Penang World Music Festival 2012 - Aseana Percussion Unit

By Anthony Tan

Get Ready To Rock With Aseana Percussion Unit From Malaysia

My first encounter with the group Aseana Percussion Unit aka APU was when I was the Event and Exhibition Manager of a Malay national newspaper group and given the task to organise the first anniversary celebration of yachtsman Datuk Azhar Mansor's triumphant return from his solo voyage at Awana Porto Malai, Langkawi

I had engaged the APU to provide music for the evening function and asked them to play music that was popular at the places along the route taken by Datuk Azhar when he was circumnavigating the globe.

My next project with them was getting them to be the band in attendance for the eFest soft launch at Putra World Trade Centre, which was officiated by then Tourism Minister, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Panglima Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

APU was formed in 1998 when four guys got together. It was led by Edwin Nathaniel with the thought of experimenting on blending the sounds and rhythms of different types of drums and percussions.

One of the APU members I find a cut above is Kirubakaran aka Kiruba who comes from a long line of Indian classical musicians as his grandfather was a master musician of Indian percussion and taught Kiruba the fundamentals of the art. Watch out for him and see him “talk” to you using his fingers on the tablas.

Over the years, APU has grown to have 10-11 of highly skilled percussionists and musicians, who have been invited to perform in many major international music festivals.

I can’t wait to rock and swing with Aseana Percussion Unit at the Penang World Music Festival to be held at the Quarry Recreational Park in Botanic Garden from 30th March to 1st April 2012.

See APU's preview below.