Zee Avi
Zee Avi
Tapaufest logo
Tapaufest logo
The Panturas
The Panturas
Subsonic Eye
Subsonic Eye
SORE
SORE
Plague Of Happiness
Plague Of Happiness
No Good
No Good
Iedil Dzuhrie and Sharifah Amani are the co-hosts
Iedil Dzuhrie and Sharifah Amani are the co-hosts
Forests
Forests
Forced Vomit
Forced Vomit
Fleur!
Fleur!

The Tapau Festival brings the best of independent acts from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia in a virtual concert

FOR the first time, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are having a major music festival online. A first of its kind, the Tapau Festival or Tapaufest, will feature some of the top independent pop and rock musicians from all three countries.

The online festival experience runs from 10am to midnight on Oct 30, and is co-hosted by two of Malaysia's most popular film stars, Sharifah Amani and Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin.

EMBRACING NEW NORMAL

The festival's concert director, Ahmad Faris said that it was a digital event beneficiary of the Creative Industry Revival Grant under the Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), and was aimed at creating an "online experience that embraces the new normal but still delivers festival vibes".

"Tapaufest aims to strengthen regional ties by bringing together creators of the indie music scene from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

"It is our collaboration with the best indie acts in the region, to create jobs for the indie community that has struggled to survive since the global Covid-19 pandemic began last year," he said in a recent online interview.

DESIGNATED VENUE

Ahmad Faris added that while most online shows claimed to be live, their contents were usually pre-recorded.

"But Tapaufest brings a truly live experience with our Pentas line-up, with the artistes taking turns to perform at a designated venue in each country," he said.

Malaysia will be represented by a major name, United States-based Sarawakian singer-songwriter Zee Avi, who holds the record as the first Malaysian to have albums on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart.

"The Malaysian line-up also includes No Good, which has just released its latest track Kayaba, Johorean ska band Plague Of Happiness, and the duo Gard Wuzgut," said Ahmad Faris.

COMEBACK AFTER 3 YEARS

Force Vomit, an iconic rock band from Singapore, is making a comeback after three years, and the Lion City is also represented by two other acts, Subsonic Eye and Forests.

Indonesia is represented by Sore and The Panturas, as well as the all-girl pop-rock trio Fleur!

Ahmad Faris said the artistes would be performing and interacting with the audience.

"They will share stories, interact with each other and react to the livechat with online fans. As for the co-hosts, they will stay active throughout the entire 14-hour live-stream, introducing acts and segments, as well as sharing interesting information about the concert and artistes with Netizens."

FINDING RIGHT PARTNERS

Tapaufest hopes to attract more than a 1,000-strong audience, and the entire show will be recorded.

"The main hurdle we have faced was to find the right partners to make this showcase happen. Since it is a first, it has been quite a challenge to organise," said Ahmad Faris.

"Not only did we need to have a high quality sound system, but also needed the right balance of music genres and gender in our line-up."

ANNUAL AFFAIR

He added that most of the acts had performed in the last two Tapaufests, and they would definitely be back in future.

"We try our best to make Tapaufest an annual affair. While this year Malaysia is the host country, Singapore and Indonesia will be hosting the next two festivals," said Ahmad Faris.

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

Zee Avi, who is back in Malaysia, said that she hoped everyone would have a great time at Tapaufest.

"It is great to be back at Tapaufest. This time, I will be doing things a little differently, in that I will be giving fresh, new versions of some of my best hits," she said.

"For example, I will lower the tempo for some of these songs, to reflect the current mood around the world. I will also be doing some interesting cover versions of famous songs, but that will be under wraps till the day of the concert."

SELECTION OF NEW SINGLES

Yuyi Trirachma of Fleur! said: "We have a new album, which will be launched next year, but guests at Tapaufest are in for a treat as we will serenade them with a selection of these new singles."

Gilang of Sore said that his band would be featuring two special guest musicians.

"They are two highly respected acts in the region, and we are confident that fans will love them," he said.

PROMOTE POSITIVE THINKING

Wan of Force Vomit said that his band was happy to join Tapaufest as it was a good way to promote positive thinking amid the raging coronavirus pandemic.

Daniel of Subsonic Eye said that his band would entertain fans with songs from their new album, which was released in January.

MAKING BREAKFAST

Besides Pentas, Ahmad Faris said that there would be an event called Bengkel, which was the workshop segment of Tapaufest.

Here, Bagus of The Panturas would be teaching the audience how to prepare a simple, yet scrumptious breakfast from his original homemade recipe.

Last but not least, in the Layar film segment, Netizens will get to watch the premiere of the short documentary entitled Ipoh City Slackers — Indie Rock Kota Tua, created by Nik Syazwan and Zim Ahmadi.

Tickets are priced at RM30, RM50, RM100 and RM150.

The recording of the festival will be on sale for a month.

For more information, visit www.TAPAUfest.asia.

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