Shanon Shah
Encyclopedia
Shanon Shah is a singer-songwriter
from Malaysia. He has released an album Dilanda Cinta (2005) on the InterGlobal Music Malaysia independent label. He is currently based in Kuala Lumpur
and is noted for his emotive voice and cabaret-styled piano playing.
Trained as a chemical engineer, Shanon has previously worked as a journalist and a credit risk
analyst. He is also passionate about human rights advocacy, especially as a trainer and facilitator.
He focuses on issues relating to gender, sexuality, HIV/AIDS and Islam
. Shanon also writes for theSun, and has written for print and online publications such as the New Straits Times
, Kakiseni.com and MuslimWakeUp.com (an online Progressive Muslim magazine).
In 2003, Shanon won the Mandarin Oriental
Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award at the 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards. Three years later, he went on to win his first Anugerah Industri Muzik
award for best male vocals.
In 2007, he entered the Ikon Malaysia
televised competition which searches for an icon among existing artistes.
He also often performs as a duo with fellow singer-songwriter Azmyl Yunor
and with his backing band the Cintas.
Shanon Shah is also a playwright. His play Air Con is produced by the Instant Cafe Theatre Company's Firstworks programme. The play directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi was performed to critical acclaim prompting a revival in 2009. It won Best Original Script in the 2009 Cameronian Arts Awards.
He also wrote the screenplay as well as the songs for the feature film Karaoke (film), which in 2009 was selected for the Directors' Fortnight
of the Cannes Film Festival
.
His 5,000-word essay The Khutbah Diaries was published in New Malaysian Essays
2 in 2009.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
from Malaysia. He has released an album Dilanda Cinta (2005) on the InterGlobal Music Malaysia independent label. He is currently based in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and is noted for his emotive voice and cabaret-styled piano playing.
Trained as a chemical engineer, Shanon has previously worked as a journalist and a credit risk
Credit risk
Credit risk is an investor's risk of loss arising from a borrower who does not make payments as promised. Such an event is called a default. Other terms for credit risk are default risk and counterparty risk....
analyst. He is also passionate about human rights advocacy, especially as a trainer and facilitator.
He focuses on issues relating to gender, sexuality, HIV/AIDS and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Shanon also writes for theSun, and has written for print and online publications such as the New Straits Times
New Straits Times
The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print , having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English...
, Kakiseni.com and MuslimWakeUp.com (an online Progressive Muslim magazine).
In 2003, Shanon won the Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, is an international hotel investment and management group with luxury hotels, resorts and residences in Asia, Europe and the Americas...
Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award at the 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards. Three years later, he went on to win his first Anugerah Industri Muzik
Anugerah Industri Muzik
Anugerah Industri Muzik , is Malaysia's music award-giving ceremony. It is the Malaysia's equivalent of Grammy.-Best Album:-Best Song:...
award for best male vocals.
In 2007, he entered the Ikon Malaysia
Ikon Malaysia
IKON Malaysia is a reality singing competition which searches for a champion among existing or established artistes rather than among new, unknown starlets as in other such singing competitions. The programme was co-launched with IKON Indonesia and IKON Philippines in late 2006 as an initiative to...
televised competition which searches for an icon among existing artistes.
He also often performs as a duo with fellow singer-songwriter Azmyl Yunor
Azmyl Yunor
Azmyl Yunor is an independent English and Malay language singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, academic and writer from Malaysia...
and with his backing band the Cintas.
Shanon Shah is also a playwright. His play Air Con is produced by the Instant Cafe Theatre Company's Firstworks programme. The play directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi was performed to critical acclaim prompting a revival in 2009. It won Best Original Script in the 2009 Cameronian Arts Awards.
He also wrote the screenplay as well as the songs for the feature film Karaoke (film), which in 2009 was selected for the Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
of the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
His 5,000-word essay The Khutbah Diaries was published in New Malaysian Essays
New Malaysian Essays
New Malaysian Essays is an annual Malaysian non-fiction book series by Matahari Books. It showcases previously unpublished essays on a variety of styles, from polemic to ode to memoir. Each book is mainly in English but will contain at least one essay in Malay....
2 in 2009.
Awards
- First Prize - "Kisahmu Belum Berakhir" & Mencipta Lagu Patriotik Alaf Baru, by International College of Music Malaysia, 2001
- Mandarin Oriental Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award, 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, 2003
- Best Male Vocal, Anugerah Industri Muzik 2006