Composition Highlights
49 Days: Loosely based on the Buddhist concept of zhong yin shen (中阴⾝) that refers to a 49 day limbo period in the afterlife, this tune imagines the process of self discovery and reflection in the face of death. This piece is through-composed, hinting at the relentless forward-push of life.
Light A Thousand Candles: Thousands of candles can be lit by a single candle, and the life of the single candle will not be shortened.
// 馬可蘿蔔 Marco Lopo
新中文爵士 Contemporary Mandarin Jazz
Marco Lopo is not your usual jazz album. In fact, we’re a little reluctant to slap any labels on it. The brainchild of singer/songwriter Dawn Wong and jazz composer/arranger Felix Phang, it fuses beautiful jazz harmonies with pop, folk, rock and classical elements resulting in a!tasty ‘rojak’ (Singaporean salad dish).
This collection of original contemporary Mandarin jazz tunes bears hints of the multicultural metropolis of Singapore. Its lyrics draw inspiration from innocence and the imagination to create a world where rabbits can captain ships and vegetables dance the samba. But take a closer look and you may find it hard to distinguish fact from f!iction.
“With ‘Marco Lopo’, I wanted to tell the stories happening around me - stories about life’s struggles as seen from our tiny Island. Singapore has one of the world’s most open economies, and hence is an ever-evolving melting pot of cultures. The lens through which we see the world is universal, yet unique.” - Dawn Wong
To bring each story to life, Berklee alumnus Felix Phang crafted and arranged each tune, adding details like the woeful howl of an overworked plush bear on Bearst Friends and the aching memory of a lullaby on Elephants Love Stargazing. The resulting music is driven by easily-digestible melodies clothed in harmonic layers and rhythmic textures, bursting with whimsy and wonder.
Live, there is a certain energy and sincerity that the band brings to the stage. Their music sets up a light-hearted atmosphere, almost acting as a decoy for adventurous improvisation by some of Singapore’s most well-regarded names in jazz, collectively christened ‘The Ark Royal’ by vocalist Dawn Wong.
But more than music, this album is about the journey taken together on unpredictable waters and the wonderful experiences along the way.
Seeing Sounds by Felix and the Imaginary Forces
Contemporary Jazz Large Ensemble
Imaginary Forces is a 12-piece contemporary jazz band
featuring compositions by Felix Phang.
He is often inspired by emotions sparked off by his imaginary world.
Through emotion, there is energy. Through energy, there is life.
Felix hopes that his music can send out these energies to leave an impact on lives.
Be it to inspire, to be happy or even to resonate with sadness.