Pure Joy

Second time in one week music made me cry and laugh from pure joy. Today I had a chance to witness breathtakingly beautiful Jazz concert by singer Mia Palencia and guitarist Roger Wang. The concert was held in a Malaysian Philharmonic concert hall in Petronas towers, KLCC. Even when my seat - which was a last minute buy in almost sold out concert - was facing rather the back of the musicians than front I was completely mesmerized by both of the artists. The music painted landscapes to my heart and thoroughly touched my soul.

Photograph is not mine! Copyrights belong to this guy.

P.S. Who would teach me to play guitar? It is an amazing skill!

Friday Love

Thanks to wonderful local band Stonebay I was today introduced to another Malay artist. And she completely stole my heart: YUNA. With her strong translucent voice she flew me back to the Autumn feelings of melancholy dreaming. To the moment when you're sitting in the corner table of a cafe, enjoying hot chocolate and looking at the rain falling down the window. Plus I've never seen as stylish use of hijab as in her style.

Culture Groupie

I've been lucky to be introduced to so many talented young performers in Kuala Lumpur! Last week I got a glimpse of the world of indie rock of KL thanks to my new Finnish friend Veera. I feel like a groupie after sawing local band Brainhead twice during one week. Tuesday night in the Urbanattic...

...and Thursday night in Salmah Cafe.

There I got introduced also to Stonebay.

After the show we of course makan (=eat/eating/dinner/lunch/breakfast/snack/food etc.). Here is some of the members of the court. From the left the boy showing a peace sign is the singer of Brainhead. Next to him is his brother and the guitarist and then the bass and then the last smart looking man in the cap is the guitarist of Stonebay.

Culture comes in many forms and today I finally visited klpac(The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center) for the first time. Friend of mine from our Shakespeare workshop, Sandee Chew, told me that she is performing in the Kaki Blue musical that is now being shown for the last week in klpac. 

The play was like Malaysian version of high school musical but with more controversial aspects "Kaki Blue is about the many uniforms and roles we put on, and shed, as we grow up in this country." (quotation from the playbill). 

As an outsider I didn't always get the jokes the same way as the countrymen but I did enjoy the music, good singers and stage charisma & intensity of the cast. I find the issues of this country mind pondering: the icy peace of different nationalities inside one nation and the limits of the self expression while still being relatively free. Problems are hidden under a surface that seems solid and clean.

After the show Sandee showed me around the Sentul Park where klpac is situated and introduced me to the rest of the cast and other workers and activist at the center. I'll definitely will be hanging around the Sentul area more in the future!

P.S. In the park there were also cute fishes. 

Farewells

The farewell party during my last night in Helsinki was magical. An australian band called Chevrolet Rise played acoustic concert in a court yard of Cafe Engel. My lovely friends stayed up with me until the morning and wished me warmly Bon Voyage!