Can science and music really change hearts and minds? Yes, it can. This is a heart-warming story from Malaysia about how a scientist and theatre director came together to produce a genre-defying performance piece using Malaysian gamelan music to serenade the cause of seagrass. And inspired their audiences to take action for the protection of this previously overlooked marine plant.
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Jillian Ooi is a marine ecologist at the Department of Geography, Universiti Malaya in Malaysia. Her research focuses on seagrass, a vital but often overlooked flowering plant that grows in shallow coastal seas. She is deeply concerned about the decline of seagrass ecosystems in Malaysia. To educate the public about its importance, she uses the power of music to amplify her scientific work and inspire action for seagrass conservation. When Jillian is not underwater watching grass grow, she plays the gamelan, and is the Artistic Director and Music Director of Rhythm in Bronze, an award-winning Malaysian gamelan orchestra.
Dato’ Zahim Albakri – which is the Malaysian equivalent of Sir Zahim Albakri – was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was educated in the UK and then returned to Malaysia to pursue a career in acting and directing. As the artistic director of Dramalab since 1993, he focuses on nurturing new Malaysian writing for theatre. Zahim’s accolades include numerous awards for acting and directing, notably for his feature film debut, “Spilt Gravy,” which received seven awards at the 2022 Malaysian Film Festiva – and is available to most international audiences on Netflixl. He is also committed to cultural preservation and holds positions in The Heritage Trust of Malaysia.
Seruan Setu, or The Call of the Seagrass, is their multi-media multi-genre performance piece telling the story of Seagrass that premiered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2023. It uses film, dance, gamelan music and TED talk style presentations to take audiences on “an enchanting musical journey that spotlights Malaysia’s endangered seagrass ecosystems”
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The Call of the Seagrass (or The Making of “Seruan Setu”) – Jillian Ooi & Zahim Albakri ¦ MetroWild Podcast S01 Ep07 MWL0107 ¦ with Yang-May Ooi
Links
You can find links to some of the things we talked about below:
Seruan Setu on the Rhythm in Bronze website – https://www.rhythminbronze.com/
Rhythm in Bronze on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RhythmInBronze/
Seagrass – https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/marine/seagrass
Dugong / Sea Cow – https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/dugong
Why Seagrass Matters – https://www.seacology.org/key-habitats-we-protect/why-seagrass/
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Photos: Jillian Ooi & Zahim Albakri
