News & Events

THE SECRET LIFE OF NORA, A MUSICAL EVERY MALAYSIAN CAN ENJOY

1 OCTOBER 2011 – The grand curtains of Istana Budaya’s Panggung Sari were finally drawn to unveil Enfiniti Vision Media’s most anticipated production of The Secret Life of Nora (NORA). Enfiniti, the critically-acclaimed company that produced the award-winning Puteri Gunung Ledang and P.Ramlee the Musical, first announced NORA in March which created a mega buzz amongst the media and theatre goers in Malaysia. The appreciation of the original storyline, beautiful melodies and amazing moves and acts by the highly talented stars translated to thunderous and heartfelt applause and standing ovations from the full house audience for the opening performance.

SIAPA DIA AGENT NORA?
Presented by Maxis, an avid supporter of ‘homegrown’ productions, NORA is set in glitzy and glamorous 1960’s Malaya, where two of the most unlikely people find themselves bound together by a mission to eradicate the threat of an evil operation. Nora, a popular but protected prima donna, is pulled out of her sheltered world by Roger Foss, a suave British secret agent, to become the spy organization’s newest recruit. Lost in a world where missions need completing, contraptions need destroying and baddies need capturing – Nora and Roger seek to rescue the victims, but ultimately, they find each other.

A MUSICAL PRODUCTION MALAYSIANS CAN BE PROUD OF
It is an exciting moment for Enfiniti and possibly for the industry, as Enfiniti crafts an original story that promises to be a stunning audio-visual feast incorporating elements of spectacle, fantasy; and a fusion of original music and pop music from across the eras. This is what makes Enfiniti so unique-a company that believes in always pushing frontiers, challenging the threshold with the aim of raising the bar for the Malaysian musical theatre industry to international standards.

Tiara who is also the Executive Producer of The Secret Life of Nora and President of Enfiniti Vision Media comments,
“It’s a musical of many firsts for us. Every time we learn something new and set new benchmarks, it is a huge step for the Malaysian arts and entertainment industry. While it would be a tremendous blessing and a dream come true for us to be able to bring The Secret Life of Nora beyond our shores, we firstly need to make it right for the Malaysian audience and garner their support. If we are successful in this we hope this would be a production that each and every Malaysian would be proud to call their own.”

It is Malaysia’s first bilingual musical that welcomes every Malaysian regardless of race and age to Istana Budaya. A production inspired by the famous 60s spy movie, Nora Zain, The Secret Life of Nora is a much anticipated musical featuring a star-studded cast, from the likes of the award-winning producer, actress and arts advocate Tiara Jacquelina, Malaysia’s #1 TV host Aznil Hj Nawawi, award- winning actress, singer Adibah Noor and Broadway heartthrob Ryan Silverman who played as Raoul in The Phantom of The Opera and Tony in West Side Story.

1MALAYSIA 1 WORLD SPIRIT
The Secret Life of Nora was brought to life by the hard work of more than 200 people from the creative team, principle cast, ensemble, musicians, marketing and communications team, publicity team, sales and ticketing team, stage and production management, front-of-house, special effects team, stunts team, set and props team, and costume makers.

NORA is the largest collaboration featuring top Malaysian talents to foreign expertise.
1 Malaysia 1World
1 Executive Producer: Tiara Jacquelina Director : Steven Director (UK)
2 Bookwriter: Raymond Miranda English Scriptwriter : Elliot Davis (UK)
3 Malay Scriptwriter : Mamat Khalid Lyricist: Alfian Sa’at (SG)
4 Composer: Onn San Set Designer: Francis O’Connor (UK)
5 Music Director: Roslan Aziz Lighting Designer : Nick Richings (UK)
6 Choreographer: Pat Ibrahim Audio Engineer: Ken Freeman (US)
7 Assistant Director : Chedd Eddie Yusoff Costume Desginer :Moe Kassim (SG)
8 Costume: STYLO International

INILAH MASAKU MENGEJAR ANGAN-ANGAN, SURATAN TAKDIRKU DI DALAM GENGGAMAN
“We are blessed to be working with wonderful people whom we love to work with, and people who share the enthusiasm, passion and belief in Enfiniti’s philosophy of creating quality products that everyone can enjoy. NORA, was no ordinary task. It would have been easier bringing in a ready franchised show, and execute it in Malaysia, but Enfiniti decided to produce an original spy musical…and may I add on we decided to produce a very technical show full of spectacle!.” Associate Producer Izan Satrina Mohd Sallehuddin comments.

Aesthetically, the musical presented a never-before-seen whimsical depiction of Malaya via a “smart” set of six three-storey high towers that were cleverly created to provide for every scene in the musical for eg “ Kelabu Malami” for Nora’s club, New New World for Mr J’s club, the jungle, Mr J’s laboratory amongst others. A production that’s designed to tour, each side of the tower possesses a different façade for the various scenes in the musical. Giant coloured-LED curtains especially secured from the region were also vividly changing colours to create the mood for scenes in the show.

The sound, lighting, costumes, choreography was carefully created to depict the right tone and mood for the show. The audience were delighted to know that the musical paid homage to Malaysia’s golden era of entertainment through unforgettable tunes such as Saloma’s “Tiru Macam Saya” and Zainab Majid’s “Siapa Dia”; the latter being Tiara’s latest single. Both songs were given a new breath of life with refreshing and vibrant musical arrangements by Roslan Aziz.

A few scenes showcased aerial artistes performing dramatic and graceful aerial choreography but the audience were astounded when Nora, Agent Roger, Agent Farouk, and even Khatijah, were hoisted in mid-air; actions that required tremendous amount of bravery, technical and timing precision. The show continued offering more surprises to everyone’s delight namely cameo roles by Wahab, an exotic albino python and an on-screen appearance by Mamat Khalid as Hong Kong.

“This is one of the most collaborative writing process that I have been a part of. We have writers in two languages, and from three different countries. So much of this story is written with the help of Skype. It opened us up to a new global collaboration. It was personally very challenging, but ultimately very satisfying for me” said Raymond Miranda who is the Group VP, Strategy & Content for Enfiniti Vision Media.

DEAR AGENT, PLEASE REMEMBER
NORA plays for 15 evening shows and 6 matinee shows till 16 October and ticket prices are priced at
- RM30 and RM50 for Upper Circle seats,
- RM110 and RM220 for Grand Circle seats,
- RM120, RM230 and RM350 for seats at the Stalls.

The Secret Life of Nora is staged at Istana Budaya from 29 September to 16 October. To purchase tickets, log on to airasiaredtix.com, call 03-8775 4666, or visit Istana Budaya Box Office.

Corporate Bookings:
Corporate packages are also available immediately (minimum 20 seats). For more information, corporate parties may contact Hilda Looi at hilda@enfiniti.com.my / 03-6142 9877.

NORA Online via Social Media:
Fans are urged to log on to NORA on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest on NORA.

www.facebook.com/TheSecretLifeOfNora
www.twitter.com/agentNORA

About Enfiniti Vision Media
ENFINITI VISION MEDIA SDN.BHD., formerly known as Enfiniti Productions Sdn. Bhd. is a significant contributor to the Malaysian arts and entertainment scene. The company was established by award-winning actress and producer, Tiara Jacquelina, as an expansion of KIT KAT KLUB Entertainment (M) Sdn. Bhd. And TEN On TEN Pictures Sdn. Bhd. In 2004, Enfiniti went on to produce Malaysia’s biggest budget movie, Puteri Gunung Ledang which was shortlisted for the Oscars. Subsequently the movie was adapted into the award-winning musical. Puteri Gunung Ledang, P. Ramlee the Musical and West End Stars in Concert have since solidified Enfiniti Vision Media as a forerunner in premium quality musical content in Malaysia.

Enfiniti has also expanded with a few subsidiaries beneath its wing such as Kit Kat Klub Events, Borneo Rainforest Café, Enfiniti Films, Ten on Ten Pictures, Enfiniti Academy of Musical Theatre & Entertainment Arts (ENACT) and Warisan – The Malaysian Cultural Village.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS:

Presented by: Maxis
Supported by: Kementerian Penerangan Komunikasi & Kebudayaan and Istana Budaya
Official broadcaster: Astro
Official newspapers: New Straits Times and Berita Harian
Official cinema: TGV Cinemas
Official radio: ERA FM
Official lifestyle mall: Pavilion
Official fashion: STYLO
Official make-up: M.A.C.
Official aerial artists: Viva Vertical
Official hairstylist: Secolo Hairdressing

ANNEX

THE MAIN CAST
Tiara Jacquelina as Agent Nora
Ryan Silverman as Agent Roger Foss
Aznil Nawawi as Mr. J
Adibah Noor as Khatijah
Tony Eusoff as Agent Farouk
Stephanie Van Driesen as Betty
Aaron Khaled as Sharif

FEMALE ENSEMBLE
Nadia Aqilah Bajuri as Marina (understudy of Agent Nora)
Arliana Mansor
J. Redza
Ratnah Awal
Davina Goh
Nadiha Mohammad
Haznita Mohd. Hamzah
Nazurah Hanoom Hanafie Imam
Ruzana Ibrahim
Chung Ming Ming
Lily Zarina
Suhaili Micheline (Dance Captain)

MALE ENSEMBLE
Iedil Putra Alaudin (understudy of Mr. J and Sharif)
Mohamad Faizal
Farhan Hassan
Mohd Sehakirin
Rudy de Luna Jr
HMC Phlow

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Executive Producer: TIARA JACQUELINA
Tiara Jacquelina is an award-winning actress and film producer. She has been involved in the entertainment industry since the 1980s and rose to fame in Malaysia’s biggest budget movie, Puteri Gunung Ledang, in which she began her production career.

She is the founder and President of Enfiniti Vision Media, a significant contributor to the Malaysian arts and entertainment scene. Among her many production achievements are; Best Producer award at the Malaysian PPFM Oscars 2005 and the Asian 1st Films Festival 2005.

Director: STEVEN DEXTER
Steven directs both in the UK and internationally. His West End productions include: La Cava, Romance! Romance!, Peter Pan and The Pirates of Penzance. Other prominent UK productions include the World premieres of Honk! Loserville, Out There and The Pros, The Cons and a Screw. Steven also has experience working in the province of Asia. In Singapore, he has directed: Fried Rise Paradise, Forbidden City, A Twist of Fate; Sing to the Dawn, Little Shop of Horrors and They’re Playing Our Song (with Lea Salonga). Internationally he has directed Honk!; The Full Monty; Shirley Valentine; Mary-Lou and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Song and Dance”. Next year, Steven will be directing a new musical entitled Loserville in London’s West End.

Story: RAYMOND MIRANDA
Prior to joining Enfiniti as Group Vice President of Content and Strategy, Raymond spent 13 years in the USA working in theatre and academia. He has an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from the prestigious New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Raymond was the first Asian writer to be accepted into the programme on a full scholarship. His thesis musical, “The Comfort Women” had an Off-Broadway staging and was featured at the United Nations Human Rights series in New York. Raymond has also directed musicals such as My Fair Lady, The Music Man and A Chorus Line.

Malay Text: MAMAT KHALID
Mohamad bin Mohamad Khalid, better known in the Malaysian film industry as Mamat Khalid, was born on April 6, 1963 in Ipoh, Perak. He is an established screenwriter, and has written the screenplays for Puteri Gunung Ledang the Movie (2004) and Tipah Tertipu (2006). Among his directorial credits are Lang Buana (2003), Rock (2005), Man Laksa (2006), Zombi Kampung Pisang (2007), Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang (2008), Estet (2010), Hantu Kak Limah Balik Rumah (2010) and Apokalips (2010). He has been awarded Best Director in Anugerah Panca Delima (1999), Best Screenplay for Puteri Gunung Ledang in Festival Filem Malaysia ke-18 (2005), and Best Director for Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang in Festival Filem Malaysia ke-21 (2008).

English Text: ELLIOT DAVIS
Elliot is a writer, composer and musical director. His work has been seen on the West End and worldwide. His musical, Loserville, is due to open in the West End of London early 2012 as is Out There, which premiered in August 2011. He has just written Soho Cinders which will be having a world premiere concert in London at The Queens Theatre in October.

He is also a prolific music documentary maker, having interviewed some of the world’s biggest music artists like Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Liza Minnelli, and The Bee Gees. He also produced the documentary, Freddie Mercury’s 60th Commemoration. Past compositions include Loserville, Out There, Best Friends and Butterflies (TicketMaster Composer Award and Best Musical For Young People), Once Upon A Time at the Adelphi (TMA Theatre Managers Association Award for outstanding musical), SohoCinders, and Sugar Plum Storytime for children for BBC (New York Festival International Radio Award).

Composer: ONN SAN
A recipient of the New York University’s Dean’s Fellowship Award, Onn San is the first Malaysian composer to graduate with an MFA in Musical Theater Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts, Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, New York. He also holds a Bachelor Degree in Classical Music from the University College Sedaya International (UCSI) where he studied piano and vocals.

In 2010, he wrote a new musical called, Eau Blanche!, which was developed as a thesis musical at NYU and received a full staged-reading. The year before that, he wrote The Meatball, which was selected and staged by The Lee Strasberg Institute, New York. His previous works include, Drunk Before Dawn – Season 1 & 2 (2004, 2006), Storm in a Teacup (2005) and Green Tea The Musical (2002, 2003) Onn San has also written music for film, Jarum Halus (2008) and several TV and radio commercials.

Lyricist: ALFIAN SA’AT
Alfian Sa’at is a Resident Playwright with W!LD RICE. His published works include two collections of poetry, ‘One Fierce Hour’ and ‘A History of Amnesia’, a collection of short stories, ‘Corridor’, as well as two collections of plays.

Alfian has been nominated six times for Best Script at the Life! Theatre Awards, eventually winning in 2005 for his play, ‘Landmarks’, and later in 2010 for his play, ‘Nadirah’. His plays have been translated into German and Swedish and have been read and performed in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London, Zurich, Hamburg, Berlin and Stockholm.

Music Director: ROSLAN AZIZ
Roslan Aziz was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur and began his musical journey at the age of five. He embarked on his career in music at Booty Boys Studio in 1980. Later, he founded the Roslan Aziz Productions (R.A.P) with close friend Datuk Kamarudin Meranun in 1988. Roslan is an award-winning artist with the AIM Best Album Award (1995), AIM Ratu Best Album Award (1996), and BASF Awards’ Best Album Award (Indonesia, 1987). He was also awarded the Most Promising Producer title at the Music Producers Awards 2002 held in the U.S. He took on the role as Musical Director for the staging of the phenomenal sold-out musical, Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical, and reprised the same role well into the musical’s third season, followed by the sensational production of P. Ramlee the Musical.

Choreographer: PAT IBRAHIM
Pat Ibrahim has worked in the performing arts for more than 20 years, starting his career in Kit Kat Klub. Pat is a celebrated choreographer who has worked with the biggest stars. He performs, choreographs, conceptualizes, designs, directs and produces for stage, TV and recordings. He also created “Neo-Traditional”: a new style of dance which infuses traditional Malaysian dance motifs with western pop style. He was the Casting Director for Puteri Gunung Ledang (the movie) and choreographed the top-selling single from the movie, Asmaradana.

He is noted for his choreography in P. Ramlee the Musical, Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical, Cuci The Musical and Lat, Kampung Boy The Musical. He also filled the roles of director and choreographer for Konsert Ekslusif Satu Dato Siti Nurhaliza, Konsert KL Kaleidoscope and KL Fest. His other creative credits include being the Musical Theater Director for Terima Kasih Cinta, Judge and Creative Director for So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia and Dance Consultant for Showdown 2010 & 2011. Tailing this extensive list are his credits as executive producer for the singles Asmaradana and Siapa Dia (for The Secret Life of Nora).

Set Designer: FRANCIS O’CONNOR
Francis trained at the Wimbledon School of Arts. Among his theatre credits are: Loyalty, No Naughty Bits (both Hampstead); Macbeth (Liverpool); Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (Dublin); The Secret Garden (Edinburgh / Toronto); The Silver Tassie (Galway); and Death of a Salesman (Leeds). He also designed Equivocation (Manhattan); Taming of the Shrew, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Loves Labours Lost (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Deep Blue Sea (West End); and Translations (New York). His work for Galway’s Druid Theatre include the Tony Award winning Beauty Queen of Leenane, and Lonesome West.

His opera credits include Der fliegende Holländer & Wut (Switzerland); Maria di Rohan & Luisa Miller (Buxton); Il Turco in Italia & Midsummer Night’s Dream (Garsington); Benzin (Germany); and Capriccio (Grange Park). Francis has also worked on several Singaporean productions, namely Fried Rice Paradise, Much Ado About Nothing, Twist of Fate, The Snow Queen, Forbidden City, M. Butterfly, Sing To The Dawn, Little Shop of Horrors, and Into The Woods.

Set Consultant: RAJA MALIQ
Raja Maliq spent 8 years in London before returning to Malaysia and becoming Sheila Majid’s stylist. That move marked the beginning of his career. In 1989, he began designing ethnic jewelry and now has his own sell-out line for Isetan. In 1996, he was given the opportunity to design costumes for DramaLab’s hit musical, The Storyteller. Ever since, he has designed costumes and sets for numerous theatre productions in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Tokyo; such as Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical: Season 3, Cuci the Musical (2010), Terima Kasih Cinta (2011), and First World Youth Olympic Games at Singapore (2010). He has won the Best Designer award for Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical in the 2006 Cameronian Arts Awards and the Anugerah Seni Negara (National Arts Awards) for Set Design. In 2008, he was awarded Best Set Design award at the 6th BOH Cameronian Awards for P. Ramlee the Musical (Season 1).

Costume Designer: MOE KASSIM
Moe Kasim was trained in performances with the SAF Music and Drama Company in singing, dancing and acting. As a self-taught designer, his credits include major national events like the Singapore National Day Parade (2006) and the annual Chingay Procession. He is a 4th time ST Life! Theatre Awards (Best Costume Design) award recipient. He has also earned a nomination for Best Costume Design in the 44th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan 2007 for Royston Tan’s movie 881. His recent theatre costume credits include Victor Victoria, Beauty World, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderel-lah, the inaugural Singapore Theatre Festival (2006-2011), Singapore Day in New York, ITB Berlin and Baba Bling in Paris. Apart from theatre, Moe also designed for the IIFA awards 2004, the 117th IOC meeting held in Singapore (2005) and Singapore Season 2007 in Shanghai and Beijing. Moe even showcased a fashion show for his modern interpretation of the Kebaya in Sun Festival 2010.

Lighting Designer: NICK RICHINGS
Nick Richings was born and educated in Oxford before moving to London where he now lives. He has been working in the Theatre Lighting Industry for over 20 years. He has worked extensively in the U.K. and Europe, with works on Broadway, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and tours in the U.S. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for a Musical 2010 for his work in La Cage Aux Folles. His other projects are Monkey – Journey to the West, Rocky Horror Show, Rent and Grease.

Sound Designer/Engineer: KEN FREEMAN
Ken Freeman is a prominent English composer and session musician, primarily playing the piano and synthesizers. He is most well-known for his work on the synthesizers in Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War of the Worlds and also as the composer for BBC television’s Casualty and Holby City’s theme music. He has also worked with artists such as Justin Hayward, David Essex and Elkie Brooks as a sessionist. He is considered by many to be the inventor of the string synthesizer. He created a prototype version of a polyphonic instrument at home in order to be able to mimic the sound of a string section more accurately in the studio. In 2008, Ken has been working on a new version of the music he composed for the BBC series The Tripods, in addition to composing and performing with jazz fusion band, Orion.

Associate Producer: IZAN SATRINA MOHD SALLEHUDDIN
Izan Satrina is responsible for the overall commercial business on all of Enfiniti’s projects and brands. Izan Satrina joined Enfiniti Vision Media in 2009. She has 12 years of experience under her belt, of which she spent 9 years with advertising agency Batey Ads and subsequently Singapore Tourism Board, managing marketing and branding. Izan holds an Accounting Degree from University of Hertfordshire.

Assistant Director: CHEDD EDDIE YUSOFF
Currently the Senior Creative Manager for Enfiniti Vision Media, Chedd first discovered his passion for the arts in 2004 through a talent show on NTV7 and became a familiar face on TV with supporting roles in TV dramas and comedies, along with several hosting stints. He was also the vocal warm-up tutor for the widely popular Malaysian singing competition, Akademi Fantasia (Season 5) and supported Tiara behind the scenes during her stint as Season 7′s Principal. Chedd was part of the original Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical ensemble for Season 1, 2 and Singapore before landing the supporting role as P. Ramlee’s best friend, Sukardi, in P. Ramlee the Musical for the Season 1, 2 and Singapore run. As Sukardi, he was nominated for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 6th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards. For Season 3 of Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical, Chedd wore a different hat as Assistant Director, Bendahara and understudy for Hang Tuah.

Production Manager: MELISSA TEOH
Melissa was a theatre practitioner in Los Angeles for nine years, working as a production/stage manager, scenic designer, and managing theatre operations before relocating home to Malaysia. She has a degree in Theatre Arts Directing and Technical – with emphasis in Design and Stage Management. She has production/stage managed over 40 shows, including musicals, operas, plays and concerts in the USA, Australia, Edinburgh, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. As a scenic designer, her designs have garnered nominations at the LA Weekly Awards, NAACP Awards, honorable mentions at The Garland Awards in the USA, and was exhibited at the World Stage Design 2009 in Korea. She teaches Stage Management and Production / Set Design at Sunway University College and New Era College. Melissa is an ensemble member of Furious Theatre Company, Resident Artists at The Pasadena Playhouse, State Theatre of California.

Costume Design: STYLO INTERNATIONAL
STYLO has joined forces with Enfiniti Vision Media to design, style, create and produce the costumes under its band of designers for ‘The Secret Life of Nora’. A series of fashion designers and stylists have been selected to be part of this, which amongst them include the 12 finalists of the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Emerging Designers Competition 2011 and established designers such as Bill Keith.

Daephen Foo
Yong Kean Seng
Yang Ling Hong
Leong Jia Hou
Teh Leh Bin
Matilda Low Huai Xi
Lai Wei Sia

PROTON PERSONA INTRODUCES ‘THANNAMBIKKAI’ MUSIC VIDEO TO RAISE FUNDS TO DEVELOP MUSIC & ART IN SELECTED SCHOOLS

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 October 2011 – Proton Persona introduces a music video titled ‘Thannambikkai’, which means confidence, to raise funds to develop music and art in selected schools. Featuring DJ Aanantha from THR Raaga and 3 selected children, the music video was developed under the ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign to inspire confidence in children via upbeat tune and feel-good lyrics.

“There is nothing like a good, cheerful song to perk you up when you are feeling down. ‘Thannambikkai’ is a call for everyone to reach out for their dreams and overcome obstacles along the way,” said DJ Aanantha who is one of the ambassadors for the ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign.

The 3 children featured in the music video – Narresh Meganathan, 10, Suriya Prakash, 11, and Vishnupriya Tiyagaraja, 9, were selected from 21 students who participated in the ‘Persona – Talent Workshop’ that was recently held in Kuala Lumpur under the ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign. Hosted by DJ Aanantha and combining forces with The Actors Studio Academy, the two-day talent workshop was specially tailored to bring out the children’s confidence and freedom of expression through theatre and arts. The workshop saw 21 children from Agathians Shelter and selected schools participate in various fun activities and games led by trainers that included the industry’s most well regarded personalities, Dato’ Faridah Merican.

The 3 selected children were then trained by DJ Aanantha and Lex, a dance instructor from The Actors Studio Academy, to sing and dance for the music video. The children underwent a-month of gruelling hard work but with passion and lots of self-confidence to produce the music video. The song ‘Thannambikkai’ was specially created by DJ Aanantha for the campaign.

Sold at RM20.00 each, the music video DVD will contain 5 chapters – Work & Play, Discovering ‘Better’, Growing Confidence, The Making of ‘Thannambikkai’, and ‘Thannambikkai’.

All sales from the ‘Thannambikkai’ music video will be channelled to the 3 selected schools, to help build the music and art facilities in these schools.

“We believe that art and music is important to develop a child’s confidence, and confidence is the foundation of a child’s well-being and the key to success as an adult. Hence why we want to play a part in helping schools to build the music and art segment,” said Encik Mohamad Shukor Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Edar Sdn Bhd.

“Our experience with Persona, which started in 2007, has taught us the importance of having self-confidence to move ahead in life,” he added.

The music video DVD will go on sale starting today at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), The Actors Studio at Lot 10 Rooftop, and Temple of Fine Arts. The music video DVD is also available at http://lifestyle.proton.com.

So come support us by purchasing the ‘Thannambikkai’ music video DVD and be part of a cause to help our young generation in music and art. To view the music video, log on to www.protonpersona.com.my.

About the ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign

The ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign was launched on 23 April 2011, to enrich the lives of Malaysians through PROTON’s award-winning, Persona, which since 2007 has been capturing the market by storm with winning features that include superb driving dynamics through Lotus Ride & Handling and solid built quality that ensures all-round safety for passengers. Taking inspiration from the car, the ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign aims to engage with Malaysians on the importance of having self-confidence and the significance of making the right choices.

To bring ‘Persona – Better, Undoubtedly’ to life, Jack Lim from MY FM, DJ Lin from Suria FM and Aanantha from THR Raaga will be taking on a new role as mentors, sharing their life lessons to guide people from various backgrounds to face their own challenges. Each of the ambassadors will champion their own programmes which have been developed based on their life experiences.

DJ Lin, as a single mother of two will be leading an empowerment programme to help other single mothers to overcome their challenges, while Aanantha will be showing the younger generation the importance of learning beyond text books – how soft skills can also contribute to one’s confidence levels. Jack, on the other hand, will be speaking to Malaysian adults about how being confident also means accepting your shortfalls and your fears – that it’s never too late to try that something you’ve always wanted to do.

For more information on the campaign, please visit www.protonpersona.com.my.

About PROTON

PROTON, established in 1983, is Malaysia’s largest manufacturer of automobiles, and the only full-fledged OEM car manufacturer in South-East Asia. With operations in key markets from UK to the Middle East, and across South-East Asia and Australasia, especially in countries like China and Iran, PROTON produces cars to suit a range of consumer demands and preferences.

Its offerings include versatile and reliable four-door family vehicles, two-door hatchbacks for the young-at-heart, luxurious and stylish executive sedans, spacious and affordable multi-purpose vehicles, as well as the world-renowned sports cars from Lotus. Most importantly, PROTON models are now developed with Lotus Engineering, offering customers superior ride and handling experience in every drive.

PROTON’s inception as a key driver of national development has seen the brand accelerate its learning curve through technology transfer with strategic partnerships and technical collaborations. By listening to the needs of customers, PROTON cars are now steadily on track to achieve the mission for the future, with PROTON set to become a marque which builds cars with passion and soul; cars that are a delight to drive – and a pleasure to own.

Illegal downloading has been an affliction or a cancer to our music industry ever since Napster was created for file sharing more than 10 years ago. While the aforementioned website had been shut down, many people are still taking the tacky way of sharing and downloading music without authorized purchase. Do you know that according to statutory law, committing the acts mentioned earlier is a crime and can be persecuted?

However, given the fact that Warner Music Malaysia is a company that listens and never turn its back on their loyalists, the company re-introduces another campaign for music lovers who have been supporting its products amidst the difficult economy at present. Perhaps, it is so far the biggest music campaign; the first before it is copied by other companies. After the highly successful TAKE IT & GO earlier this year, Warner Music Malaysia now presents TAKE IT & GO, the second promotional period that begins on September 1, 2011 and lasts until December 31 this year.

To refresh about this campaign: customers will get a chance to purchase 3 CDs for the plausibly priced price tag of RM 99 only! If you do some calculation, that means each CD will only cost RM 33, which is a major slash from the current price of RM 46.90. Now, if you are a very calculative person, you’ll break this down and notice that if you buy 3 CDs during this campaign, you’ll save up to RM 40! Now, that’s what we call major fabulosity! You also have a choice of buying 2 CDs at the price of RM 68, or just 1 title for only RM 41.90 (which is still a discounted price from the normal retail price). However, the right choice is for you to enjoy 3CDs at one time, and then another 3, and then some….the more the merrier, isn’t it?

As for titles offered during this mega campaign, Warner Music Malaysia has selected the latest, blockbuster hits and not some vault recordings. That’s right; these affordable CDs are not yesterday’s news, but today’s biggest sensations under the moniker of both Warner Music and EMI (Warner Music Malaysia is the exclusive distributor of EMI’s products in Malaysia ). Some popular names included in this massive campaign including Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, 30 Seconds to Mars, Coldplay, David Guetta, Norah Jones, Green Day, Toni Braxton, Stevie Nicks, Flo Rida, Jason Derulo, Jason Mraz, Jay Z and many more.

Here are some of the titles offered:
30 Seconds To Mars
This Is War
Celtic Woman
Songs From The Heart
Coldplay
Viva La Vida (CD+DVD)
Corinne Bailey Rae
The Sea
Creed
Full Circle
David Guetta
One More Love (2 CD)
Deep Purple
Deepest Purple 30th Anniversary (CD+DVD)
Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle
Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
Gorillaz
The Fall
Iron Maiden
From Fear To Eternity – The Best Of
Iron Maiden
The Final Frontier
Joss Stone
Colour Me Free
Katy Perry
Teenage Dream
Kylie Minogue
Aphrodite
Lady Antebellum
Need You Now
Lily Allen
It’s Not Me, It’s You (CD+DVD)
Massive Attack
Heligoland
Moby
Destroyed (Deluxe Limited Edition)
Morrissey
The Very Best Of (CD+DVD)
Norah Jones
…Featuring
Norah Jones
The Fall (2CD)
Pet Shop Boys
The Most Incredible Thing (2CDs)
Robbie Williams
In & Out Of Consciousness (2CD)
Roxette
Charm School
Sarah Brightman
Symphony Live In Vienna (CD+DVD)
Snoop Dogg
Doggumentary
UB40
Reggae Love Songs
Adele
19
Adele
21 (SEA Version With 3 Bonus Tracks)
Avenged Sevenfold
Nightmare
B.O.B/Present
The Adventures Of Bobby Ray
Bruno Mars
Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Cavalera Conspiracy
Blunt Force Trauma
Cee Lo Green
The Lady Killer
Charice
Charice Repack
Christina Perri
Lovestrong
Daniel Powter
Best Of Me (CD+DVD)
Death Cap For Cutie
Codes And Keys
Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Disturbed
Asylum
Eric Benet
Lost In Time
Eric Clapton
Clapton
Flo Rida
Only One Flo Part 1
Foster & Friends
Hit Man Returns (CD+DVD)
Goo Goo Dolls
Something For The Rest Of Us

THE KLCC SENI FESTIVAL RETURNS AT DEWAN FILHARMONIK PETRONAS!

Fresh from the success of the inaugural KLCC Seni Festival last year, Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP) will continue to present an extravaganza in the form of a week-long celebration of music and arts called KLCC Seni Festival 2011 this month.

The idea behind the Festival was inspired by the fact that KLCC itself is a hub for the arts; DFP showcases the best in music and luminaries from various genres, Galeri PETRONAS houses a prolific collection of over 1400 art pieces and installations from renowned artists, and Petrosains is the perfect place to experience the wonders of science and engage creative and expressive processes – a natural synergy of the arts all under the KLCC roof. Hence, this event promotes and celebrates Malaysian arts through a festival set at the iconic twin towers.

Malaysians shall again witness history in the making via a celebration of different forms of art; be it dance, music and other performing arts. With a predominantly Malaysian theme, the Festival will kick-off when the MPO Seni Ensemble joins forces with renowned local dance troupe ASWARA Dance Company on Wednesday, 26 October 11 at 8.30 p.m. Themed ‘Living Traditions’, both groups will perform six contemporary works combining music and dances. The DFP stage will witness sizzling performances of Wirama, Tapak 4 and Allarippu by renowned local choreographers such as Joseph Gonzales, Shafirul Azmi and Umesh Shetty. These will be followed by three works to be performed by the MPO musicians; Lex, Trio Tradisi and Vespertine Formations complemented by brand-new dances. Experience the synergy as the best of Malaysia’s dancers and musicians collaborate!

Next, the Festival celebrates ‘Malaysian Diversity’ on Friday, 28 October 11 at 8.30 p.m. The showcase will feature Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia under the leadership of Mohd Yazid Zakaria. The ensemble will showcase the rich cultural diversity of our country through music and songs, featuring guest singers Jaclyn Victor, Iqwal Hafiz and an Orang Asli group called Bahbola. Among the songs included in the repertoire list are Gemilang, Joget Kenangan Manis, Somewhere, Corazon Espinado, P Ramlee’s medley, Pak Ngah Balik, Santubong, Sayang Kinabalu, Dondang Sayang, Empat Dara and Zapin Budi. The showcase will reflect the racial harmony through artistic endeavours that embraces the 1Malaysia concept. It is jointly presented by Istana Budaya (Ministry of Information, Communication & Culture).

On Saturday, 29 October 11 at 8.30 p.m., we present you ‘MPO’s Native Foray’ whereby the Seni Groove Ensemble, led by MPO trombonist Marques Young, will present music inspired by P Ramlee, Sheila Majid, Siti Nurhaliza, James Brown and Ibrahim Ferrer, to showcase the best of local and foreign influences right here at our doorstep. Celebrate a brand new musical concoction inspired by a Westerner’s lifestyle in Malaysia.

The finale of the Festival is a showcase themed ‘Johor Heads North’ performed by Badan Kesenian Warisan Johor on Sunday, 30 October 11 at 8.30 p.m. Zapin dance and ghazal music come alive on the DFP stage. The finesse involved in mastering this artistry has impressed many and gained worldwide recognition. Be enthralled when you witness Pesona Jauhar, a musical of four segments; Tika Dinihari, Terbitnya Suria, Cahaya Mega and Berlabuhnya Malam Permata Tetap Bersinar.

(Note: In conjunction with the Festival, there will be an exhibition and workshop at Galeri PETRONAS, Level 3, Suria KLCC. Admission is FREE. For details, please call 03-23317770.)
(Note II: Petrosains’ Music, Art, Science exhibitions continue at Level 4, Suria KLCC. For details, please call 03-23318181.)
(Note III: Enjoy a plethora of activities and performances in the vibrant outdoors of the KLCC Esplanade by Petrosains, No Noise Percussion, Royal Rhapsody SERATAS, Seri Puteri Winds, Stage Circle, Amir Jahari, Tony Leo, Dikir Barat, Saturday Afternoon, ASWARA Dance Company, Floor Fever and ASWARA Percussion Ensemble, among others. Please refer attached visual.)

Be part of unforgettable music festivities blending arts and music, only at DFP!

Concert Details

Venue
Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS
PETRONAS Twin Towers

Orchestra / Conductor / Soloists / Ensemble
MPO Seni Ensemble (26 Oct 11)
ASWARA Dance Company (26 Oct 11)
Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia (28 Oct 11)
Mohd Yazid Zakaria conductor (28 Oct 11)
Jaclyn Victor vocals (28 October 11)
Iqwal Hafiz vocals (28 October 11)
Bahbola Orang Asli group (28 Oct 11)
Seni Groove Ensemble (29 Oct 11)
Marques Young leader (29 Oct 11)
Badan Kesenian Warisan Johor (30 Oct 11)

Ticket Price
All tickets: RM58 (RM48 per ticket for the first 100 tickets per concert)
Box Office Hours
Mondays to Saturdays:10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m., 9.00 p.m. on performance nights

Sundays: 12.00 noon to performance time

Telephone Bookings: 03- 2051 7007 Fax Bookings: 03- 2051 7077

Email Bookings: dfp_boxoffice@petronas.com.my

DFP/MPO Websites: www.dfp.com.my and www.mpo.com.my

Pavilion KL celebrates ‘the Art of Deepavali’ with one-of-a-kind 3D kolams

In conjunction with Deepavali celebration, Pavilion KL collaborates with the One Academy to proudly host and create one-of-a-kind 3D kolams themed “Unconventional Greetings”. These Kolams will fill the mall with harmonious and joyous vibes that will light up your day!

Inspired by the aesthetic symbol behind the Festival of Lights, the “Art of Deepavali” celebration will run from 14 to 26 October 2011 with loads of exciting events and activities:-

CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCE @ Bukit Bintang Entrance
15 & 16, 22 & 23, 26 October
5pm
Be greeted by beautiful classical Indian dancers who will be performing at the Bukit Bintang Entrance as we count our days to the Deepavali Celebration!

HENNA ART SERVICE @ Level 6
21-26 October
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with joy and beauty by experiencing the art of henna.

Pavilion Junior members can get this exotic henna art drawing by simply flashing your Pavilion Junior Card at the Henna Art Counter. *
*Promotion valid for first 30 Pavilion Junior members only.