The weird thing about writing this post is having Madonna, Christina and Britney singing Like A Virgin+Hollywood mash-up on my Music playlist.
Okay, let’s snap out of that visual and frame of thought. (despite the music still playing)
Last Saturday, our poetry+art+technology collective called SERONOK performed at Paradiso, Publika for the #word Cooler Lumpur Festival 2013 happening throughout the whole weekend at Publika.
That was our third performance, which started way back its debut at Urbanscapes 2012 at KL and an exclusive Indonesian premiere at dia.lo.gue in January 2013.
If you haven’t heard about and what it is, SERONOK is a group of four female poets, Khairani Barokka, Elaine Foster, Illya Sumanto and myself, performing our poems to the live music and music scores with musicians and assisted visually by the ever-so-talented visual artist, Fairuz Sulaiman. In the first 2 instalments, our music were scored and designed by Ardi Kuhn from Jogjakarta and assisted by drummer/percussionist Cory Rogers, also from Jogjakarta. For the recent third show, due to conflicting schedules, we resorted to collaborating with new musicians, an ambience sound designer, Sudar Kumar, a percussionist on tabla, Krishna Kumar, and a sexy saxaphonist, Jeffny Kamar. And of course, we have the talented Faiz Akhbar who designed our posters for us. (see how I work with the people I love).
The poems performed goes around the differences and similarities of culture within the Malay archipelago, where all of us originated from, either by bloodlines or sense of belonging.
The show is choreographed and directed on a theme that consist of the sarong, a piece of cloth that have been an integral part of the Asian culture. Throughout the show, audience even gets to see the different ways of tying the sarong.
This is not a review of the show. That would be ridiculously biased. Of course I would say we were fucking brilliant.
What I wanted to write about was more of the journey I have taken as a stage performer.
I have only started gracing the stage three years ago. I have no training whatsoever. I did it because according to popular beliefs, saya muka tak malu.
What I find amusing is how I am very critical yet positive of myself. Alongside Seronok, I have done a few dragking shows (I kid you not) on stage and countless poetry readings and storytelling in public.
I think an onstage persona is conquered with utter confidence, which I think comes to every performer by chance and luck. When I say ‘chance’, I’m refering to the great energy given by the audience, and ‘luck’ meaning that you don’t slip and make tangible obvious mistakes.
But never, never work alone.
A stage performer only succeed with the support system assisting them. Be it a manager, a PA, a partner, a troupe, you need someone to hold your hands before and after the show.
And for that, I am truly blessed by the company of my fellow SERONOK comrades, who throughout the entire process, have made this journey to be something I am so proud of in my life.
Oh, and the slutty part?
I get to hug a lot of people before and after the show, in ways you could only can try to imagine.
The Cosmic Abyss 