Penang World Music Festival 2013 Opens at the Khoo Kongsi

Khoo Kongsi in Penang
Khoo Kongsi in Penang – Photo by Angel Romero
The official opening of the Penang World Music Festival took place on March 29, 2013 at the historical Khoo Kongsi. Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, or Khoo Kongsi for short, is a large Chinese clan house with elaborate ornaments and architecture, a symbol of the Chinese influence and heritage in Penang, Malaysia. It is renowned worldwide for its extensive lineage that can be traced back 650 years ago.

Penang’s Chief Minister, Mr. Lim Guan Eng, welcomed the artists, media and other guests to the Penang World Music Festival. Participants were treated to a delicious selection of local food that included char koay teow (flat noodles), curry mee (noodles in a bowl), roti canai (flat bread with gravy), satay (chicken kebabs with peanut sauce), nutmeg cordial (nutmeg juice), nasi lemak (coconut rice wrapped in a leaf with sambal, anchovies or egg) and a desert called ais kacang (shredded ice).

Oranitza members and Kipri at the opening ceremony
Oranitza members and Kipri at the opening ceremony – Photo by Angel Romero
The Penang World music Festival is an annual international event held in the island state of Penang, which is part of the Malaysian Federation. Penang is an attractive tourist destination, known for its world heritage architecture, beaches and commerce.

As an appetizer, two of the artists scheduled to perform at the festival played a few songs. The first was Andean band Inka Marka. The group plays melodic music from the Andean region of South America.

The next act was the impressive Bulgarian band Oranitza. They perform an engaging mix of Bulgarian traditional music with global music elements such as Australian didgeridoo and Peruvian cajon. The group includes musicians four male musicians and singers accompanied by two members of the vocal group called Kipri. In this case it was mother and daughter Sanka Grozdanova and Iliyana Naidenova respectively. The female vocalists displayed the mesmerizing western Bulgarian-style of singing.

Oranitza TV performance

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.

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