'I think the theme and stories in the performance would be of interest to Malaysians, especially those who have roots in parts of the Malay Archipelago,' says Art Fazil, who debuts his 'Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi Live' series in Kuala Lumpur this weekend. Photo: Faizal Hussin
Singaporean singer-songwriter and music historian Art Fazil is set to give poetry fans in Kuala Lumpur a window into his journey in discovering his Nusantara roots in Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi Live, a show comprising an eclectic mix of original poetry, storytelling and songs.
The hour-long solo performance, presented under Masakini Theatre Company's "The Tingkap Series", will be held at Studio Ramli Hassan in Taman Tunku in Kuala Lumpur from Jan 26-28.
Art, who has an over 30-year career spanning music (rock to folk), poetry and writing, currently splits his time between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
He has a keen following in Malaysia, which can be traced back to the 1980s. He was best known as a songwriter for many Malay artists in Singapore and Malaysia, including rock pioneer Ramli Sarip and female rocker Ella.
Art's music career took off in the early 1990s, where he scored radio hits with his solo albums in English, as well as through Malay albums as part of folk trio Rausyanfikir. While he was based in London (between 1995 and 2008), he sang in the streets and in clubs and refined his craft in music schools.
Art Fazil's poetry-music showcase 'Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi Live' was first performed in Singapore in 2022. Photo: Moro Records
In recent years, Art has been focusing more on documenting and writing about Nusantara music. He also co-founded independent record label Moro Records, based in Malaysia.
The 56-year old artiste also released Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi (Selfie From A Train) in 2022, a book of poetry produced during his travels around Indonesia in hopes of better understanding the unique kinship within the region and to connect with his Nusantara identity.
“The poems and songs are essentially about a modern man born in Singapore finding his cultural pivot in the Malay Archipelago, inspired by my travels in search of my roots in Indonesia, mainly Java,” says Art.
“I believe many people in Singapore and Malaysia share similar historical Nusantara roots, with some probably stretching as far back before the advent of European colonialism.”
Art Fazil has given a live performance dimension to his 2022 poetry book 'Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi', published by Moro Books. Photo: Handout
The show, which will be performed in Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia and English, was first staged in Singapore in 2022 to commemorate the poetry book’s launch. It will also feature songs from his 2019 album Good Morning Jogja, which inspired a theatre play of the same name that year. Art acted in and produced that theatre show.
“We had a successful (Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi) show in Singapore back in 2022, but many missed it, as it was just one night,” says Art.
“So with these upcoming shows in KL, we hope give Malaysian fans who missed the show in Singapore the opportunity to enjoy the performance. I think the theme and stories in the performance would be of interest to Malaysians, especially those who have roots in parts of the Malay Archipelago,” he adds.
Selfie Dari Jendela Keretapi Live will take to the stage at Studio Ramli Hassan in Taman Tunku, Kuala Lumpur from Jan 26-28 (8.30pm shows). Book your tickets here or via Whatsapp at +6012-313-1733.
