Hope for spotlight on independent musicians with Ipoh’s Unesco City of Music status

IPOH, Nov 9 — The City of Music status accorded to Ipoh by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) is seen as a blessing for independent musicians here.

Busker Noor Azhar Noordin said the status will help to shine a spotlight on the community which has long been overlooked.

“People are too taken in by established musicians and do not bat an eyelid when it comes to independent musicians,” said the Ipoh-based busker, popularly known as Jaja Noordin within the busker circle.

Jaja, who plays the guitar and bass guitar, hopes the City of Music status will open up more opportunities for independent musicians like him.

“Now we are only performing at night markets and dependent on tips from the people for our livelihood.”

“Hopefully with this status, there will be more shows that independent musicians like me can participate in,” said Jaja who currently performs at Palo 101 on Sundays and the night markets at least twice weekly.

“The current monsoon season brings rain in the evening and we have to depend on our savings that we built up from a collection of tips from earlier in the year for our livelihood.”

Jaja, who had been active since 1998 and performs songs from the 1990s to the 2000s, hopes that establishments such as shopping complexes and cafes will be open to performances by buskers with the status.

“Previously we were given a slot by a local shopping complex but we stopped after they insisted on charging us to use the space.”

Youth movement, Ipoh Social Club founder Deena Erissa Delaila Mohd Zawawi, lamented about the lack of facilities to help independent musicians in Ipoh.

“Compared to other cities, Ipoh seriously lacks venues where independent musicians can perform.

“If Ipoh wants to keep its City of Music status, something has to be done to overcome this.”

She also said more venues should be set aside for youths to showcase their talents.

Deena hopes more opportunities will be given to local acts following the conferment of the status.

“Please stop the practice of paying out-of-towners to perform locally when Ipoh has an abundance of talents.”

Recording studio owner Yusharizal Yusof said he was happy with the honour bestowed on Ipoh.

Yusharizal Yusof hopes people will be able to understand and appreciate more. — Picture courtesy of Yusharizal Yusof

“I hope with close cooperation between the local government and the musicians and artists, people will understand and appreciate the art and not merely as just entertainment.”

Perak Tourism Association (PTA) president Datuk Mohd Odzman Abdul Kadir said music enriches tourism by infusing cultural authenticity, fostering festivals, and attracting tourists seeking immersive experiences.

“In turn, tourism amplifies local music scenes, fostering appreciation and driving economic growth. In a nutshell, Ipoh embodies both.

“The Ipoh Music Symposium, one of PORT (People Of Remarkable Talents) Ipoh’s signature programme, has played a significant role in helping the city to obtain the City of Music status from Unesco.

Legendary band Alleycats performing at the Ipoh Music Symposium this year. — Picture courtesy of PORT

PORT general manager Nur Hanim Mohamed Khairuddin said the symposium, into its fifth year, began in 2019 when she took over the helm.

“It helps to shine the spotlight on Ipoh as the symposium gathers all music practitioners locally and also the region where they discuss the role of music and its effect on social, culture and economy,” she said, adding that they normally invite high profile speakers to deliver their keynote address that added an impact to the programme.

During the symposiums, papers are discussed, before compiled into books before it is given to local institutes of higher learning for their references.

“With a mere 50 participants in the first symposium, the recent symposium saw the participation of some 3,000 people,” she added, highlighting the growing popularity of the conference.

PORT (People Of Remarkable Talents) Ipoh general manager Nur Hanim Mohamed Khairuddin (left) and assistant manager Muhammad Hanif Baharul Wafi with books containing all papers presented during the Ipoh Music Symposium. — Picture by Farhan Najib

Apart from Ipoh, two other cities in Vietnam and Thailand respectively also received similar recognition.

Ipoh joined cities such as Liverpool, Havana, Kansas City, Kingston, Adelaide, Seville, Kinshasa, Abu Dhabi, Glasgow, Tallinn, and Port of Spain in the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list.

With the latest additions, the UCCN programme now has 350 cities in more than 100 countries.

Unesco’s City of Music designation is part of the wider UCCN programme.

The network, launched in 2004, has member cities in seven creative fields (Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music).Ipoh follows in the footsteps of Kuching, Sarawak, which was recognised in November 2021 by the UCCN for its rich gastronomy.