FT @ Songket Ball, Shangri-La, July 10

washere2 · Post time 26-6-2009 10:30 AM

Post Last Edit by washere2 at 26-6-2009 10:47

Songket extravaganza
By : ZUHAILA SEDEK
NST
2009/06/25

The upcoming inaugural Songket Ball is aimed at celebrating and keeping the songket heritage alive through fundraising, a musical and fashion show showcase. ZUHAILA SEDEK writes.

IT is going to be a memorable show”, that is the promise made by the organiser of Songket Ball — Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah (YTNZ).

The inaugural Songket Ball, which will be held July 10, will not be a typical gala night. Apart from raising funds, it will also feature a musical, inspired by fantasy and fairy tale, songket style.

The musical will be directed by Datuk Zahim Albakri, who also directed Puteri Gunung Ledang, The Musical. He will work together with the former singer of the band Gersang, Man Bai who will be the show’s music director and choreographer Pat Ibrahim.

“The show will be like a mini musical. There will be dancers, singers and it will be in line with the theme of the event — Keeping Heritage Alive,” Zahim said.
Zahim and Man Bai were recently presented with the songket costumes to be incorporated in the musical.

“I am more inspired now after seeing the clothes that’s made with songket. It’s fascinating that songket can be made into various attire,” Zahim said.

As for the storyline, Zahim said it will focus on the weavers and the fabric itself as a heritage.

“In the storyline, a songket weaver will show her grandchild how to weave and what the fabric is all about. There is more but it will be a surprise for the audience that night,” he said.

The creative team is now finalising the script.

“The show will be a mix of traditional and contemporary given that songket has been around for so long and it is now been given a contemporary look,” Zahim said.

“I’ve always loved songket and admire what YTNZ is doing in taking it into a different direction and at the same time keeping songket alive. Thus, I am more than happy to be part of this effort,” Zahim added.

Man Bai, on the other hand, said he will study the fabric so that it could be incorporated into the show.

The musical will last for 45 minutes and will also feature performances by Stephen Rahman Hughes, Ida Mariana, M. Nasir and Faizal Tahir. The musical will be in Bahasa Malaysia, with English subtitles.

There will also be a songket fashion show, featuring some of the biggest names in the local fashion industry. It will incorporate an Ulek Mayang performance and accompanied by gamelan music. Products designed and produced by YTNZ will also be showcased.

The Songket Ball is initiated to raise funds, celebrate and pays tribute to organisations that have contributed towards the preservation and development of songket.

The event will be held at Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

For details, call 03-2284-8253.

santubung · Post time 26-6-2009 05:52 PM

wah ... mcm nak pergi jer

sayasukagame · Post time 26-6-2009 09:34 PM

jgn lupa update bersama gmbr ye santu...

sharina_shah · Post time 1-7-2009 10:17 AM

1# washere2

45 minit tu masa sume retis perform ker? 4 artis sekali kan

kak santu, mlm td kita mimpi kak santu dtg umah kita... cam x caye je

santubung · Post time 1-7-2009 07:02 PM

1# washere2

45 minit tu masa sume retis perform ker? 4 artis sekali kan

kak santu, mlm td kita mimpi kak santu dtg umah kita... cam x caye je
sharina_shah Post at 1-7-2009 10:17

alamak ye ker?
ku datang sorang ker
datang ngan jun ki ha ha

sharina_shah · Post time 2-7-2009 02:34 PM

Post Last Edit by sharina_shah at 2-7-2009 14:35

5# santubung

kak santu dtg ngn 'tunang'

nama dia ****man
adoiiii.. merepek betul
cam jemputan tuk betunang gitewww
siap ade kad " santubung dan ****man "

then ade pegi spa cam ala2 org korea bagai

sharina_shah · Post time 2-7-2009 02:36 PM

3# sayasukagame

kaka yasu x join pigi ker? umah kaka yasu area situ gak kan

washere2 · Post time 2-7-2009 07:16 PM

Majlis Songket "Melestarikan Warisan" himpunkan pereka ternama

MAJLIS Songket dengan persembahan pentas khas oleh Stephen Rahman Hughes, M. Nasir, Faizal Tahir dan Ida Mariana akan berlangsung bagi memartabatkan songket sebagai khazanah warisan Malaysia yang tinggi nilainya.

Bertemakan “Melestarikan Warisan”, para tetamu ke majlis pada 10 Julai ini di Hotel Shangri-La, Kuala Lumpur akan dihiburkan sepanjang malam dengan nyanyian, tarian tradisional dan muzikal lagu.

Bersama para tetamu kehormat yang terdiri daripada para CEO badan korporat hinggalah kepada artis-artis selebriti dan orang-orang kenamaan Kuala Lumpur.

Majlis Songekt ini bawah naungan Diraja Baginda Permaisuri Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, Majlis Songket bakal menjadi malam bahagia yang tidak akan dilupakan, bersama persembahan yang belum ditonton sebelum ini, ‘menggabungkan yang tradisional dan yang baru’.

“Para tamu Majlis Songket akan berpeluang melihat, merasa, menyentuh dan menikmati warisan seni halus tenunan songket,” kata pengerusi penganjuran Majlis Songket, Dato’ Larry Gan.

“Tetamu juga dapat meneroka songket dalam berbagai bentuknya bersama persembahan muzikal arahan pengarah teater ternama Dato’ Zahim Albakri disamping artis Man Bai sebagai pengarah teknikal dan Jason Voon sebagai pengarah muzikal,” jelasnya lagi.

Pasangan Diraja Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin dan Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah berkenan mencemar duli untuk menyerikan majlis ini.

Majlis Songket merupakan malam amal bagi badan korporat, pertubuhan dan orang perseorangan untuk membantu matlamat YTNZ ke arah memelihara dan memajukan seni kraftangan asli serta warisan Malaysia.

Dalam masa yang sama juga memperbaiki penghidupan para tukang dan seniman penenun di Malaysia. Projek perintis YTNZ bertumpu untuk memapankan dan mengembangkan industri songket melalui pengenalan gubahan kegunaan dan fungsi pemakaian songket yang berinovatif.

Pada sesi memilih pakaian untuk para pelakon serta penari serta muzikal Majlis Songket di pejabat dan ruang pamer Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah di Bangsar hari ini, Zahim turut melahirkan rasa kagumnya tentang keunikan songket yang ditenun menggunakan tangan.

Antara songket tenun halus dan kreatif, yang akan diperagakan di Majlis Songket itu nanti

“Apa yang unik tentang songket ni ialah bila anda memakainya, anda akan terfikir tentang penenun yang mengunakan tangannya sendiri untuk menenun songket yang memerlukan banyak kesabaran dan penelitian,” kata Zahim.

“Inilah yang masih membuat songket di Malaysia istimewa.”

“Saya mengetahui yang Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah menerajui rekaan baju songket kontemporari untuk kaum wanita tetapi untuk lelaki pula, ia adalah sesuatu yang baru bagi saya," ujar Zahim.

Majlis Songket juga bakal memperagakan pakaian yang menggunakan songket ringan kontemporari keluaran para penenun Yayasan ini dan direka oleh pereka fesyen ternama seperti Tom Abang Saufi, Radzuan Radziwill, Melinda Looi, Jovian Mandagie, Rizalman Ibrahim, Tangoo dan Pink Jambu.

“Ianya merupakan peluang terbaik bagi para penaja, rakan kongsi, orang-orang penting industri serta para individu untuk menikmati malam berprestij di majlis menakjubkan ini,”kata Gan.

Tempahan tempat duduk meja (RM10,000) dan kerusi individu (RM1,000)

tersedia dengan menghubungi Sarah atau Evelyn di talian 03 2284 8253. Kesemua sumbangan akan digunakan untuk membantu peluang pekerjaan yang saksama, khususnya buat para penenun Yayasan di Terengganu dan Sarawak, berserta usaha-usaha lain yang dilakukan Yayasan bagi mempromosi dan memelihara warisan songket Malaysia.

Berkenaan Yayasan Tuanku Nur ZahirahYTNZ ditubuhkan pada tahun 2007 dibawah Naungan Diraja, Baginda Permaisuri Agong Malaysia, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah. Ia bermatlamat memperbaiki taraf hidup penghidupan rakyat melalui warisan dengan menciptakan peluang pekerjaan yang saksama bagi para pekerja seni, penenun dan tukang.

Dalam masa yang sama, ia juga bertujuan memperkenalkan rekaan dan inovasi dalam kraftangan tempatan bagi memajukan nilainya dan memperluas pasaran kraftangan Malaysia.

Dengan mengangkat warisan Malaysia yang kaya, YTNZ percaya ia boleh membantu masyarakat terpinggir di kawasan luar bandar mendapat pendapatan yang berpatutan dan mapan seiring dengan hasrat memelihara budaya warisan tanah air.

Kebanyakan para penenun terdiri daripada ibu tunggal di desa sepanjang Pantai Timur Malaysia. Mereka menggunakan mesin tenun tangan bagi menenun dan menjual songket sebagai sumber rezeki membesarkan dan membiaya persekolahan anak-anak mereka.

Antara usaha bagi membantu para penenun songket di Terengganu, YTNZ menyediakan bantuan kewangan untuk memperbaiki dan menaik taraf kemudahan berkerja di rumah. YTNZ juga membeli songket tenunan mereka secara bulanan sebagai menambah pendapatan mereka.

Antara barangan yang bakal dipamerkan oleh YTNZ di Majlis Songket termasuklah buku eksklusif ‘coffee table’ bercitra mewah, berjudul “Songket Revolution” tajaan Yayasan, tulisan pakar tekstil Noor Azlina Yunus.

YTNZ turut menggunakan kesempatan ini bagi memperagakan songket kontemporari, bermutu tinggi yang direka dan dikeluarkan khas oleh YTNZ di bawah jenama Royal Terengganu Songket untuk fesyen, cenderahati berharga dan hiasan dalaman. Lembaga Pemegang Amanah YTNZ terdiri dari Tengku Dato’ Rahimah Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud (Penasihat) Tengku Noor Alina Ibrahim-Eddy (Pengerusi), Toh Puan Seri Wan Hidayah Wan Ismail, Datuk Sayed A. Rahman Sayed Mohd, Dato’ Larry Gan, Suryani Senja Alias dan Toh Puan Seri Nur Rahmah Mohd Zain.

Untuk sebarang maklumat, sila berhubung dengan Pegawai Perhubungan Media Alex Yong di +6 019 322 2932 atau alexyong@gmai

Mstar 1/7

santubung · Post time 2-7-2009 07:32 PM

mahal giller .... tak jadi pergi la

lagi pun kita nak pegi fan meeting JK kat jepun 17 - 19 Julai ni
ingatkan RM200 ker ... RM1000 pokai

sharina_shah · Post time 3-7-2009 09:20 AM

9# santubung

1k tuk 1 kosi.. org kayo je leh pigi

washere2 · Post time 10-7-2009 08:45 PM

malam ni kan event mahal ni....

sharina_shah · Post time 11-7-2009 10:09 AM

11# washere2 owh mlm td ek.. x ingt

washere2 · Post time 24-7-2009 02:43 PM

Wednesday July 22, 2009
Returning the sparkle to songket
By KEE HUA CHEE
The Star online

High society ladies, tycoons and donors arrived at the inaugural Songket Ball decked in songket, Malaysia’s glorious fabric once reserved for the Malay sultans, their court and nobility.

Those who did not have time to commission a songket gown made do with songket shawls that shimmered enticingly and regally.

The Songket Ball at Shangrila KL was graced by the presence of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

Mesmerising: Dancers clad in songket outfits doing the Ulek Mayang, a traditional dance from Terengganu.

Under the aegis of the Queen, songket is finding a new lease of life as couturiers are encouraged to use this material in their designs.

Seven leading Malaysian designers — Tangoo, Melinda Looi, Rizalman Ibrahim, Radzuan Radziwill, Tom Abang Saufi, Pink Jambu and Jovian — showed dazzling outfits embellished with songket.

Moses Law and Eric Yeong of Tangoo said they were very excited as this new-age songket was lightweight and flexible, resulting in a more contemporary look and feel.

Happy foursome: Among the guests at the ball were Jasmine Abdullah, Tengku Alina Ibrahim-Eddy, Asha Hashim and David Hashim.

Guests were entertained by Stephen Hughes, M. Nasir, Faizal Tahir and Ida Mariana.

Models and dancers clad in songket moved elegantly to traditional Malay music and songs.

In between each act was a grandmother reminiscing and encouraging her granddaughter to continue this dying art in tune with the gala’s theme of “Keeping Heritage Alive”.

The moving force is Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah, founded in 2007 by the Queen to preserve Malaysia’s cultural heritage while improving the livelihoods of weavers, artisans and craftsmen by paying them fair rates.

Dressed to the nines: Datin Caroline Teoh, Datuk Larry Gan, Datin Khatijah and Mesiniaga Bhd chairman Datuk Wan Fusil Mahmood

Previously, they tended to be exploited by middlemen and wholesalers who buy at rock-bottom prices and shamelessly passed off these precious songket as their own.

Tuanku Nur Zahirah, in her speech, said: “The foundation aims to make songket more accessible to Malaysians before taking it to a global level.

“When the foundation was established two years ago, we were faced with the daunting task of changing the mindset of weavers used to conventional weaving techniques. It took the foundation a year to develop this new generation, lightweight songket which is contemporary while maintaining its traditional elements.

“Our weavers benefit from our pay-and-train scheme using new techniques and we hope to empower this underprivileged community, many of whom are single mothers. The foundation hopes to create a new generation of weavers who will take this artform seriously and as a business,” she added.

The foundation’s weaving centre at Chendering, Terengganu, teaches the complete process from the preparation of yarns to marketing the final products.

The foundation has 60 weavers in Terengganu and Sarawak who are given financial assistance to upgrade their home infrastructure and are paid monthly for songket produced.

washere2 · Post time 24-7-2009 02:45 PM

Trends: Bringing back the shine to ‘songket’
2009/07/15
NST
SYIDA LIZTA AMIRUL IHSAN

Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah does its part to help the songket industry, writes SYIDA LIZTA AMIRUL IHSAN.

The Royal Terengganu Songket produces songket in modern patterns.
WHAT was once the fabric reserved for royals, songket — a piece of cloth which is intricately woven with shiny threads — is slowly losing its lustre.

The traditionally slow weaving method, the thickness of the fabric and the lack of interest among the young to learn the trade are among the reasons why this priceless heritage is slowly dying off.

Generally, the songket fabric, which is either cotton or silk, is thick (to withstand the weaving) and unsuitable for our hot climate.

So songket is reserved for weddings or worn as sampin with Baju Melayu. The fabric, in all its splendour and beauty, hardly goes beyond being a ceremonial piece of clothing.

What makes the future of songket uncertain is the invention of machines that can weave it faster, with a quality close to hand-woven pieces. This means cheaper prices, compared to four metres of hand-woven Terengganu songket which costs more than RM1,000.

Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah founded Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah (YTNZ) in 2007 to prevent the demise of songket by conducting research to make the fabric more wearable and creating modern designs to go with the times.

Last Friday, YTNZ held The Songket Ball at Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur to raise funds to support the foundation’s cause.

“After a year’s research, the foundation has managed to produce lightweight contemporary songket, while maintaining its traditional elements. This new generation songket will find its deserving place beyond traditional uses and Malaysian shores,” said Tuanku Nur Zahirah in her speech.

The weavers, who benefited from the foundation’s pay-and-train scheme, now not only weave songket using new techniques but are armed with the knowledge and science of handling fabrics.

In villages, weavers are barely making ends meet because established songket brands buy up their stocks then brand them as their own. Now, with the knowledge that they have learned, the weavers can even start their own business.

YTNZ is the largest employer of songket weavers in Terengganu and Sarawak, providing steady incomes and upgrading of skills to the weavers.

It has also introduced new technologies and is involved in research and development to reduce production costs and enhance the weaving process.

Under the brand Royal Terengganu Songket, the project has also introduced home decorative items in songket and has helped improve the lives of weavers who are single mothers in Pasir Panjang, Terengganu.

The ball showcased lightweight contemporary songket designed by Tom Abang Saufi, Radzuwan Radziwill, Melinda Looi, Jovian Mandagie, Rizalman Ibrahim, Tangoo and Pink Jambu through a mini musical performance starring M. Nasir, Faizal Tahir and Ida Mariana, among others.

washere2 · Post time 24-7-2009 02:47 PM

... Ida sang 'Whole New World' with Faizal Tahir and the finale song 'Lagu Kain Songket' . Songs were performed as part of a sketch written and directed by Dato' Zahim Albakri. The other singers at the ball included M. Nasir, Mama Hapsah a legendary traditional songstress.

credit http://thejazzbirdsings.blogspot.com/