Playback & Preview: July’s Jam & What’s Poppin’ in August!

Warisan KL Team | 5 August 2025

WVC’s Tay Cher Siang, AJ Popshuvit and Adriel Wong took us on a wild classical-jazz rojak — and we loved every crunchy note.

Hello there, heritage hunters and culture cravers! Welcome to the very first edition of Playback & Preview, our brand-new monthly round-up where we spill the tea on all the artsy, heartsy and heritage-y things we’ve been up to – and give you a sneak peek at what’s coming up in this concrete kampung we call Kuala Lumpur.

You know how sometimes you blink and the month’s gone, and you’re like, “Wait, got jazz in Petaling Street? People planting ulam in the city? Ravel in KLCC?” Yup. Been there. So we’re here to help you keep up with all the cool stuff going on in town – with just the right amount of Tea Thambi.

Playback: July Highlights

Bach-turned-jazz at Quan’s Kitchen?

We caught the jazz band WVC in action at J-AZZ BACH, and it was fabulous! Led by Tay Cher Siang, the ensemble took us on a whirlwind 19-track tour that mashed up baroque brilliance with swingin’ jazz. Bonus points for tabla beats (Vick Ramakrishnan), bamboo flute melodies (Tan Jie), and Tan Chee Shen’s soaring vocals. Bach wouldn’t have known what hit him! Jazz Bach was part of the inaugural International Bachfest Malaysia which came to a close on July 27, following five extraordinary days of music, learning and international collaboration. Held at the historic Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown from July 23 - 27, the festival welcomed around 2,000 participants from 14 countries to celebrate the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach under the theme: “Bridging Bach.”

Ravel, revamped at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

We were sad to miss it live, but Ravel at 150 at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas had us swooning from afar. The NSO, under maestros Nasran Nawi and Eric Lee, put on a colourful 90-minute tribute to Ravel’s genius, complete with Sarawakian piano prodigy Bridget Yee jazzing up the classical canon. Malaysia boleh, indeed.

Sayur in the City

On the greener side of things, our tiny WKL team got their hands dirty at a delightful urban farming workshop in the heart of KL, just a hop, step and jump over from the majestic Menara 118. From spotting African night crawlers (worms!) to planting Okinawa spinach (yes, that’s a thing), we met an inspiring bunch of KL-ites doing big things with small plants. Bonus highlight? A lovely uncle playing classical tunes on the public piano at CM MRT station, an Arts On The Move iniative. KL, never change.

Warisan KL’s Ann Marie Chandy and Annabeth Lee with their take home Okinawa Spinach pots.

KLAW 2025 – Old Town, New Tricks

If you wandered through Chinatown recently and thought, “Hmm, architecture installation ke tu?” – you weren’t hallucinating. Kuala Lumpur Architecture Week (KLAW) rolled out four beautifully crafted installations that made you pause, reflect and maybe even take a selfie or two. Proof that our old town still has plenty of new tricks up its sleeve.

KL Street Jam 2025 – Muzik & Merdeka Vibes!

Just last weekend, the city came alive with Ekspresi Muzik Kuala Lumpur at Laman Jejak Pahlawan. From the powerhouse vocals of Haiza, to guitar hero Maman Teachers Pet, smooth stylings of Nadia Hasnan, and beats by Dr Kronik – it was a full-on mood. Throw in DBKL’s own Artis & Kombo Budaya, and there was a proper open air street party under the stars. First launched in 2013, KL Street Jam has gone from Jalan Raja Laut to Dataran Merdeka and now Bulatan Dato’ Onn, becoming one of DBKL’s mainstay events to hype up our local scene. It’s not just a concert – it’s a city statement: that KL’s public spaces belong to the people, and art’s got a rightful place in our everyday streets. Long live the beat-makers and the balcony dancers. Ini baru KL!

Preview: What’s Coming in August?

Places & Plants Nature Walk

Did you know towns like Pinang and Sentul got their names from actual flora? Join the Forest Learning Centre’s fun walk through the lush Perdana Botanical Garden and rediscover Malaysia, one leaf at a time. Aug 3 & 10 at 10am & 5pm

Pesta Kopi Kuala Lumpur 2025

Caffeine junkies and hipster mug collectors unite! It’s all happening at Semua House on Jalan Masjid India, with local brews, art music and more. Bring a tote bag, bring your thirst. Aug 8-10 from 10am to 10pm

Heritage Talk: Rumah 1916
This one’s for the heritage buffs. Join Dato’ Zahim Albakri as he shares the journey of restoring his family’s 100-year-old home in Batu Gajah – once a royal school, now a living legacy. The talk is on Aug 9, 10.30am at Badan Warisan Heritage Centre. RM20 for non-members; free if you’re a member. And if you’ve never checked it out, you might want to go on a guided tour of Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman, one of the oldest surviving traditional Malay houses, which was restored by Badan Warisan Malaysia, at the same address (No.2, Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur). Tours are available at 11am and 3pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays. For any enquiries or bookings, email [email protected] or call 03-2144 9273.

Legacy of Malaysian Stories
Explore the rich history of Malaysian children’s literature at the Duke Museum of Picture Book Art in GMBB until Aug 17 (10.30am - 7.30pm) – from traditional Malay folklore to English-language stories shaped by colonial-era education. Enjoy new book launches, meet-the-author sessions, and storytelling activities perfect for you and your kids.

Storytime got a brave upgrade last weekend! Chelsea Penafort dropped by The Duke Museum with Little Momo, The Brave – and yes, the kids (and grown-ups) were all ears!

That’s a wrap for now! Keep your cameras ready and eyes peeled to our events and on the radar pages – KL’s bursting with stories at every street corner. We’ll be back next month with more throwbacks and things to look forward to.

Until then, stay curious and jangan lupa: sometimes the best way to rediscover your city is to jump on a bus or train, then just jalan kaki and have lots of fun!

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