You can’t stop the music – even when you are a politician. That was how the band Priwayat was formed, with Penang state assemblypersons Zairil Khir Johari and Syerleena Abdul Rashid as its most prominent members.

However, just because they are politicians, it doesn’t mean their songs are political. Although the band was formed a few months ago, they have already released a collection of five songs in an EP called Suralaya.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to lead guitarist Syerleena, the more experienced musician of the two, and ask her all about the music.

What’s the story behind Priwayat?

“[We are] five individuals who got together and started a band – just like how any band starts out – but I guess, we can’t run away from the fact that Zairil and I both just happen to be in politics.

“Sometime during the MCO, we both started jamming and started writing original material. I asked old friends of mine, Shanks (also from Damn Dirty Apes and Coma) to play bass and Zam (from Vigil and Leather Charms) to sing, who then brought in Jern (from Sepatu 69) to play drums.

“The energy the other band mates bring is so positive and nurturing. Although we formed the band in June, we have written quite a lot of materials already. Our EP Suralaya is out on Spotify and Apple Music, and the music video for our first single Terbanglah is directed by Amir Johari and is on YouTube.”

How did you start getting into music?

“For me, I’ve been playing the guitar since high school, and have been in various bands before. The last band I was in was a Penang powerpop-alternative rock band called PAKU, with my brother, Riz (who is a guitarist and plays with Brian Gomez’s Putrabumi as well as The Endleaves) but the band broke up in 2010, and I became more involved and active in politics.

“Music has always been a part of me but I kind of stopped for a while. It was only after I got into an accident late last year, where I broke my leg and was bedridden for two months, that I started playing the guitar again.”

How do you view music?

“Music is an art form and a way to express thoughts as well as feelings. I guess you can say in Priwayat, we use music as another medium to tell stories and thoughts. Music evokes and provokes at the same time, and can heal tremendously.”

Is music in Malaysia uniting or divisive?

“It’s both, but it depends on who you ask. While music can unite (musicians, individuals, ideas, etc.) there is also a divisive element. Specifically, how mainstream music fails to promote what are perceived as ‘underground’ or independent artistes.

“Malaysia will never run out of talent, but what is often promoted are certain specific genres. I don’t think that’s healthy. The lack of support for local musicians is something that I feel needs to change. I would love to see talents like Azmyl Yunor, Iqbal M, Putrabumi, Milo Dinosaur, and Couple grace TV1 and TV3.”

What do you think the future of music, the one you are involved in, looks like?

“The future is rather bleak, but not permanent. One of the first casualties of the pandemic were musicians and performing artistes – and the future of the industry is still left uncertain. This pandemic is extremely unpredictable, and never have we faced situations this fluid in our lifetimes before.

“What governments can do is to continue planning and coming up with policies as well as initiatives to help alleviate the current quagmire we face. In addition to that, individuals and society as a whole have to play their part as well. Follow the SOPs, flatten the curve and be as vigilant as possible.”

THE fourth season of the half-hour comedy series Young Sheldon returns to Warner TV same day as the US today at 8.35pm.

New episodes premiere every Friday at the same time. In this season, after graduating high school, Sheldon has a breakdown when he realises he may not be ready for college.

Young Sheldon stars Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord and Matt Hobby, with Annie Potts and Jim Parsons as the voice of adult Sheldon.

For young Sheldon Cooper (Armitage), it isn’t easy growing up in East Texas.

Being a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king.

And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naive Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him.

His father, George (Barber), is struggling to find his way as a high school football coach and as father to a boy he doesn’t understand.

Sheldon’s mother, Mary (Perry), fiercely protects and nurtures her son in a town where he just doesn’t fit in.

Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie (Jordan), does the best he can in high school, but it’s tough to be cool when you’re in the same classes with your odd younger brother.

Sheldon’s twin sister, Missy (Revord), sometimes resents all the attention Sheldon gets, but also remains the one person who can reliably tell Sheldon the truth.

Finally, there’s Sheldon’s beloved Meemaw (Potts), his foul-mouthed, hard-drinking typical Texas grandmother who is very supportive of her quirky grandson and his unique gifts.

SHE was discovered in 2017 at the Kuala Lumpur Drama Festival. Only 20 years old at the time, Nur Qamariena Diana Zulreal did not expect that acting would be her career.

“I have always wanted to be an actor. It was a distant dream, something that I always thought about, but never thought I would achieve.

“Now it is a part of my life, it is a lot of work and it keeps me busy, but it is my passion,” said the 23-year-old actress better known as Riena Diana.

Her most recent – and arguably her most well-known – role is as the wild and flamboyant Rusiah, also known as Laila, in the TV comedy-drama Kampung People. The show also stars Rashidi Ishak, Elly Mazlain, and Kamarul Eqifshah.

Having only started acting three years ago, Riena admits that she still has a lot to learn, especially when it comes to developing a character.

“I am still relatively new in the entertainment scene, so I am still learning the various ways on how to create a character.

“However, I always begin by reading the script multiple times to understand the story.

“Based on that, I form the character, not just her demeanour and personality, but little things like her age, her favourite food, what she wears, and even her full name if it comes to that,” added Riena.

When it comes to the pandemic, Riena continues to be conscious not only on set, but especially with fans. While some recognise her and want to take photos with her, she avoids such attention by adhering to safety advice issued by the Health Ministry.

“As for the industry itself, I don’t see it changing because of the pandemic. Recording of films and dramas are still going on. However, it is the actors and the crew behind the camera who are the most affected.

“There are some who have lost their jobs, and even now, abiding by the new standard operating procedures for the pandemic, during production, is not easy. When it is impossible, filming stops, which affects more people.

“I pray for them, those in the entertainment industry and those who are affected. The industry itself is big, and I’ve heard a lot of theories about those whose livelihoods are affected. I hope everyone can recover,” said Riena.

With all that said, she still has hope for the local entertainment industry, especially for its many talents.

“Yes, I have confidence in the Malaysian entertainment industry because I see that we have a lot of talented actors. There are even those who have ventured out to ply their craft in neighbouring countries.

“I think Malaysian actors can go far because of their talents, and it gives me hope for my own career,” said Riena.

“I hope there is a place for me among them. And I believe that if I continue to learn and gain experience, I will be able to be as good as them someday.”

BLACK Widow star Scarlett Johansson has married her Saturday Night Live fiance, Colin Jost, in a low-key ceremony.

News of the wedding was announced on Oct 29 by the charity Meals on Wheels, which said the couple were supporting the group’s efforts to help elderly people during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re thrilled to break the news that Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were married over the weekend in an intimate ceremony with their immediate family and love ones, following COVID-19 safety precautions,“ Meals on Wheels America said on its Instagram account.

“Their wedding wish is to help make a difference for vulnerable older adults during this difficult time,“ the charity said, asking fans of the couple to make a donation.

Johansson’s representative confirmed the news.

Johansson and Jost, a writer and comedian on television sketch show Saturday Night Live, started dating about three years ago and got engaged in May 2019.

It is the first marriage for Jost, 38, and the third for Johansson, 35, who was previously married to actor Ryan Reynolds and French businessman Romain Dauriac, with whom she has a daughter.

Johansson is one of the world’s highest-paid actresses thanks to roles that range from playing the Black Widow in comic book movies “Iron Man 2” and the “Avengers” franchise to independent fare like 2019’s “Marriage Story,“ for which she received an Oscar nomination.

The standalone movie Black Widow is expected to be released in May 2021.- Reuters

JAPAN-based Malaysian filmmaker Lim Kah Wai shares his dream of a better future in a new world “where cherry blossom trees will always be in full bloom” in Come and Go, the final instalment of his trilogy set against the backdrop of Japan’s second-largest city of Osaka.

Come and Go, a continuation of his two previous movies New World and Fly Me to Minami made 10 years ago, is Lim’s most ambitious movie so far and it depicts the struggles of local and foreign workers as they strive to achieve their dreams in a country facing a boom in its tourism, film and even halal industries.

Lim is very excited as the film has been selected to be presented at the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which will take place from Oct 31 until Nov 9.

“The festival is an opportunity for me to showcase my film to the Japanese audience (on the big screen) since most cinemas in Japan have reopened after the easing of the lockdown imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

Lim had returned to Kuala Lumpur for Chinese New Year in January this year and was “stranded” in the country following the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) in March. He returned to Osaka, where he is now mostly based, earlier this month.

Lim, 47, graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Osaka University in 1998. He worked in Tokyo for six years before quitting his job to study directing at the Beijing Film Academy in China. He has so far made eight films, including the trilogy.

Lim won the Audience and Technical Contribution Award by Cineastes Organisation Osaka for the first instalment of his trilogy New World which is based on a Chinese tourist’s experiences of a Japan she has never known before and is set against Osaka’s history and charm.

Eight short stories

Come and Go, which is vying for the audience award at TIFF, features eight stories – filmed against the backdrop of the mesmerising beauty of the brief cherry blossom season – and 14 principal pan-Asian characters hailing from Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan.

The movie depicts their struggle to find solace in the business district of Umeda in contemporary Osaka where they work but all of them share the same dream of a better future.

“That’s the reality of life (now) as people, irrespective of whether they are Japanese or foreigners, grow more introverted without any care for political issues or other issues affecting society as their main aim is to make more money.

“We live in a parallel world since we all have our own problems and our own lives,” he explained.

On the difference between Come and Go and his earlier two films, Lim said his latest movie shows Osaka as a more vibrant cosmopolitan city compared to 10 years ago.

“The city is a magnet for business executives and more foreigners are working there too. Tourism has been booming too, spurred by AirAsia flights to Japan,” he said.

He said although Osaka as a homogenised city in Japan has opened up to foreigners – especially with the influx of foreign workers – cultural and social barriers still exist.

“Most of the characters and episodes in Come and Go are based on my own observations and experience of the dreams and goals of both the Japanese and foreigners, including the social skeletons,” Lim enthused.

Suspense thriller

The short stories in Come and Go – features a travel executive from Malaysia on a business trip to Japan; a refugee from Nepal who works in Japan to build his dream of owning a restaurant; a student from Myanmar working part-time; a migrant worker from Vietnam; and a tourist from China.

It also portrays a Japanese girl who has to work as a nude model to make ends meet, a porn video director from Okinawa, a porn addict from Taiwan, a Japanese police detective, a Japanese language teacher and a half-Japanese, half-American odd-job worker.

As the Japanese and foreigners grow more indifferent towards one another, it is only apt that the film opens with a discovery of the skeletal remains of an elderly Japanese woman whose body lies unnoticed for months in her own home.

On the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on cinemas, Lim said in Japan, the people are now trying to get their lives back in order after a prolonged period of deflation and falling consumer prices, and they are now realising the importance of cinemas and the film industry in their lives.

While in Malaysia recently, Lim went backpacking across Sabah and Sarawak for one-and-a-half months after the movement restrictions were eased, looking for inspiration for his next film which is likely to be set in either one of the Bornean states.

“I am thinking about a suspense thriller set in a beautiful seaside in Sabah or Sarawak. Hopefully, I can complete the script next year and approach some producers and make it happen,” he added. – Bernama

MALAYSIAN filmmaker Edmond Yeo will be premiering his third feature film Malu at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) taking place in Japan from Oct 31 to Nov 9. Then on Nov 13, his film will open in Japanese cinemas.

This is not the first time he has created waves in Japan. In 2017, he became the first Malaysian to walk away with the Best Director award for his second feature film Aqerat, which focuses on human traficking, at the same festival.

Malu, a Malaysian-Japanese-French co-production, deals with similar dark themes. It follows the turbulent relationship between sisters Hong and Lan (played by MayJune Tan and Sherlyn Seo).

Their grandmother wanted to take the young sisters from their unstable and destructive mother, but she only managed to rescue the older one.

Years later, after the death of their mother, the separated siblings reunite as adults. The elder sister is now a filmmaker, while the younger sister works in a hair salon as a shampoo girl.

Unfortunately, the reunion is not a happy one. It stirs up some bitter memories and creates hostility between the sisters.

Explaining the philosophy behind his movies, the 36-year-old filmmaker says: “My films are like my diaries. I am just expressing my emotions in my films. I usually ask questions in my films. But I do not necessarily provide the answers to those questions.”

He is fully aware that the themes he tackles in his films are not commercial enough to be accepted in this country.

“Personally speaking, I never differentiate between an art movie and a commercial movie,” he says.

“I watch and enjoy all kinds of films, including the Avengers film series.”

His biggest challenge in completing Malu was the logistics. During the 20-day film shoot, he spent seven days shooting in Malaysia, and the rest of the time in Japan. Shooting between Japan and Malaysia was an arduous process, and required a lot of detailed planning.

His next film will be a Japanese film, featuring a cast and crew that is more than 90% Japanese. Currently, he is not at liberty to discuss his new movie at length.

The only information he is willing to share is that the movie will be adapted from a novel by prolific Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto, whom Yeo admires and respects.

“The theme of the film deals with the death of a loved one,” he says.

“This time around, my movie will be a little more hopeful.”

He is also in the midst of developing a script that focuses on the formation of Malaysia in 1963. He intends to tell this historical story of our country with fantasy elements. There will be vampires (pontianak) and a talking mouse deer.

“It will involve magical realism,” he says.

His concept for the film is similiar to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.

Since his youth, Yeo has wanted to be a filmmaker, telling stories to the world. His father, who was a music producer, and his mother, who was a singer before becoming a housewife, did not object to his dream.

He says: “Of course my mother would prefer for me to choose a more stable career. Jokingly, I told her that it was her fault that I became a filmmaker because her artistic blood runs in my veins.”

As a young adult, he was forced to hide his ambition from his friends, his relatives and even strangers.

“I could not express my dream freely,” he says.

“There is little appreciation for the arts in this country. They kept asking me if I could earn enough money as a filmmaker.

“They kept asking if I was making the right career choice. They put doubts in me for choosing filmmaking as my career.

“But I am rebellious by nature. The more that people asked me to stand down, the more I wanted to do it. I learned to block all negative thoughts.

One advice he would like to give to other young filmmakers is to never self-censor.

“I get extremely disappointed when I hear of a young filmmaker who wouldn’t dare touch a certain subject because he or she is afraid of censorship,” he says.

“You should think outside of the box. You should believe that you are a citizen of the world, and that your film belongs to the world.”

His other advice is to read as much as possible.

“Some of the best directors in the business are ardent readers, and they get their inspiration from literature,” he says.

“If you cannot read a book, how are you going to read a script? I have lived many lives through reading. I believe reading gives you imagination.”

FREE-to-play fantasy game Genshin Impact from Shanghai-based developer Mihoyo is proving a hit beyond its home market, raking in money with a controversial payment system and creating a potential breakout moment for China’s gaming industry.

The game, available for mobile devices, PlayStation 4 and PC, has generated sales of US$140 million on mobile alone since its launch at the end of September, data from analytics firm Sensor Tower shows, with Japan its biggest market after China.

The success of Genshin Impact reflects China’s growing infiltration of Japan’s mobile market, where titles from gaming giants Tencent Holdings and NetEase Inc jostle in the rankings of top-grossing titles.

The game has found a foothold by adopting the tropes of Japanese games, bearing a resemblance to Nintendo Co Ltd’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and featuring stock anime characters and dialogue.

Genshin Impact sales are driven by its “gacha” system, where real-world currency is used to obtain randomised rewards that can help players advance faster.

The system is central to Japan’s top mobile games, and similar to the “loot boxes” in many Western titles, but often offers only a small chance of winning good rewards. As a result, players pour money into gacha, and getting rare items turns into a game of its own.

“Genshin Impact” is also gaining traction in the United States, with more than US$20 million in sales, suggesting greater acceptance of gacha, which has been criticised for how it encourages spending.

“The Chinese gaming industry is very young. Genshin Impact is just the beginning,“ said Serkan Toto, founder of game industry consultancy Kantan Games.

The game is the second-most played in China, just behind Tencent’s megahit Honour of Kings, according to gaming review platform Taptap.

Its popularity comes even after Mihoyo, unhappy with Huawei’s commission structure for sales on its app store, decided not to place its game there, a source said.

Genshin Impact also landed as developers grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting release dates, and as gamers await the November launch of consoles from Sony Corp and Microsoft Corp.- Reuters

SINCE the moment Daiyan Trisha first wowed audiences with her debut performance in the telefilm Dee (2013), she has continued to remain in the limelight thanks to her talent.

Not only is she one of the most prolific young actresses around, Daiyan is also a singer as well as a highly-sought after model.

She said: “I didn’t plan to be an actress or even a singer. But when I first started out, I realised I really liked singing.

“When I was much younger, my dad roped my sister and I into piano lessons. That gave me an early exposure [to art]. We took art subjects in school, and my mum used to be a student of theatre. Art has always been in our blood.

“Then I started doing covers and they gained some traction, and I kind of manoeuvred my way into the industry from there.”

She subsequently signed on to a talent management agency, and landed the title role in Dee, where she was not only required to act, but to sing as well.

Daiyan is also a poet. “I wrote 90% of my songs,” she said. “My mum (novelist Samsiah Mohd Nor) is a writer. I get that passion from her. I did not always know that I loved writing. For the last few years, writing has helped me cope with a lot of things that were happening in my life.

“I started my poetry course on Instagram (@tulisanbydaiyantrisha) which was just for fun. I did not realise that many people would follow it. I feel they can relate to me as a writer, as well as a singer-songwriter.

“I frequently write simple statements and poems. Any type of writing is fun for me whether it is poetry or a song. For me poetry can be a song or a song can be poetry.”

Early in her career she did a lot of TV dramas, but has since moved on to feature films.

“I don’t have much time to do TV dramas now because I have been travelling for the last couple of years.”

Incidentally, Daiyan is often invited by certain brands to represent Malaysia at events with guests from all over the world.

She has also recorded several songs with international YouTube music star Sam Tsui.

“I was in Los Angeles in 2018 and my friend was a mutual friend of Sam’s. Sam was interested in recording some covers with me, including Rewrite The Stars (from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman).”

The cover was released in 2019 and she became good friends with Tsui. So they continued working together, and have recorded several other songs.

“When I met Sam he had a really great energy and our style just matched. The frequency and chemistry was just there for us.”

When asked what is next for her, Daiyan said: “Maybe direct music videos. But that is not where I am heading towards now. As of now, I am starring in a new film that begins production at the end of the year.”

Daiyan had many plans put on hold due to the pandemic.

“Everyone is trying to adapt. Thankfully for me I have always been active on Instagram, putting up brand content. During the lockdown I was doing a lot of that.”

Who would have thought of making matcha sexy? Choong Kar Wai and Choong Kar Heng, the dynamic and entrepreneurial sibling duo, certainly did!

The Melbourne inspired coffee enthusiasts, who are also founders of the popular CoffeeSociete in Publika and Garage 51 in Bandar Sunway, are now adding to their fast-expanding list of hip cafes with the introduction of Oh Cha Matcha.

Located at 130, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, the chic new outlet is the first boutique matcha cafe in Malaysia that offers a plethora of healthy, playful and quirky matcha beverage options.

The brothers realised consumers have become more pro-active than they used to be when it comes to their health. They are now more engaged in their quest for good health and are more discerning in adopting healthy lifestyle choices.

Oh Cha Matcha was conceived to fuel this demand with a slew of innovative healthy matcha concoctions that will probably turn coffee drinkers to avid matcha converts!

What is matcha? It is a traditional Japanese stone-ground powdered green tea which can be blended into hot drinks. In recent years, matcha has become a worldwide phenomenon and have gained cult like status thanks to its powerful antioxidant properties and vitamin composition.

While the term “matcha” is familiar to many, not many are aware of its numerous health benefits of which Oh Cha Matcha plans to share with fellow Malaysians.

Confident that their inspiration will work here in Malaysia, the team behind Oh Cha Matcha offers a line of premium grade matcha concocted into delicious and healthy beverages that will energise the body and soul naturally.

Purists would instantly make a beeline for the traditional favourites whilst adventurous foodies and fitness buffs would opt for the exciting combinations under the Drink Your Colours and Beauty Series (collagen infused, a first!) categories. Their ever popular ceremonial grade matcha is of the highest grade and the choice of the Emperor of Japan for tea ceremonies, grown on the holy land of matcha in Uji, Kyoto.

While some cafes do offer dairy-free milk as substitutes to regular milk, none offers a selection quite as wide as Oh Cha Matcha. At no extra cost, Oh Cha Matcha have got you covered with a choice of soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk and coconut milk, all unsweetened, completely natural, no colouring and low in calories.

Besides getting your matcha fix, Oh Cha Matcha also offers an extensive food menu that is bound to tantalise all taste buds.

“Having a concept that stands out from others is important but it is not enough. Our aim is to create a boutique space that evokes a sense of belonging. Oh Cha Matcha should be a destination where relationships are built, friendships made and communities unite,” said Kar Wai as he wanted to ensure that their matcha and its community remains the core of their business.

“We hope to differentiate ourselves by generating a close, authentic link with people and with the community as a whole. Our community is our heartbeat,” said Kar Heng.

Singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka won Britain’s Mercury Prize recently, accepting the prestigious award on a live evening TV show rather than at a crowd-filled ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The critically-acclaimed self-titled record beat out 11 other contenders, including music by pop star Dua Lipa and grime phenomenon Stormzy, to claim the title of British or Irish album of the year.

“This is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do, so to win the Mercury is like a dream come true – I’m so so happy,” the folk-soul singer told the BBC’s One Show shortly after being named the 2020 winner.

“Music and art means so much to me ... and this is an award that celebrates that, so I’m over the moon,” the 33-year-old added.

Created in 1992 as an alternative to the more mainstream Brit Awards, the Mercury Prize’s past winners have included PJ Harvey, Pulp and Skepta.

Last year saw angst-filled rapper Dave scoop the accolade in a politically-charged London finale that included an expletive shouted from stage at Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

This time around, with Britain the worst-hit country in Europe from the coronavirus and Johnson announcing fresh social restrictions this week as cases surge again, the prize’s unveiling was a more low-key affair.

BBC radio DJ Annie Mac, one of the 12 judges, said the panel that chose Kiwanuka – the singer-songwriter’s third studio album – were unanimous in their decision.

“I don’t think any of the judges walked away unhappy, everyone felt the same thing about this album, which is that it thoroughly deserved to win the prize,” Mac said as she announced the winner.

Kiwanuka, released last November, has earned critics’ praise, with NME magazine describing it as “brave experimentation” and evocative of “the work of greats as such as Bill Withers and Gil Scott-Heron”.

Delving into themes of self-doubt, faith and civil rights, The Guardian has called it one of the best albums of the last decade.

The London-born musician, who is the son of Ugandan parents and known for his folksy symphonic soul music, had been nominated for each of his previous albums – 2012’s Home Again and Love & Hate in 2016.

Kiwanuka said this third record was the result of a more personalised approach.

“I made a decision when I was making this album that I wanted to really just be myself, enjoy it and really not hold back and really show myself,” he added.

Winners of the Mercury Prize take home £25,000 and a likely boost in people buying their album, with some previous recipients having seen their sales skyrocket in the immediate aftermath.

This year’s shortlist featured nine solo acts and three bands, and more female acts than ever before.

Alongside established names Stormzy (Heavy is The Head) and Dua lipa (Future Nostalgia), breakthrough artists Sports Team (Deep Down Happy) and Moses Boyd (Dark Matter) were nominated.

Other contenders included Anna Meredith (Fibs), Georgia (Seeking Thrills) and the bands Lanterns on the Lake and Porridge Radio. –AFP-Relaxnews

MANY of us know him from his comedic roles in series such as Waktu Rehat and Oh My English!. But Juzzthin has slowly been honing his dramatic chops in a variety of roles, including the Malaysian adaptation of the hit Korean series Black.

Born Mohamad Nazreen Norzali, Juzzthin – who was a little under the weather during our interview – told us that he actually started out as a rapper when he was 16 years old. At 18, he enrolled in Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA).

“I was a film student at that time. My classmates would ask why I was taking film and not classical music. [But] I did not know anything about classical melodies, I did not know how to read musical notes.

“I would watch films, I would do my assignments on film, my lecturer and I would discuss films.

“Around my second or third semester, my classmates would tell me I had a talent for telling jokes. At that time Raja Lawak was just starting out. So my friends asked me to take part.”

Many production companies hold their casting sessions at Aswara, and it just so happened that the casting for Raja Lawak also took place on the premises.

“I made the mistake of entering the wrong room,” said Juzzthin.

“I had never been to a casting before. [They] told me to be myself, tell them where I was from, and do a small skit. They said they would see me again.

“I thought I was getting cast as an extra.”

Juzzthin did not think much of the experience. “I did not have any plans to become an actor. That was an accidental move.”

The end result was Juzzthin being cast in Disney Channel Asia’s Waktu Rehat.

“It was quite a big thing. It was my first acting job.

“Acting is hard, it is still hard. I am still learning the ropes.”

After Waktu Rehat, Juzzthin was cast in Oh My English! and a few dramas. When asked if he was picky about the roles he takes, Juzzthin said: ”Sometimes I am picky. Sometimes you have to pay your bills. You have to treat acting as a real job.”

He does admit to sometimes asking to read the complete script before deciding if he wants to sign up for a role.

“In terms of Oh My English! and Waktu Rehat, I really loved my roles. My friends who have known me for years said that I was not acting in those series, that it was all me. That got me thinking.”

He was determined to pick up the nuances of acting and improve himself with each role.

“I am not Daniel Day-Lewis ... I will have to act more to learn more.”

He is determined not to be typecast due to the fun-loving characters he played early in his career.

“I would like to do what Robert Pattinson did after Twilight. He is now doing films like Tenet and The Batman.

“It doesn’t matter how you start. It is the middle that is hard to get out of. I am always thankful that people know me from Waktu Rehat and Oh My English!. But the transition was not easy.”

Juzzthin said his most challenging role was in Black, a mystery series that was recently aired on Viu.

“My role was that of a hip-hop guy who died. It was not me being a jokester or class clown. I had to really pay attention to detail. I loved that.”

Juzzthin said he has only recently started thinking about the financial side of his career, especially in wake of the pandemic.

However, he believes one should have the freedom to do what they love as well.

As a rapper, Juzzthin is happy that major hip-hop labels have set up office in Asia.

“At the same time hip-hop music is becoming normal-ish. It is now just like any other song [genre].

“I think you can go to any mall and see some rapper chilling out. It is so normal now.

“To stand out now, you have to be punk or a skinhead.”

The last track he put out was in January this year.

“I have been writing tracks, but I don’t want to execute [anything] yet. Now, I think is the time for everybody to zoom out like a camera and take a look around.

“For now I am going to start shooting for season two of Black. I am not a multi-tasker.

“For me I really have to focus on what I am [currently] doing.”

MARSEILLE made a historic move into the music industry on Sept 25 after the announcement that the French Ligue 1 club had launched a rap record label alongside music industry titan BMG.

In a statement, BMG said that OM Records was “a new label for hip-hop, rap, and R&B” and is to be based in the southern French city, which has long been one of the country’s major hip-hop hubs.

To celebrate the new label a jet black double decker bus with some of the city’s local rap stars and DJs on board, played music around France’s second-largest city.

“It’s good that the club is doing this,” said rapper Hollis l’Infame, a lifelong Marseille fan who wears the team’s white shirt in his videos.

“I think I was a Marseille fan even before I was born, it’s in our genes.”

Head of A&R Emilie Hauck told AFP that OM Records is a “50-50 joint venture” between the club and BMG and “the first time ever that a record industry major and a club like OM have come together to create a label”.

Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud said: “Marseille has been a cradle of French rap and hip-hop since the IAM collective and the links between OM and local artists have been strong for years.”

IAM have been one of France’s most important rap groups since the late 1980s and have long collaborated with iconic American group Wu-Tang Clan.

“The launch of OM Records strengthens this link and symbolises the club’s desire to promote the unique energy that emanates from Marseille and its people all over the world,” added Eyraud.

The new label will offer opportunities for artists and groups from “Marseille, the South of France and Africa”, said BMG’s General Manager for France Sylvain Gazaignes.

The first album to be released on OM Records will be a compilation called Vendredi 13 (’Friday the 13th’) and will be produced by the four people behind the B18 label created in the tough northern districts of Marseille a year ago. – AFP-Relaxnews

NEW YORK’s Metropolitan Opera on Sept 22 announced the “painful” cancelation of its entire 2020-21 season over the still-spreading coronavirus, a major blow for the city’s decimated arts and culture industry.

The announcement is a dire signal for live arts institutions in New York – including the renowned Broadway theater district– which have sat dark since the pandemic hamstringed the city starting in mid-March, and look set to remain that way indefinitely.

Shows at the Met, a 3,800-seat bellwether for the return of live performances, now will not resume before September 2021 at the earliest.

The Met said it based its decision to cancel the entirety of its current season on the advice of health authorities, saying it would be unsafe to resume rehearsals and productions until “a vaccine is widely in use, herd immunity is established, and the wearing of masks and social distancing is no longer a medical requirement.”

“Health officials have said this will likely take at least five to six months after a vaccine is initially made available,“ the organization said.

Peter Gelb, the Metropolitan Opera’s general manager, told AFP that with the cancelation of this season along with the final eight weeks of the previous one, the revered house anticipated a loss in earned revenues of at least US$154 million, even as expenses have been reduced.

Calling this “the most challenging time” in the company’s 137-year history, Gelb said in an interview he was aiming to negotiate with unions representing many Met employees to help them weather the storm.

About 1,000 full-time unionized employees have been furloughed without salary since April – the opera house has continued to provide health care –and Gelb said it could be possible to reboot the Met’s payroll if musicians agree to leaner multi-year contracts.

“I feel optimistic, if we’re able to convince our workforce to collectively take on the responsibility of the recovery of the Met,“ he said.

“I think some people think of the Met as some kind of historic and invulnerable institution,“ he continued.

“Clearly, there is no immunity from financial failure for any institution.”

The American Guild of Musical Arts, one of the top unions representing Met employees, however criticized the Met’s “unilateral” decision to cancel the season, saying in an email to members that initial contract negotiations “have not been fruitful.”

“Unlike other companies that have worked with AGMA to identify short-term cost-saving measures, the Met seems uniquely determined to leverage this moment to permanently gut our contract,“ a spokesperson for the guild said.

“The Met cannot solve its difficult problems by turning its back on the artists who have built it over generations.”

Artistically vital

The Met for several years has operated on financially shaky ground, grappling with a dwindling audience that it has struggled to skew younger, as well as necessary but pricey renovations to its facilities.

A multi-year capital project to repair crumbling Italian travertine on its exterior, for example, so far has cost at least US$15 million, Gelb said.

And though the weeks of canceled performances and furlough of employees saved the Met tens of millions of dollars in the last fiscal year, operating costs remain, Gelb said, including pension liabilities, warehouse costs for costumes and sets, and salaries for administrative staff continuing to work.

The Met’s manager did note that there’s been an “outpouring” of financial support since the pandemic began -- about 30,000 new donors since March, he said -- fueled by virtual events including an online gala and pay-per-view recitals.

When live shows return, precautionary changes will included earlier curtain times and reducing the run times of some operas.

Looking forward, Gelb said the institution’s future “really relies on being artistically vital,“ pointing to the 2021-22 season set to premiere with Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones.

Blanchard’s second opera – a coming-of-age tale based on the memoir of columnist Charles Blow, which grapples with racism, sexuality and abuse –will be the first production by a black composer ever staged at the esteemed opera house.

“We want opera to be relevant and to have meaning for people in a world that is very troubled,“ Gelb said.- AFP

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LEGENDARY French singer Juliette Greco has died aged 93 after a career spanning over half a century, her family told AFP.

“Juliette Greco died this Wednesday surrounded by her family in the house she loved so much. Her life was one like no other,“ her family said in a statement.

“She was still making French songs shine at the age of 89” when her career was ended by a stroke, it added.

“I miss it terribly. My reason for living is to sing! To sing is everything, there is the body, the instinct, the head,“ she told the Telerama magazine in an interview in July.

She also lost her only daughter, Laurence-Marie, in 2016, the same year as the stroke.

“It is a very great woman who has left us,“ Alexandre Baud, the producer of her final tour in 2015, told AFP.

“Juliette had been tired for some time but she had kept her extremely sharp mind, as shown by her very open interview with Telerama,“ he added.

President Emmanuel Macron offered a generous tribute to Greco, a leading cultural figure in radical chic post-war Paris, praising her “elegance” and saying that in death she took her place in the “Pantheon of French chanson.”

“Juliette Greco joins (Jacques) Brel, (Leo) Ferre, (Georges) Brassens, (Charles) Aznavour ... in the Pantheon of French chanson. her face and her voice will continue to accompany our lives. The ‘muse of Saint-Germain-des-Pres’ (a well-heeled Parisian suburb) is immortal,“ Macron tweeted.

Usually clad in stylish but sombre black, Greco had debuted as a young dancer at the Paris ballet school when the Nazis invaded France.

She was arrested and her older sister and her mother – a member of the French Resistance – were both sent to a concentration camp but survived and were liberated.

The lover of both Hollywood studio boss Darryl F Zanuck and jazz legend Miles Davis, Greco interpreted texts by the likes of Sartre, poets Jacques Prevert and Jean Cocteau, playwright Bertolt Brecht and composers such as Leo Ferre, Guy Beart, Georges Brassens and Serge Gainsbourg.

Her best-loved hits Jolie mome (cute kid) by Ferre and Gainsbourg’s La javanaise were written for her.

She compared singing to sex, suggesting that “an audience is like a lover. You have to start slowly, softly, with a thousand caresses, tears and doubts... then give everything so that they love you.”- AFP

LOS ANGELES: Host Jimmy Kimmel opened the Emmys on Sunday from an empty Los Angeles theater filled with cardboard cutouts of the nominees, marking the start of Hollywood’s first major Covid-era award show.

“Hello and welcome to the pand-Emmys,“ said Kimmel, as producers cut to archive footage of a star-studded audience, before revealing the venue’s empty seats.

Nominees for the 72nd Emmys — television’s version of the Oscars — are beaming in remotely from their homes, with only a handful of special guest presenters appearing in person including Jennifer Aniston.

After last year’s hostless Emmys, Kimmel joked: “You can’t have a virus without a host.”

The first prize of the night, best actress in a comedy series, went to Catherine O’Hara for “Schitt’s Creek,“ who was handed her award by a presenter in a hazmat suit at a socially distanced event for the show’s cast in Toronto. — AFP

TILLA HANNA started playing the piano at age seven, and bought her very first guitar when she was just 12. She then began singing in front of a live audience, and today, she describes herself as an avid open mic performer.

The now 21-year-old lass somehow always knew that she wanted to do music, though perhaps that could be attributed to her musically-inclined family having an influence on her. It’s in her genes, as they say.

She shares: “I found myself picking up tunes at a young age, and I was actually pretty picky about the music I liked to play when I was young. I told my piano teacher to specifically give me contemporary pieces to learn, instead of classic pieces.”

Tilla walks on an emotionally vulnerable path of songwriting with a sense of heavy-heartedness. She prefers to pen down her feelings and what she thinks needs to be said in a lyrical and poetic manner, rather than expressing them in heart-to-heart conversations.

How would you describe your sound today?

“Well, I would say my sound today is ‘fresh’. When I first started songwriting as a profession, I was so compelled by the idea that Malay pop songs should sound a certain way, which made me sound super old. It took me some time to grasp the idea that the industry is revolutionising, and sounding more trendy and international.

“I used to hate the sound of my voice because it was too distinct. I wanted to sound like those singer-songwriters on Vine so badly, but I learnt that the tone of my voice is capable of doing much more.”

Do you see songwriting as a way to vent your emotions?

“Songwriting for me is relieving. I think I’ve been through quite a bit in terms of family as well as love life, and my only outlet where I can dump those emotions is through song. When I write, it’s almost therapeutic for me to get everything off my chest.

“This is probably going to sound cliche, but I’m not the greatest at sharing my emotions through conversations, somehow I’d beat around the bush but I can be more precise through my music.

“Hence whenever I go through a breakup, I’d write a song stating how I feel, and send it over to the guy, and consider that my closure.”

You’ve written songs for yourself and also for other artistes such as Maya Karin, Kaka Azraff, Natasha Sass and others. How different is it?

“They’re definitely different. There are certain rules of songwriting that should be [followed] when writing for the public in terms of melody, lyrics and structure. There has to be a hook and a general overarching idea, and I’ve learnt that writing for others is definitely a craft.”

Let us into your creative process.

“I notice that I write the most when I’m going through a tough time. That’s when the words in my head construct their own song. When that happens, I get in front of my computer and guitar, play a few chords that harmonise, and just let the natural melody and lyrics flow.

“I record everything on my phone and tweak the lyrics and melody if needed, before I compose with the production software.

“I get inspired through other artistes’ music, honestly. When I hear a sound or lyrics I’m drawn to, I work around that particular element and see what I can come up with.”

Tell us more about your upcoming album.

“I wasn’t planning for an album at all honestly. But during the MCO period, I was in a very bad state; I had nothing to do, I had just got out of a relationship, and I had no income whatsoever. I was just left with overwhelming emotions and my laptop.

“One night I decided to write a song and send it over to everyone I knew in music production and asked them what I should do with it. Thankfully, one of them got back to me and asked if we could collaborate, and the rest is history. We called ourselves the ‘Evening Special’.

“The upcoming album titled Sounds of a Heart has eight emo tracks, which my friends described as the “angry girl album”. I’ve been working on it for four months now, and it’s probably going to be out at the end of September.”

What did you find most challenging when breaking into the music scene?

“It would be conforming to the mainstream. You can have a great song and album, but to captivate the audience is a huge challenge. Appealing to one person is tough, so imagine appealing to everyone.

“I understand that you don’t have to please everyone, but when it comes to making that moolah, you do have to be a certain way.”

WHILE he does charity work now and then, DJ Fuzz (born Farzwa De-Attaher Emir Farit) does not focus on one particular social cause, unlike his former Teh Tarik Crew bandmates Altimet and Mizz Nina.

DJ Fuzz produced his first solo album Mixology in 2005, and has composed music for artistes such as W.A.R.I.S, Mark Adam, Juzzthin and Wani Kayrie.

This prolific musician, DJ and composer has also written seven books in Bahasa Malaysia teaching budding artistes how to monetise their music. Among them are 101 Tips Untuk Artis Baru Nak Up, and his latest, #DJ Fuzz Secret.

Referring to #DJ Fuzz Secret, he said: “The book is about how to become a composer and maximise your income by becoming a songwriter.”

He explained what spurred him to write this particular book. “There are a lot of newcomers who are very misinformed about the industry.

“There are many people outside the industry who are indoctrinated with the idea that you can’t make money out of music, and that music is not a viable career.

“With the book, I was trying to explain to people that you can actually earn a good income by just being in the music industry. There are many avenues that you can monetise.”

DJ Fuzz said there is a big difference when you compare the music industry of today to how it was in the past, such as during its heyday in the 1980s. The competition today is more intense.

“Not everybody will make it. About 20% [of the artistes] will made 80% of the revenue.

“First they will increase their profile and branding as an artiste. They may be able to monetise [themselves], but in order to go further they will have to start a business. The business doesn’t have to be [related to] music per se. With their personal branding, they can market their products.”

He said that an artiste cannot have a number one song all the time, but by using their personal branding for their business, they will have another source of income.

The past few months have been a mixed bag of sorts for DJ Fuzz. He lost his father Farit Ismeth Emir (a famous newscaster for RTM), and the performance side of his business has slowed down.

However, this accounting graduate has been busy composing jingles for various SMEs that have managed to survive the current economic climate.

“Our business is divided into two sides. The record label side, and the advertising side. The record label side is slowing down, but the advertising side is picking up.”

He said they newer artistes seem to be more informed than their predecessors, and know how to find multiple sources of income.

Indirectly, DJ Fuzz is helping newcomers to the industry by pointing them in the right direction through his books.

“If you become an artiste, there are many people who will show you how to manage your money in the long term,” he said. “If you are self-employed, you [may not have] the EPF (Employees Provident Fund) to take care of you when you are older. So you have to go the extra mile.

“You have to put in your own effort. You have to create your own retirement fund. In order to do that, you have to educate yourself more than other people.”

He said those in the entertainment line have to take it upon themselves to attend classes or webinars to learn how to manage their finances, so that they won’t end up repeating the mistakes of artistes who have ended up broke once they stop working.

“Musicians today need to be more financially informed and educated so that in the future, they have some [savings] when they decide to retire. That is what I am trying to do.”

However, he cautions: “I am not qualified to advise people on [their finances]. They have to go to the right people. What I am trying to do is pass on the message.

“Instead of teaching them, I am sharing with them where to go to learn how to manage their money. The only thing I am [qualified] to write about is [related to] the music business. That I why I write books on the music business.”

TELEVISION’s Emmy Awards usually provide a night of hugs, high-fives and glamorous stars posing on the red carpet, but the coronavirus pandemic will make for a very different virtual-only ceremony on Sept 20.

Jimmy Kimmel will host from a stage in the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, telling jokes without the usual packed audience of celebrities. Only production staff and a handful of stars will be allowed in. The red carpet was canceled.

Still, producers said the show, broadcast live on Walt Disney Co’s ABC network, aims to provide a celebratory feel for the industry’s highest honors.

Hoping to avoid the feel of a stilted Zoom call, staff shipped dozens of movie-quality cameras, lights and microphones to capture live and spontaneous reactions from winners in their living rooms. Producers will monitor 130 live feeds from about 20 cities, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Tel Aviv and Berlin.

“They don’t want it to be the ‘Zoomies,‘” said Michael Schneider, senior editor at Variety. “They want to avoid that look, and have it look like a regular production.”

Television audiences for awards shows have slumped in recent years. Last year’s Emmys drew a record-low viewership of 6.9 million.

Producers hope the unpredictability of this year’s format will draw interest, and they admit things might go wrong.

“Think about having a Zoom with your family and how complicated that is, getting grandma to look at the camera and have her whole face on camera,“ Kimmel quipped in a promotional video. “Multiply that by a million, and that’s what we’re dealing with here.”

A lineup of “special guests” including Oprah Winfrey, Sterling K. Brown and Jason Bateman is slated to appear in some form. Casts of some series will gather together to watch the broadcast.

Producer Reginald Hudlin said the show scrapped parts of the traditional format for presenting awards.

“Some are going to work and it’s going to be great,“ he said. “Some of them might not work. We said ‘let’s just experiment.’”

Breanne Heldman, senior TV editor for People magazine, believes the unusual setup will yield surprises and a side of celebrities not normally seen on television.

“I think there could end up being some really beautiful, touching and romantic moments with people thanking the people sitting right next to them on the couch,“ she said. “It will be intimate and honest.”

While the lack of a red carpet will disappoint many fans, Heldman expects stars will don notable attire throughout the show. Some may wear masks that match their outfits, which could range from sweatpants or pajamas to high fashion, she said.

“There will be some women who don’t want to pass up on this big moment and wear the gown,“ Heldman said. “And why not? Put on those Jimmy Choos. You don’t have to walk around in them.” - Reuters

NURSE Mildred Ratched, the infamous villain from Milos Forman’s Oscar-winning 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is returning to screens in the Netflix show Ratched.

The eight-episode horror series, from producer Ryan Murphy and writer Ian Brennan, tells the origin story of the asylum nurse created by Ken Kesey in his 1962 novel.

The TV show, set in 1947, follows Ratched as she arrives in Northern California to work at a psychiatric hospital where doctors have been conducting experiments on the human mind.

Sarah Paulson, the show’s lead, said she felt “nervous and a bit incapable” taking on the character, a role for which Louise Fletcher won a lead actress Oscar.

“The only way I could try to approach it was to think about holding her performance as closely as I could in my mind, and then just try to remind myself that we were inventing her beginnings,“ Paulson told Reuters.

“I had a little bit of latitude there to explore with some freedom, but knowing what the backbone of the character was because of Louise’s wonderful, wonderful performance. But it was scary,“ she added.

Finn Wittrock, who plays mass murderer Edmund Tolleson, said the show explored how Nurse Ratched ended up becoming one of the great cinematic villains.

“She went head-to-head with the patriarchy in her own way and ultimately became the person that we later know as Nurse Ratched in the movie. But she wasn’t always that way,“ said Wittrock.

The series also stars Sharon Stone as an eccentric millionaire and Cynthia Nixon, who plays Nurse Ratched’s love interest.

Ratched will be available for streaming on Netflix starting on Sept 18. - Reuters

RAPPER Kanye West went on a Twitter spree on Sept 16 , complaining about his contracts with music companies and posting a video depicting a man urinating on one of his Grammy awards.

The Heartless rapper, who has bipolar disorder, posted pages from 10 of his contracts and accused entertainment companies of exploiting Black artists.

“This is what me Kanye West deal looks like today ... I PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS THAT IT DONT LOOK LIKE THIS TOMORROW,“ he tweeted after posting the contracts that cover fees and royalties.

“All the musicians will be free,“ he added over a six-hour period on Twitter.

West then posted a video that showed a person urinating on a Grammy Award that was placed in a toilet, with the caption “Trust me... I WON’T STOP.” The video racked up more than 13 million views in a few hours.

West, 43, one of the biggest and most controversial names in rap with 21 Grammy awards, said this week he would not put out any more new music “till I’m done with my contract with Sony and Universal.”

He also said he wanted to own the master recordings of all his work, called the music industry “modern day slave ships,“ and added, “I am the new Moses.”

No spokesperson for West could be reached for comment.

Universal Music Group, which owns West’s Def Jam label, did not return a request for comment on Sept 16. Sony Music, which handles his song publishing interests, declined to comment.

Concern has grown in recent months over the mental health of West, who said in 2018 that he suffered from bipolar disorder.

The rapper in early July declared he was running for US president in the November election under his self-styled Birthday Party, but has done little campaigning.

His wife Kim Kardashian in July asked for compassion and empathy for West, calling him a “brilliant but complicated person.”

Bipolar disorder is a form of mental illness characterized by unusual mood swings between extreme energy and activity and depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It can be treated with a combination of medication and therapy. - Reuters