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A dose of music with your Covid-19 shot

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New initiative gives battered musicians a big break and makes people getting vaccinated feel welcome and at ease.

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Free Malaysia Today
Maestros on stage: Mustafa Fuzer Nawi (violin) and Ahmad Shahir Nuri volunteered to perform at MITEC on Saturday. (Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:
Event: Calming live music with Covid-19 vaccine jab. Venue: At a vaccination hub.

So, rejoice – and roll up your sleeves. It might just help put those nervous about getting injected in the arm, at ease.

The unusual stage for musicians, who have been knocked out cold by the pandemic, is the vaccination venue at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

Free Malaysia Today
Siti Nur Dalila (Ila) captured the hearts of people with her uplifting violin playing. (Zainariah Johari pic)

Among the seven musicians who will play classical, contemporary and pop music on rotation over two weeks, are R Kalaiselvan (sitar), Siti Nur Dalila – Ila (violin), Wawa Zin (violin) and Lim Wei Siong (erhu, a Chinese two-stringed fiddle).

No singing. No tip jar – yet.

They are paid by Yayasan Hasanah – a foundation of Khazanah Nasional – whose head of arts, culture and public spaces, Zainariah Johari, described musicians as “cultural frontliners”.

Zainariah, who mooted the concept, said the programme has the spirit of great volunteerism, pointing to the performances of two orchestra maestros on Saturday.

Free Malaysia Today
Zainariah Johari, who mooted the idea of music at vaccination venues, hopes the initiative will get the support of private entities. (Zainariah Johari pic)

She said the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra, Mustafa Fuzer Nawi, played the violin while Ahmad Shahir Nuri, the conductor of the now defunct Malaysia Airlines Orchestra, ran smooth notes over the keyboard.

Zainariah said the programme was not about “song and dance, rather sustenance for musicians who just want to work”.

“Further, with vaccination on the minds of many, potentially causing a degree of agitation, there is no situation that is immune to the power of music.”

Zainariah said an elderly nyonya, who watched violinist Ila perform told her: “So good for my soul, I was so nervous going for my jab.

“Every bow stroke is a nod to humanity. Every note is a statement of hope, and every vibration of the string is an encouraging tone to move forward,” she said.

Zainariah said she was working with the relevant authorities to have musicians perform at other vaccination venues but needed help from corporations and other foundations to make it happen in a bigger way.

Free Malaysia Today
Sitarist R Kalaiselvan has been a big hit, with many seeing a sitar player for the first time. (Frankie D’Cruz pic)

Sitarist Kalaiselvan said he was glad to take to the stage again and hoped the music will continue.

He said it was his first paid performance in public since the pandemic battered Malaysia early last year.

Kalaiselvan said the performers were proud to be playing their part in the vaccination programme and hoped more musicians would be part of it.

“The response to our performances has been a joy and you realise how much people have missed live music. It gives them hope,” said Kalaiselvan, who is a member of the Pandavas World Fusion Music Band.

Many on the road to immunity from the coronavirus stop to record videos of the performances and make requests.

The distinctive tone of the sitar that resounds in the foyer of the south entrance to MITEC, prompted retiree Jaffar Salleh to say: “It’s a new cultural experience seeing a live sitar performance. It’s soothing and uplifting.”

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