THE WVC Jazz Ensemble, one of Southeast Asia’s leading jazz bands and The Shang Sisters, a leading Chinese female jazz trio, are teaming up for the first time on the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) stage.
WVC, comprising pianist and band leader Tay Cher Siang, drummer Adriel Wong and bassist AJ of Pop Shuvit, has released seven albums, won awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards and has toured extensively in the region.
It has explored transforming pop, Chinese, Malay and mainstream music into jazz, pushing musical boundaries with innovative collaborations with local and international artistes.
EAST AND WEST
The Shang Sisters, comprising Janet Lee, Winnie Ho and Mian Tan, are known for the ingenuous fusion of the East and West with a deep sense of its Nanyang roots.
It has garnered much recognition and has showcased its artistry to audiences in Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.
WVC and The Shang Sisters are set to showcase their versatility by teaming up with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) in a concert themed ‘All That Jazz With WVC Jazz Ensemble and The Shang Sisters’ at 8pm on April 26 at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.
ORIGINALS
Resident Conductor Gerard Salonga will weave his magic leading the MPO in a programme of eclectic jazz classics, cover versions and originals.
Music lovers can get ready to be beguiled with songs such as ‘Waiting For That Day’, ‘Fading Old Town’, ‘Samsara’, ‘Sea Outside My Window’, ‘Joget Malaysia’, ‘Hitam Manis’ and ‘Nona Nona Zaman Sekarang’, all given jazz interpretations and infused with a modern, Asian twist.
Joining this exciting line-up are saxophonists Eddy Lim and Farid Izwan, jazz songstress Junji Delfino, and Izen Kong, an established stage and theatre singer.
COLLABORATIONS
Salonga said that it was their very first collaboration with WVC and The Shang Sisters.
He said: “Some of the MPO’s jazz concerts presented previously are MPO Plays Jazz (2013) with Dina Nadzir, Elvira Arul and Atilia, and MPO Jazz Band And Friends (2023) with conductor Marques Young, Aishah Retno and Shafiq Abdillah.”
Lee of The Shang Sisters said: “We will be performing about 18 songs namely a handful of Malaysian classics. Close to half of the repertoire in the concert are melodies and tunes that are great Malaysian tunes such as ‘Rose Rose I Love You’, ‘Lagenda’ and ‘Jauh Jauh’.”
Tay said: “We in WVC are definitely excited to be given this opportunity to perform with the MPO. The excitement of hearing all these amazing timbre and sound created by the MPO performing my original compositions and arrangements, is a dream come true.”
Lee said: “Since this is our first time working with the MPO, we are beyond thrilled and looking forward to hear our repertoire interpreted into orchestral setting. We can’t wait to share our version of Nanyang Jazz with the musicians and audience.”
CHINATOWN
Salonga said: ‘I am a big fan of both WVC and The Shang Sisters. I first came across Cher Siang during the first reopening of venues after the Movement Control Order (MCO).
“As a longtime listener of jazz and as someone who has studied it, I was quite impressed with him.
“Later, I got to know about The Shang Sisters… I accidentally landed on one of their YouTube videos, and around the same time, some friends from the music industry mentioned them as a group that should be listened to and explored.
“When MPO’s artistic team first brought up the possibility of this collaboration some time ago, it was immediately interesting and something that we all felt would work well.
“It was only a matter of finding the right timing. It takes a lot of work to make a project like this come alive and takes a bit of luck as well for the planets, stars, and most importantly schedules, to align.”
Salonga said that he was thrilled to be working with Izen again, and especially with Junji, whom he first met when he was a child and she was a vocal coach of one of the major media networks in the Philippines.
THE FUTURE
Junji said that she was overjoyed to be performing with the MPO for the first time.
“Though I have set foot in DFP on many occasions, they were always as an audience member, never a performer.”
Izen said: “This is my fourth time performing with the MPO. I was in ‘The Best Of Rodgers And Hammerstein’ (2017), ‘MPO Goes Broadway’ (2023) and ‘A Valentine’s Serenade’ (2024).”
Lee said: “For 2025, we will be occupied in mini concerts with our longtime partners in the second half of the year. We are fully immersed in our solo music work, from new albums to concerts, keeping our feet and minds fully engaged.”
Tay said: “WVC is releasing its eighth album titled River. We are working on our upcoming concert at the Tuanku Permaisuri Zarith Sofia Opera House in Johor Baru in August. This would be a concert that feature WVC jazz own music and arrangements.’
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd