Classical music
With few - if any - internationally-recognized composers, Malaysian classical music is exported around the world mainly thanks to its star pianist: Valerie Ross (née Ooi Sooi Beng). In fact, if you're looking for a vibrant contemporary music scene in Malaysia, you'd be better off looking to the avant-garde Chong Kee Yong and Tazul Tajuddin, for example, who have won prizes and awards in Europe and Japan. Or to pianist-composer Ng Chong Lim, whose fascinating work revolves around atonality. The same is true of composer Saidah Rastam, but with a more jazz and Malaysian flavor. More lyrical, Johan Othman and Ahmad Muriz Che Rose each work in their own way between the renewal of contemporary scholarly grammar and Malaysian aesthetics. If this contemporary music scene is so rich and vibrant, it owes it in part to one entity and one venue, veritable local springboards: the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and its home, the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, within the Petronas Towers. The country's most prestigious orchestra, the MPO has been led by renowned conductors - Claus Peter Flor or Gérard Salonga since 2018 - and works around a repertoire of chamber and contemporary music. With a very modern outlook and interpretations marked by excellence, the MPO strives to raise its name to the top of the world stage. The states of Penang and Selangor also have philharmonic orchestras. Admittedly, they are not at the same level as the MPO, but they can hold some pleasant surprises in store. As for opera - in its Western form - the capital has its own company, the Kuala Lumpur City Opera, which performs one or two of the great classics of the repertoire each season.
Traditional and syncretic music
If you're looking for an overview of Malaysia's multicultural make-up, you need look no further than its folk music. With such a wealth of influences and origins - a mix of Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist cultures, from China and Portugal - it doesn't take long to get to grips with the country's musical tradition! Particularly prolific, Malay music is commonly grouped into two families: traditional orchestras and syncretic music - i.e. music resulting from the blending of several cultures and styles. The gamelan is without doubt the country's most emblematic traditional instrumental ensemble. Played during royal ceremonies and various festivities, it offers a taste of Malaysian sounds par excellence, such as the saron (metallophone), gambang (xylophone) and gendang (iconic drums). With its astonishing sound colors and spellbinding rhythms, gamelan has greatly inspired Western composers, from Satie, Debussy and Poulenc in France to Steve Reich and Philip Glass on the other side of the Atlantic. The other traditional Malay orchestra is the nobat, a royal ensemble of six musicians playing solemn court music on wind instruments such as the nafiri and serunai. Another component of folklore is syncretic music, which reveals the diversity of Malaysia. The best known is undoubtedly the Joget, a fast-paced music and dance of Portuguese origin, performed in couples. Also of Portuguese origin, the keroncong is a musical instrument (similar to the ukulele) that has become a genre in its own right, where the main instrument is sometimes accompanied by gamelan. One of the best-known groups is Orkes Keroncong Fajar Baru Kajang, formed in 1952 and still very active in the country and on public television. Melancholy, sometimes dramatic, ghazal is found throughout Asia, with regional variations. A love poem of Persian origin, it is played here on violin and gambus (the Malay version of the Arab oud). Kamariah Noor is the great name in the genre. Love is also a frequent theme in dondang sayang, the slow ballads inspired by Portuguese folklore and played on violin and kompang - the omnipresent Malay tambourine. More pop and close to ghazal, we findasli and its mix of Western and Oriental instruments. Rosiah Chik was one of the divas in this field. To enjoy traditional Malay music on stage, a good address is the Istana Budaya. Located in the capital, the Istana Budaya is Malaysia's main stage for live performance. Here you can see performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, Malaysia's biggest productions and musicals on international tour. Above all, it's home to the Traditional Orchestra of Malaysia, a Ministry of Culture initiative designed to promote and preserve traditional Malaysian music. Elsewhere, in the very conservative state of Kelantan, the regional cultural center offers regular (and free) folk performances of the highest quality. The Rainforest Music Festival in Kuching has become a popular meeting place for traditional music, offering a full line-up of artists every year. Book well in advance!
Pop and popular music
If we distinguish between pop (in the English-speaking sense) and chanson populaire (the local variety), one of Malaysia's earliest popular hits dates back to the 1930s with Momo Latiff's Tudung Periok. That said, the first real star of Malay song is undoubtedly P. Ramlee, the local Charles Trenet. Author of a thousand songs, he is still, 50 years after his death, the country's most popular (and prolific!) singer. At the time, music was colored by Latin America, Hawaii and India, but Western influences were already present. Even before the Second World War, Malay songs were based on Anglo-American music. But it was only in the 1960s that Western influence really took hold. This was when the term "kugiran" was coined to describe local groups inspired by "yeh yeh pop", the Beatles and, more generally, all the English-language music of the time. The first Malay "yé-yé pop" song appeared in 1964 with Mr. Osman's Suzanna, and remains a staple today. In the 1970s, Malay music became an industry. From then on, it adapted the major genres of the day to the local market (from hard rock to R&B) and spawned pop stars such as Sheila Majid, Jamal Abdillah (the bad boy of Malay pop) and Zainal Abidin, who synthesized Asian tradition and rock. A huge star.
Current music
With a dynamic music market and an extensive Malaysian diaspora, the latest Western trends have always reached the country quickly. And while the current music scene is rather lively, the Malaysian government monitors, controls and censors any artist or song that "transgresses good taste and decency". Radio stations are forbidden to broadcast songs that "offend the public", any reference to LGBT issues is prohibited, rap is often criticized, heavy metal is clearly restricted and foreign bands have to show their credentials before playing in Malaysia. Despite this hostile environment, the local creative scene continues to thrive, and the hip-hop and rock scenes are particularly prolific. The history of rap in Malaysia dates back to the late 1980s and owes a great deal to the group Krash Kozz, much inspired by RUN DMC. Today, the Malaysian rap industry is huge - but little known abroad because of the language - and is driven by stars such as the highly influential Joe Flizzow and SonaOne. Rock has been one of the country's most listened-to and popular genres since its introduction in the 1960s/70s. The rock scene is extensive, with many bands producing world-class work in all sub-genres - indie, psychedelic, garage, punk, hardcore. If we had to pick just one Malaysian rock band, it would be Hujan, icons of local alternative rock with a particularly devoted fanbase - of all ages. Behind the very pop-R&B Yuna - a Malaysian artist with an international career - lies a particularly lively local scene. To discover it first-hand, the Gaslight is one of the best places to go. You'll hear folk, jazz and rock, in a slightly beatnik atmosphere. More underground and European, Kyo is a labyrinthine, industrial club with Japanese touches. It features hip-hop, house, techno and disco from both local and international scenes. Although a little shy, the local jazz scene nevertheless features a few nuggets. Trained at Boston's Berklee College of Music and New York's prestigious Juilliard School of Music, musicians such as Lewis Pragasam (one of Asia's most influential jazzmen), Michael Veerapan and Zailan Razak have put Malaysia on the jazz map. For a concert, don't hesitate: the capital's (and indeed the country's) best jazz club is No Black Tie. Refined 1920s ambience and a program to match.
Theater and dance
Traditional dances are a cornerstone of Malaysian cultural identity, and their performance is a popular form of entertainment. Each one tells a particular story of the country's culture. Among the most popular is the Javanese kuda kepang , with its hypnotic rhythms accompanied by a percussion ensemble. Menora is a men's dance of Thai origin, recognizable by its masks. Equally theatrical, the Javanese ronggeng sees couples exchange poetic verses while dancing to the sound of rebabs (a kind of violin) and gongs. The more spiritualulek mayang is a classical Malay dance performed to appease or invoke the spirits of the sea. Of course, there are also Chinese dances, such as the Lion dance performed at New Year's Eve, or the Dragon dance, which mimics the creature's movements. While Malaysia offers Chinese opera - which has travelled all over Asia to be adapted to different cultures - the country also features a wide range of theatrical forms. Perhaps the most popular is Wayang Kulit Kelantan, a shadow play performed with articulated puppets. The other major theatrical form is Mak Yong. A hybrid of dance, opera and comedy, the (often spellbinding) performances are accompanied by an orchestra of gongs, drums and rebabs, recalling the golden age of the Malay kingdoms. Closer to the Western vision of opera is bangsawan (also known as mendu), traditional sung theater with choirs, a percussive ensemble and sometimes dancers. Also worth noting is the excellent Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, a good address for contemporary dance, ballet and theater.
