and backed by promotional performances in Japan, USA and Singapore. Teo is an avid supporter of the singer songwriter scene in KL, having founded a series of concerts called “The Songwriters Round” which featured many local singer songwriters. His latest album “Television” was released to critical acclaim and won three Anugerah Industri Muzik awards, including Best English Album.
Visit http://www.peteteo.com/

SHANON SHAH
Shanon Shah is a singer songwriter whose earnest and affecting songs have won him a loyal following among KL’s metropolitan crowd, which led to his winning the Mandarin Oriental Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award at the 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards. His debut CD Dilanda Cinta was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. He won Best Male Vocalist at Anugerah Industri Muzik 2006. He is currently working on new material for his upcoming album, and on his first play. He also writes for The Sun, Kakiseni and supports and advocates various efforts to uphold human rights and women’s rights.

Visit http://www.myspace.com/shanonshah


MIA PALENCIA
A favourite of the local jazz circuit, Mia Palencia burst onto the scene as the velvet-smooth vocalist of the duo Double Take with guitarist Roger Wang, with whom she released an album of cover songs which gained nationwide FM radio play. The duo has toured extensively, playing in several countries around the region. She is also a talented singer songwriter in her own right, as was revealed during several solo appearances at “The Songwriters Round” and other notable concerts. A part time lecturer at ICOM, Palencia is currently working on original material for her debut album. She recently released her single called “Sayang.”
Visit http://www.miapalencia.com/


REZA SALLEH
Reza Salleh has been attracting a loyal following in the past few years in the Klang Valley for his smooth soulful voice and tuneful songs that are influenced by black American music. He also organises a number of shows, including the successful Moonshine at Laundry. He recently released an EP entitled “Smoke City” which has garnered a lot of radio play, and voted #1 on Fly FM’s Campur Chart.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/rezasalleh

MELINA WILLIAM
Renowned as the feisty, energetic and accomplished vocalist, guitarist and bassist of local rock band Tempered Mental, Melina William originally hails from Sarawak and has been gradually building a reputation as a talent to be reckoned with in the local music scene. Tempered Mental recently released their debut album, produced by Greg Henderson.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/temperedmentaltm


MEI CHERN
Known for her graceful and insightful songs, Mei Chern has been writing and performing ever since she returned from her studies overseas. Her single “Feels Like Falling” was Musiccanteen.com’s most downloaded song of 2004. Also active in the NGO scene, she wrote “Do You See Me Like You”, the theme song to Ong Ju Lin’s awardwinning documentary “Alice Lives Here.” She’s currently working on her debut full length album.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/meichern

AZMYL YUNOR
Azmyl Yunor’s music evokes the working class down-to-earth folkiness of American singer songwriter heroes such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, but imbues it with his own brand of infectious humour and colour. A fiercely independent artiste, the multi-genre and multi-instrumental Yunor has performed and released recordings as a solo artiste on his own Rapidear label and as a member of The Maharajah Commission, Ben’s Bitches and Thunder Coffee Club. He has organised various gigs including the “Sapu-Sapu” series and Troubadours which featured various local talents. He is currently working on his full-length album as a follow up to his well-received 2005 EP “Tenets.”
Visit http://www.azmylyunor.com/


MEOR
The music of the mercurial Meor has been described as raw, edgy and sublime, drawing strongly from his readings of existential and Sufi thought. A top-rate guitarist, Meor has released several DIY recordings of his music including the critically acclaimed “Itu Padang… Aku Di Situ” (2003). Unpredictable as a performer, Meor never ceases to delight audiences with his songs, which range from soft ballads to energetic romps, all unified by his signature wavering voice and mystical musings. Meor has also organised various concerts featuring local talents, most notably “Artist Jam” at Central Market, KL. He recently released his latest album “Yang Terlintas Di Fikiran” which was produced by fellow singer songwriter Ariff Akhir.
Visit http://www.pestajiwa.net/

ESTRELLA
Although only formed in 2006, Estrella has been wowing local audiences with their heartfelt songs of youthful romance, showcasing vocalist Liyana’s sensual girl-next-door vibe, and guitarist Yoby’s simple sparkling melodies. Their song “Take It Slow” was featured on the TV program “Impian Ilyana”.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/estrellaband

TAN SEI HON
Visual artist by day, singer songwriter by night, Tan Sei Hon has been actively performing in various acoustic gigs around KL. Cynically charming, Sei Hon’s songs describe urban life and sexual politics in a humorous way. He also organises various music and visual arts events. One of his earlier songs, “City Of The Cats” was covered by Kuching-based band Evenstarr.
Visit http://myspace.com/tanseihon


JEROME KUGAN
Originally from Sabah, Jerome Kugan is a self taught poet musician who has been actively involved in the KL arts scene since 2000. At the 3rd Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, he was awarded Mandarin Oriental Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award and Best Original Music (Theatre) for “Ops Ophelia: A Fashion Opera” directed by Rohaizad Suhaidi. He also organises various music and spoken word events including Troubadours and Wayang Kata. His music incorporates acoustic and electronic elements, influenced by artistes such as Bjork and Depeche Mode. He’s currently working on his debut album and a collection of poems.
Visit http://myspace.com/jkugan


MILI'Z
Piano and vocal duo Michelle & Ling are among the latest wave of talents to emerge in the local music scene, only just formed earlier this year. But already they are accomplished performers with a clutch of winsome and heartfelt songs. KL Sing Song 2007 is their first major appearance.


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Do we have a little press release thingy?

Yes, we do.


PRESS RELEASE - Kuala Lumpur, 5 July

MALAYSIAN SINGER SONGWRITERS REACH OUT TO WIDER AUDIENCE AT KL SING SONG 2007

This 20 and 21 July, KL Sing Song 2007 will bring together some of Malaysia’s most talented and original singer songwriters for a two-night musical showcase at the KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC). The two-night showcase will feature live acoustic performances by twelve singer songwriters, including AIM winners Pete Teo and Shanon Shah, and critically acclaimed emerging talents such as Mia Palencia, Reza Salleh and Melina William (vocalist of rock band Tempered Mental).

Organised by Troubadours Enterprise, KL Sing Song is an annual event and this year’s instalment will be the third, held for the second time at KLPAC’s Pentas Dua auditorium. It’s also a part of the Ministry of Culture, Arts & Heritage’s list of events under the KL Arts Fest calendar which is happening throughout the month of July. Other singer songwriters set to perform KL Sing Song 2007 include Mei Chern, Estrella, Mili'z, Meor, and Troubadours Enterprise’s co-artistic directors and concert organisers Azmyl Yunor, Tan Sei Hon and Jerome Kugan.

According to the organisers, KL Sing Song 2007 is aimed at showcasing Malaysian singer songwriters who write and perform their own original material, as well as encouraging more public interest in local talents. “There are a lot of talented local singer songwriters with original material who deserve to be heard beyond smaller venues such as pubs and cafes. KL Sing Song 2007’s aim is to provide that platform for our local talents to reach out to a broader audience, in a more formal setting such as KLPAC,” says Jerome Kugan.

KL Sing Song 2007 is also a showcase of the diverse musical talents in the local music scene. “We select artistes whose music we feel represent diverse worldviews, various genres and performance styles. That’s why we put well-established veteran artistes like Pete Teo alongside new talents like Estrella and Mili'z, to make it interesting for the audience. So they can see and hear the rich musical diversity in the local independent music scene,” adds Tan Sei Hon.


Ceh wah.



We'll be putting up the poster image in the next couple of days! Look out for it!