OudTalk

Azrin Abdullah started learning the acoustic guitar at the age of six. He gave his first musical performance when he was nine and has not looked back since.

Azrin began his love affair with the oud, an Arabic lute-type stringed instrument, in 1999 when he was tasked to learn the exotic instrument as part of an endeavour to master traditional Malay music.

Although he has faced considerable challenges and difficulties in learning to play the oud, Azrin continues to believe in sharing his valuable knowledge so the oud can be made accessible to all.

In 2014, Azrin was sponsored by the National Arts Council to pursue an advanced course at the National Conservatory of Arts in Kuala Lumpur to further his knowledge of the oud. After completing the course, he went on to produce the first Singapore Gambus Conference, which was held at the Malay Heritage Centre from 25-30 October 2016 in conjunction with the Malay Culture Festival. The well-attended event saw speakers and gambus enthusiasts from Singapore and around the world gather to share their knowledge of the instrument.

Azrin was also instrumental in forming Singapore Oudists (SGOudists), an online oud community that provides local oud players from all walks of life with a platform to get together and share techniques and playing styles.

A notable name made synonymous with world drums and dance, Nizar Fauzi (b. 1986) has been around making waves in the arts and the community for the last 20 years.

Under the guidance of his parents, he began his early years in Malay traditional art forms with pioneer dance ensemble, Sriwana. As one of the many youth involved, he worked towards forming an artistic identity that matched his individuality. Soon after, he was scouted by Singapore’s premiere Malay traditional music ensemble, Sri Mahligai, starting as a percussionist and growing to become one of its main singers. He later joined Sambiesta and Wicked Aura Batacuda to further satisfy his hunger for other styles of music, and to explore his potential as a percussionist and a singer.

These involvements have allowed him to perform extensively locally and internationally, in places such as China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Australia, Korea and the UK.

As he grew and matured as an artist, Nizar returned with the tools and capabilities of bridging the human voice with the rhythms of the people and varying movements into one harmonious and inseparable form. This was further enhanced and exemplified with the establishment of NADI Singapura.