Kelvyn Yeang - Penang Monthly

A Chance to Relive the World of Chinese Opera in Penang

4 min read

WHAT WAS ONCE a familiar sight in Penang has now become a hidden treasure. Despite the apparent decline of Chinese opera, the Leong family has managed to preser...

The Swelling World of the Influencer

3 min read

INFLUENCER CULTURE HAS become a major phenomenon. Scroll through your Instagram feed and most likely for every third photo you see, a “sponsored post” will appe...

Being Aged in Penang Today

5 min read

Ray Rozells.PENANG IS OFTEN regaled a paradise for retirees. But conditions differ greatly, as one would expect. Penang Monthly interviews a few aged resi...

Introducing Culture Shot! Ethnically Diverse, Musically Intergrated

4 min read

THERE IS SOMETHING inexplicable about Penang and its local communities that is conducive to the free-flow of distinctive artistic expressions. Culture Shot came...

Tropical Spice Garden Evolves to Survive Covid-19

4 min read

PENANG HAS NO shortage of eco-tourism attractions. There is the Botanic Gardens, replete with a long history; the Penang City Park, formerly the Youth Park, whe...

Music-makers Left to Fend for Themselves Under MCO

4 min read

MUSIC AND THE arts have always been a tricky national affair. It is recognised the world over as a symbol of a developed society capable of celebrating the fine...

Remembering Penang’s Municipal Band

6 min read

DID YOU KNOW that in the late 1800s, Penang had its very own municipal band? The exact year of its formation remains unclear; newspaper clippings from January 8...

Inhabiting a World Populated by Pieces of Art

4 min read

GEORGE TOWN WAS a sensory feast for artist Ono Kang on his walks to school many years ago. He was especially charmed by the colourfully tiled five-foot ways, an...

Youthful Excitement and Limited Resources Propelled Penang’s 1970s’ Music Scene

7 min read

POPULAR MUSIC IN the 1970s was a time of many firsts which united Malaysians of diverse races. Legacy musicians appeared who paved the way for new talents.

Recalling the Music Scene in 1950s Penang

6 min read

From left to right – Noel (Bull) Remedios, Jacob Chin, Leander Jeremiah, Frank Rozells, William Scully and Stevie Ooi, circa 1960s. Photo: Penang Ho...