I spent my Merdeka celebrations at NuSentral where our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak officiated and launched the ‘KL International Arts Festival 2017’ (KLIAF2017) to promote local and international cultural performances.

It is going to be an exciting five-week event, beginning from now up until Oct 1 at a few different venues around Kuala Lumpur where and an assortment of interesting cultural performances featuring both our local and some international performers will come together and feature heart pounding dances, poetry recitals and mini concerts, among others.

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Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor fresh from the Merdeka parade at Dataran Merdeka , along with the rest of us were treated to a sneak peek of various cultural performances..

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Starting with the DeafBeat percussion troupe, some street dancers, Main Zapin by the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) and a heart pounding performance by “Che Malambo“, a 12-man dance sensation that was brought down to Malaysia all the way from Argentina.

There will be more than 50 performances to keep all performing art aficionados entertained from around the globe including Pakistan, Norway, Australia, Japan, Singapore, France, UK and Argentina.

Capping off the launch was the completion of an artwork on stage by eminent and senior Malaysian artist, Yeoh Jin Leng, who will also be exhibiting a selection of his works, complemented by photographs taken by the late Sultan of Terengganu, Almarhum Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, in the festival.

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Festival director, Datin Sunita Rajakumar, said during this period, between Aug 31 to Oct 1, acclaimed and up-and-coming artistes from Malaysia and around the world would gather in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the arts through music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and literature..

Festival performances are also complemented by educational workshops and activities.

One of the highlights of the music performance is the ‘Konsert Panggung 50 Anniversari’ to be staged in the lush gardens of the Taman Botani Perdana, in commemoration of the Panggung Anniversari’s 50^th anniversary. This convert will feature local and ASEAN artists who will take the audience on a musical journey through the ages, from old hits to new songs, backed by  none other than the DBKL Orchestra and dancers.

Do not miss out on the performance of music from the film, Song of Lahore, by the Sachal Ensemble, which will present a re-creation of songs from Duke Ellington, the Beatles, Dave Brubeck as well as traditional Pakistani folk songs. You can even watch a screening of the film , Song of Lahore, which will be screened before each performance…

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Do check out the spell bounding , Entranced- An Evening with a Ghost, that brings together contemporary Southeast Asian trance-rituals and the ancient Japanese Noh drama traditions, as well as the 1996 prestigious dance  classic from Hong Kong, Boy Story, and of course, the double-spisode presentation of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company’s popular dance programme, Beyond Calligraphy.

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And yes, of course, like who can resist some fine looking Latin American gauchos drumming on their bombos and rhythmically stomping their way into ladies hearts with their breathtaking, percussive dance and music spectacle..  hehehe, not me…

KLIAF2017 will include both ticket and free admission events. For more information, do visit www.diversecity.my

Note – posters taken from DiverseCity’s FB and pic credit belongs to them