Slamet jalan, mas: A belated farewell to Slamet Sjukur

'Being a composer is amusing; no one cares about his living or his usefulness.' 

- Slamet Sjukur, October 2009

I had the pleasure of meeting the most intriguing Asian composer some years back, Indonesian veteran Slamet Sjukur. Unlike many, he had no airs about him, and did not think of himself as particularly important or notable to the new music profession.

We met twice, once in Wellington in 2007 and later when I invited him to come to Kuala Lumpur for the KLCMF 09 but Slamet spoke as if we had always been old friends.

For one, I was curious yet taken by his penchant for insisting I address him as 'mas' instead of 'pak', the respectful term for Indonesians. And he always started his correspondence with 'Mas Loh yang tercinta' (My beloved friend). And old world grace that many of us have forgotten, or do not even know.

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Interweaves CD launched in Penang, 4 Oct 2016

Malaysia's first ever CD anthology of six works by women composers 'Interweaves' was launched at Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy's office in Komtar, Penang on 4 October, 2016.

Present at the cheque presentation ceremony was the cosponsor foundation Pertubuhan Masyarakat Sihat Tanpa Alkohol Pulau Pinang, members of the national media, the composer and the artist of the cover CD Susan Loone.

At the launch Cho talked about her long held dream to produce a CD of women composers from the time she began researching Clara Schumann, realising the rarity of CDs featuring the music of women composers.

The CD is being promoted through its Facebook page, where those interested can find out how to follow the latest events, get a copy, and share the excitement with others who have received their copy of 'Interweaves':

https://www.facebook.com/interweaves

You can also contact info@malaysiancomposers.com for a copy of the CD.

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