​Tapestry of Colours – A Concert in Support of Yayasan UTP (6 - 8 Aug 2010)

Through a medley of song and dance, over 170 talented Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) multinational students representing 33 countries brought to life a colourful and diverse cultural performance in a three-day concert celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Malaysia, titled ‘Tapestry of Colours’ from 6 – 8 August 2010. The concert which was held at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS in Kuala Lumpur is in support of Yayasan UTP.
 

Students from the UTP Performing Arts Group, UTP Chinese Orchestra, UTP Gamelan Group, UTP Virtuoso Group and the UTP International Cultural Group took part in the concert.

It was a showcase of Malaysian culture, portraying the transformation of the nation from the glorious Sultanate of Malacca to Malaya, right up to the formation of Malaysia. It went on to portray scenes of Malaysia today, in the global arena. In line with its theme, the concert featured Chinese musical orchestra, gamelan, cultural dance and virtuoso group.

The Chairman of the Organising Committee of the concert and Rector of  UTP, Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin b Hj Kasim said, “As the concert was held in Merdeka’s month of August, this effort is hoped to raise the sense of patriotism in valuing the power of independence, particularly among the nation’s youth.  It is hearthening for us to witness a younger generation embrace the music of patriotism and world friendship”.

The concert kicked off with a dance performance entitled “Malaya – The Beginning, featuring the main ethnic groups in Malaysia. Next, was “Crossing Cultural Boundaries”, an intriguing performance by the UTP Gamelan Group. 

“Birth of a Nation – Malaysia is Formed”, is a performance which featured and showcased the sights and sounds of Borneo, with the traditional ethnic dances of Sabah and Sarawak. “Meeting of Two Cultures”, featured several Chinese songs.“Dance of the Flute” is a song combining the elements of Chinese musical instruments with the beat of the kompang. The music is especially arranged to show a different side to the kompang beat than what we are familiar with. Next was the Yang Qin Concerto (Love song). The evergreen patriotic song, “Tanah Pusaka”, was given a new twist in this performance by the UTP Chinese Orchestra. Next is Sudirman Haji Arshad’s song Warisan, which tells how important it is for the young generation to become future leaders.“Prince Sang Nila Utama dan Singa”, tells the tale of the how Malay and Chinese cultures are joined to form the Baba Nyonya or Peranakan community. The Peranakan culture has a particular set of practices, beliefs, and arts with a combination of both Malay and Chinese traditions.
 

Next up was “Malaysian Rhythm”, a medley of songs which showcases Malaysia’s unique diversity of colours and culture from UTP’s Virtuoso Group. Presented by the UTP Performing Arts Group, the 1UTP, 1Malaysia, 1World dance showcases how the multiracial Malaysian community combines to become a strong and successful Malaysian race. Malaysia has gained the respect of the international community through its triumphs in so many different areas.  The performance of UTP’s international students portrays unity in diversity.

Mr Tahyr Orazov, 22 years old from Turkmenistan said his participation in this concert as one of the dancers for International Cultural Group, gave him the opportunity to play a role in this charitable event.  He added, “This concert allowed me to understand the cultures of other countries and for me to see the differences and similarities among multiple cultures”.

Proceeds from the concert, which is jointly organised by Yayasan  Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (YUTP), Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS and UTP Alumni, would be channeled to Yayasan UTP which was officially launched on 3 August 2010 as funds for scholarships and grants for research and innovation, and developing the arts, sports and cultural activities at the university.  For more information on Yayasan UTP kindly visit www.utp.edu.my/yayasan