Over the last few years, traditional arts and culture have made a comeback in Kuala Lumpur. All over the city, small-scale performances are rubbing shoulders with the more slick events at theaters. The city is also home to the nation’s most renowned orchestra, the
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs regularly. Despite this renaissance in local culture, Western cinema and music still dominate, especially among the younger generation.
The monthly
Vision KL Magazine (website:
www.visionkl.com) gives listings
on events and performances taking place in the city. It is available free of charge from 4 and 5-star hotels and in some bars. There is no umbrella ticketing agency for cultural events in Kuala Lumpur. Tickets are purchased direct from the venue.
Music: For classical music concerts, the main venue in town is
Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, in the Petronas Twin Towers complex
(tel: (03) 2051 7007; website:
www.dfpmpo.com). Malaysia’s first classical concert hall, it is home to the
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (website:
www.malaysianphilharmonic.com) and also hosts other major classical concerts as well as cultural performances.
Theater: The move of Malaysia’s
Panggung Negara (National Theater) to the massive
Istana Budaya theater, Jalan Tun Razak (tel: (03) 4025 5932; website:
www.istanabudaya.gov.my), has revolutionised Kuala Lumpur’s theater scene. With seating for almost 1,500 people, the RM210-million state-of-the-art venue is amongst the best in the world. On a smaller scale, the
Actor’s Studio Theater at the Bangsar Shopping Center (tel: (03) 2094 0400; website:
www.theactorsstudio.com.my) is a flexible space with all sorts of performances and even some comedy.
Dance: Traditional dance, such as
Menora (all masked men) or
Mak Yong (all masked women), is sometimes performed. However, there is no one venue or organization taking charge of this. Some hotels and the
Central Market also stage visiting regional dancers.
Film: Kuala Lumpur has many cinemas spread throughout the city, most of which are located in big shopping malls and have performances in English.
Cinema Online (website:
www.cinema.com.my) gives a comprehensive listing in English for the following cinemas:
GSC Mid Valley (tel: (03) 8312 3456; website:
www.gsc.com.my),
GSC Cheras Leisure Mall (tel: (03) 8312 3456; website:
www.gsc.com.my),
TGV Suria KLCC and
TGV Mines (tel: (03) 7492 2929) and
ISWARIA Odeon Theater (tel: (03) 2694 4995).
Literary Notes: As a relatively new city, there is a distinct lack of English-language fiction set in Kuala Lumpur. Paul Theroux’s
Consul’s File (1977) is an excellent collection of short stories set just outside the city.
A Malaysian Journey (1993) is an engaging insight into modern Malaysia. Written by an expat Malaysian journalist, Rehman Rashid, it is the story of his return to his native country. The story follows his travels around Malaysia, examining a plethora of issues as he goes and culminating in his emotive return to modern Kuala Lumpur. Steve and Lee Bristow’s
Chinatown,
Kuala Lumpur (1994) examines Chinatown’s eclectic history and boasts some excellent photographs. Also delving deep into Malaysia’s intriguing past is the
Malayan Trilogy (1984) by Anthony Burgess, where the author examines the state of post-war Malaysia and its struggle towards independence from Britain in 1957.
For a general historic overview of Malaysian history, Jim Baker’s
Crossroads -
A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore (1999) is comprehensive and easy to digest, compared to some of the more scholarly studies of Malaysian history. Giving a unique insight into the most powerful man in Malaysia, the retired prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Mohamad handed over power to his deputy in 2003 after an epic 22 years as prime minister), is his own
Voices of Asia (1995), which looks at his pro-Asian views and his controversial opinions on the world economy and where it should be heading. Stephen Lee’s
Outside Looking In -
Kuala Lumpur (2000) is a collection of photographs taken at the end of the 1990s that encapsulate life in the city. Robert C Porter’s
The Kuala Lumpur Connection (2006) touches upon the city as part of a fictional account of the pan-Asian opium trade.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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