If you were not raised in a musical-talented family (father guitarist and singer, brothers are pianist and a drummer), do you think you would have still picked up a musical instrument?
Oh yes. For sure. Music is inside me. It has been inside me since I was born. It’s believed that even babies make music. They hear it while still in the mother’s womb. And when they come out it’s already instilled upon them. I believe it was like that for me.
How has Curacao (where you experienced your first jazz festival) influenced your music?
It has influenced me very much. There I got the chance to listen to legendary Cuban band Irakere which was a big influence for me and a great inspiration to get into Cuban and jazz music. Especially the Afro-Cuban music. Through them I got interested to study in Cuba. I got so much into Cuban rhythms and music. They inspired me and gave me the basis search for my own self. How to create my own music.
Jazz has a very niche audience. How do you survive and what do you think we in Kuala Lumpur (the jazz community) should do to spread the Jazz awareness?
I survive by giving jazz a personal identity. I compose my music based on my roots. Based on my influences that I gained throughout my career. Those are mainly African and European elements and Caribbean music. My roots. I feel in Malaysia it would be good to promote Malaysian music and interpret it in a “jazz” way. I believe you can always use jazz to give older music a modern twist. It’s what I’ve been doing in this project, by the way. Taking Asian and Malaysian songs and giving them a new fresh, breath of life. Bringing them out in such a way where people will recognize, yet be proud of their own music by listening to it in a modern style where there’s freedom to improvise on it as well. Just like how jazz is.
What other stylings or genres are you interested in, or plan to incorporate into your music pieces?
I would like to research more about Asian music. I just started a month or two ago before I came here. I don’t believe I have discovered many things yet. I want to go deeper into each style and learn what is behind each style, then incorporate and find elements that I can use in my music. I want to discover new ways to interpret that music and bring it out.
Why NBT?
No Black Tie is a very special place. I get the opportunity to perform with great local musicians. I get to play for great audiences who really come here for the music and nothing else. I feel very welcomed from the NBT team. I feel at home here.