Sound of the Sixties and an Afternoon Dance Party

Sound of the Sixties and an Afternoon Dance Party

The Music of My Father - James Boyle on Jimmy Boyle

James Boyle shares the life and music of his father Jimmy Boyle.  Jimmy Boyle was the most prolific composer of his generation writing 350 compositions including Chendering, Jauh Jauh, Ingat Ingat, Bunga Negara, Sang Bayu, Ke-Hulu Ke-Hilir, Pantun Melayu, Gemaran Bulan and Putera Puteri. He was also an extraordinary jazz pianist whose virtuoso performance attracted the attention of people far and wide.

He was part of a generation of talented composers and musicians from Penang who included David Yeoh, Ahmad Merican and Ahmad Nawab. His compositons extended to writing music for new Malaysian plays as well as an original Malaysian ballet. 

His legacy lives on through his son, the composer and pianist James Boyle.

Come listen to some of his original recordings and learn about the musical genius of Jimmy Boyle. 

Songs for the Dawn of a New Nation(s) – A Listen/In Party with  Paul Augustine & Daryl Goh on the music of the 1960s.

What was the music scene post-Independence? While acknowledging the influence and impact of P Ramlee these two music buffs will play music and tell stories to take us into lesser known musical territory. Who was writing the big hits of the day and what were their influences. Who was breaking new ground? What was happening over at RTM? What was the propaganda songs and what songs were people singing? What was the hope and the joy … and what was the first song banned in Malaysia? Come to find out.

Surat Dari Tawau – A radio drama by Usman Awang reimagined and performed by Joni Atari 

Joni Atari presents the radio drama Surat Dari Tawau by Usman Awang, which explores the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation, loyalty, and unfulfilled love. The pre-recorded dialogue, music, and ambient sounds will be performed live.

Followed by a music and dance party.

Paul Augustin, founder of the Penang Island Jazz Festival and Penang House of Music, is a former musician, event manager, and author. He is also regarded as an “unofficial” documenter, custodian, and historian of Malaysian popular music.

Daryl Goh, day job as the arts and culture editor at The Star, on the weekends does curious things like crate-digging for old vinyl, catching indie gigs in tucked-away venues, wandering through art spaces, and trying to piece together the scattered stories of Malaysia’s forgotten music scenes, one record sleeve and faded memory at a time.

Joni Atari is the moniker of the duo Nurul Aizam and Ridhwan Saidi, who create field recordings, soundscapes, and auditory works for Moka Mocha Ink’s theatre and film projects. Their past sound design work includes the film Tears in Kuala Lumpur (2025) as well as theatre works such as Pengalaman Prangin (2024). In Surat Dari Tawau, the voices of the characters are performed by Eff Hakim, Ani Aziz, and Adam Suharto.