Excerpt from Malay Mail Online   Mr Gambus leaves jazz legacy Acclaimed guitarist and lute player Farid Ali dies after long illness Monday, December 30, 2013 - 13:10   FARID Ali, 50, was undoubtedly one of the finest jazz guitarists to emerge from this region in 30 years. It is he who brought the gambus to the world stage. The Singapore-born artist first laid his hands on a guitar at the age of 11 and soon started performing at talentimes and small parties. His parents had hoped that he would pursue a career in law but that changed drastically when Farid was introduced to the music of George Benson through the album, Weekend in LA. This led him to discover other guitar greats including Chet Atkins, Earl Klugh, and Pat Metheny. Later, his musical interests broadened but he was most keen on jazz, ethnic and world music. Farid left for the US to receive academic training at the Guitar Institute of Technology in California, and at the Berklee

Poets, spoken word performers, short story writers, lyricists all come together for this special 9th installation of Wayang Kata at the Georgetown Literary Festival. Robert Yeo (SG) Pam Handa (India) Sheena Baharuddin Elaine Foster Ksatriya Melizarani T. Selva Karina Bahrin Jac SM Kee Hosted by Jerome Kugan & Jasmine Low ABOUT WAYANG KATA Wayang Kata began in Kuala Lumpur in 2006 as collaboration between the British Council, Jasmine Low and Jerome Kugan, of open mic events Doppelganger and Troubadours, as an attempt to popularise the spoken word. Three years of performances to a packed house saw a host of UK poets grace the Wayang Kata stage in Kuala Lumpur - Francesca Beard, Jacob Sam-La Rose, Malika Booker, Kim Trusty and Polarbear - alongside a constellation of rising Malaysian poetry stars. Wayang Kata is now independently funded and will host its second installation in Penang, featuring a multi-lingual lineup of poets and spoken word performers. COST RM5 min donation VENUE

Go International Group , brand marketing communication specialists, are synonymous amongst the youth and music community as organisers of home grown festival - FEYST: Indie Youth Fest . Meanwhile, Eco Knights , an environmental NGO has been pushing the green envelope with its Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival. Since 2012, both organisations have begun collaborating and this year, together with ideas agency MotioFixo , will produce an ECO music video featuring an original song by an independent band. Go International Group curates the Green Vibes show this 12th October at The Bee, Publika in Mon't Kiara Kuala Lumpur. Entry is free. The Artists Jes Ebrahim Jes Ebrahim Izaidin, 19 is a singer-song writer who has been involved with Environmental projects since the age of 9. A founding member and Youth Coordinator of The Tree Theatre Group, a child and youth based environmental NGO that uses Art; Music and Theater to help spread Environmental messages. He has written seve

It was around 2000, that independent music entrepreneur and promoter  Jasmine Low  of  Go International Group and founder of Doppel Music World first started attending gigs at the Excelsior in Sydney. She became a regular and after relocating back to Kuala Lumpur in 2003, started off her own series of gigs called ‘Valhalla Open Mic’ and ‘Doppelganger Open Mic’ - she says, inspired by  Melanie   Horsnell . Jasmine and  Melanie  kept in touch and in October 2013,  Melanie  would play her first Malaysian Tour. This tour will kick start the 6th Independent Youth Festival, a.k.a. FEYST. Read more about it here: www.feyst.com . Melanie  is currently touring Europe made Pozzible by a crowd funding exercise. FEYST: Independent Youth Festival presents... Melanie   Horsnell  Malaysian Tour (26-30 October 2013) Satur day, 26 October 2013 Bihzhu's #CribConcert 6 feat. Melanie Horsnell View it via new.livestream.com/bihzhu Sunday, 27 October 2013 Melanie H

DoPPel Music World: Gig news Find it on FB There's a new show to the Moonshine series! This one's called Moonshine: Online. Besides it being a show that will be streamed online (hence the Online bit) it revives a long missed music format - the Songwriters Round! All 4 singer-songwriters will be onstage at the same time, taking turns singing songs as well as talking about them.  This first one will feature the amazing talents of: REZA SALLEH - Filling in for a sick Bihzhu. Singer-songwriter and has a sweet tooth problem. AZMYL YUNOR - A veteran singer-songwriter who's work inspired an entire theatre performance recently is no stranger to the scene. His songs have an "every day man" feel to it, a quality not many share and he can be an absolute joy to watch and listen to. PAOLO DELFINO - Cheeky self-depreciation is what makes Paolo the "every day awkward young dude" to Azmyl's "every day man". If genres were important

Hello folks! It's been awhile since we last updated our blog. Here's what went down... and also what's coming up! FEYST13: Indie Youth Festival will be coming down HARD this year with a full program, including satellite shows in KL and Penang and ... drum roll... an affiliation to the Global Battle of the Bands show!  One band will be selected to REPRESENT MALAYSIA for the GBOB Grand Finals in Bangkok, Feb 2014! Expect over 500 musicians, video gamers and even free-runners for this year's fest! See you at Publika, Mont Kiara this November! Don't miss this one, folks! It's the GREEN VIBES SHOW, a part of the KL Eco Film Festival 2013.   GREEN VIBES is presented by the 6th Kuala Lumpur ECO Film Festival and is curated by the people at FEYST: Independent Youth Festival and Go International Group. Saturday, 12 October 2013 3.00 - 9.30pm The Bee, Publika Acoustic Showcase features JES IBRAHIM ARIFF AB BAY DOUCET DZAMIRA DZAFRI

WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013 - KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA The World Youth Jazz Festival (WYJF) is the world's only jazz festival that focuses on young musicians with great achievements. The only one of its kind, the festival had its inaugural concert in 2012, where it was held in conjunction with the event "Himpunan Jutaan Belia" in Putrajaya, in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth & Sports and Jazz Community Malaysia (JazzCOMM). Basically we are a free festival featuring some of the best and youngest names in the jazz world - all for our fellow Malaysians to enjoy and appreciate without any of the social circles or hierachy that many people associate with jazz music - "merakyatkan jazz" is our goal and to bring it to the masses! This is a link to The Star which featured us a few days back;  http://ecentral.my/news/story. asp?file=/2013/4/26/ soundnstage/13010001&sec= soundnstage The purpose of the festival is not only to promote jazz for all

Simone daughter of legendary Nina Simone performs at the KLIJF International Jazz Day CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY ON 30 A PRIL IN KUALA LUMPUR! 1) Master Class 2) Free Concert @ Experimental Theatre, Univer siti Malaya 3) Concert @ Dewan Tun Chansellor, Universiti Malaya The KLIJF International Jazz Day Concert and celebration at the University of Malaya on the 30th of April 2013 will feature an amazing line-up of international and local artistes.   Confirmed Artistes for the KLIJF International Jazz Day Concert on Tuesday, 30 April 2013 are: Simone Nicole Henry Roger Biwandu Quartet French Sumo David Helbock Patrick Terbrack Quartet UM Big Band John Thomas Trio KL Jazz Project Lokman Aslam Dzamira Dzafri Patron The Patron of KLIJF 2013 is Yang Berbahagia Datuk  Ahmad Phesal Talib,  the Honourable Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. Artistes Simone is her own woman, a singer, songwriter and performer whose ability to transcend genres echoes the tradi