Taiwanese acts Enno Cheng (鄭宜農), Elephant Gym (大象體操), and Chalaw Pasiwali (查勞‧巴西瓦里) will team up with Malaysian indie pop duo Pastel Lite to hold a free showcase at Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 30 to broaden Taiwan-Malaysia ties under the New Southbound Policy.
Cheng is a Taiwanese indie singer-songwriter, actress, and playwright who has adopted significantly different styles throughout her longstanding career, reflecting her diverse interests and ambition. Often accompanied solely by an acoustic guitar, her warm vocals, poetic and forbearing lyrics, and candid mannerisms have captured the hearts of many concert-goers.
Elephant Gym is a bass-driven Math Rock trio from Kaohsiung known for funky and emotional guitar riffs. While most of its musical productions are instrumental, the band is also fond of other art forms and collaborates with Japanese bands, Taiwanese indigenous singers, film directors, modern dance groups, and theater actors to create a complete art world that belongs to Elephant Rock.
Chalaw Pasiwali is a singer-songwriter from the indigenous Amis (Pangcah) tribe who composes songs based in part on his deep feelings for the natural world around him, while also examining the tensions that exist between younger members of the tribe and the traditional way of life of the Amis. He is also a documentarian of sorts, using music to record and preserve the disappearing memories of his people.
Pastel Lite is a Kuala Lumpur-based experimental duo comprising Eff Hakim and Mohd Faliq, whose fresh aesthetics range from electro-pop tones to nostalgic, dreamy, and new-age sensibility. Their 2017 debut full-length album, "Balada," is built around narratives detailing the fragile nature of human relationships.
The "Taiwan X Malaysia: Musician Exchange" night will take place on Aug. 30 at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), followed by a "Taiwan X Philippines: Musician Exchange" night in October featuring Taiwan's Outlet Drift (漂流出口), 88balaz (88顆芭樂籽), and April Red (紅樂團) and Manila-based funk rock group IV of Spades.
‘Taiwan X Malaysia: Musician Exchange’
- Date: Aug. 30, 2019
- Time: 7 – 11pm
- Venue: Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
- Free Tickets: Available here