Why No Black Tie?
No Black Tie is one of the most important live music venue in the region without a doubt. From my experience of traveling and performing in many places, I have yet to come across a venue in other part of the world that could make me feel so at home. NBT respects musicians, and it provided a stage for musicians from all kind of musical genres to play their hearts out. Its uniqueness lies in this freedom to express yourself, rather than limited by commercial reasons that you have to play certain way to pleased the crowd. If you are invited to play here, you are expected to play your own music, to an appreciating crowd. That’s most important reward for musicians.
Why the Piano?
Hmm, because I took up piano when I was 7 years old. It is the instrument that I find that I could express my musical ideas the most.
You’ve been compared to the latin pianist and composer, Michel Camilo, whats your opinion?
No doubt that his influence was deep rooted, since I listened to a lot of his recording, imitating his playing when I was cultivating my own skill. But I am indebted to many many other pianists, and musicians. There are just too many to list here: Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Michel Petrucciani, Brad Mehldau, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Branford Marsalis, Esbjorn Svensson, Jan Garbarek etc….
What are you trying to convey from your music?
There are many different ideas that I would like to convey thru my music, depending on different tunes that I’ve wrote. Happiness, sadness, human conditions, little fulfillment in life, etc. But I guess the general ideas that I would love my audience to feel is: imagination is the most precious ability human being can have.
NBT has been around for 13 years. What are your comments/views?
Congratulations to NBT, and I am sure there are many more years to come!