EIGHTEEN artistes left the glitzy stage to perform at the old lanes and buildings in Jalan Sultan on Malaysia Day to advocate heritage conservation.
The weathered wall near the century-old Selangor Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association’s building, the windows of a pre-war shophouse and a stage built in the 1930s became the unique backdrop of the event entitled “Safeguarding Jalan Petaling”.
It was warmly welcomed by hundreds of people who braved the rain and heavy traffic to show their support. To catch the show, they did not even mind sitting on the wet floor of an open carpark, where the Chik Sin Tong funeral parlour used to be.
Safeguarding our heritage: Youths thronged Jalan Sultan in support of the event. Organised in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival by a group of volunteers and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, the performance was the culmination of a day-long event consisting of a heritage walk, old photo exhibition and children sketching the buildings’ facade.
Youths made up a large segment of the crowd, who brought their own lanterns and candles for the occasion while others were eagerly photographing every angle of the event.
The flow of programme was smooth even though it was held indoors, at road kerbs and a carpark for the various performances.
The performers, included sopranos Angela Chok and Ang Mei Foong, tenors Lim Cheng Hock and David Ngim, singer Yudi Yap as well as the award-winning choir from Yan Keng.
It was indeed a hypnotising rendition with the singers’ voices reverberating through the old walls amid the drizzle.
Good turnout: Hundreds of people waiting in the rain by the side of the road to catch the performance. The Yan Keng’s choir sang from the association’s antique stage but part of the crowd could not get in due to the hall’s limited capacity.
Theatre performers from Nyoba Kan, garbed in traditional costumes, augmented the scene with their Butoh performance, a muted portrayal of Jalan Sultan’s rich history as well as the unwavering support of the local residents.
“Jalan Sultan and Jalan Petaling were the starting point of my singing career,” recalled Yudi who serenaded the crowd with two classical numbers.
She said she was surprised and impressed that the event was prepared within three weeks.
Students played a proactive role, too. Some of them from the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) narrated Chinatown’s history through a Minangkabau tribal dance while Chinese orchestras from the Confucius High School and SEGi College stirred up a nostalgic ambience alongside other professional musicians.
New Era College’s students sported ghoulish make-up and vampire attire, walking amid the crowd with a plaque that read “Heritage Sacrificed”.
Dialect expert Chong Keat Aun and his mates, who painted one side of their faces to look like Chinese opera artistes, performed a puppet show complete with songs sang in various Chinese dialects.
“Jalan Petaling and Jalan Sultan are known to everyone, especially those from outstation who come to work in KL. It is their first stop away from home. If Jalan Petaling/Jalan Sultan is ‘taken away’, it is akin to depriving people of a lifetime of memory,” he said.
Chong added that none of the artistes were paid to perform.
“Even though the artistes involved do not live here, they care a lot about protecting the identity of this place just like the locals,” he added.
Malaysia Crosstalk Club kept the crowd riveted with hilarious conversations while Dua Space dance theatre delivered a power-packed show much to the delight of the crowd who did not leave until 11pm.
No comments:
Post a Comment