Mars in Malaysia

DJ Momay covers Kuala Lumpur

By Suwitcha Chaiyong

Many music fans would be prepared to travel overseas to see their favourite artists perform live. Easy FM DJ Napassorn Buranasiri (DJ Momay), 30, was happy to do just that when she got the chance to take some of her station's lucky listeners to see Bruno Mars play in Malaysia.

"I'm a fan of Bruno Mars, so I felt lucky to see him," DJ Momay said. "I like real musicians who perform live without lip-syncing, because every performance is different."

As well as attending the concert, DJ Momay saw some spectacular sights during her three days in Malaysia, including the Genting Highlands hill resort and casino, the Istana Negara national palace and the Putra Mosque.

GREAT GIG

Seeing Bruno Mars perform at the Putra World Trade Center was the definite highlight of the holiday for DJ Momay.

"Just seeing Bruno Mars was enough to make the trip worthwhile," DJ Momay said.

DJ Momay was happy to hear that the star sounded even better on stage than on CD.

"We were told that it was just a showcase, but he performed for two hours and sounded even better than his recordings," DJ Momay said. "There wasn't any big stage production, but his skillful performances on several different instruments made the show great."

DJ Momay said that the Malaysian audience helped to create a fun atmosphere at the concert.

"There was a cosy and friendly atmosphere," she said. "It seemed like a lot of the audience could speak English, so they could respond well to Bruno Mars. Everybody had a ball!"

IN THE PINK

Apart from the impressive concert, DJ Momay was also blown away by the unusual architecture at the pink Putra Mosque. Situated in Putrajaya, near Kuala Lumpur, the design of the Putra Mosque was inspired by Persian Islamic structures and built with rose-coloured granite.

"It was incredibly beautiful, but every woman had to put on a headscarf before entering," DJ Momay said. "Short-sleeved shirts and short pants weren't allowed, and the guards there were very strict."

IMPRESSIVE PALACE

Seeing the exquisite Istana Negara national palace was another highlight for DJ Momay, even though the general public weren't permitted to enter the building.

"The palace is the official residence of the King of Malaysia, so we had to stay outside," she said. "It reminded me of home because I could feel that everybody there paid respect to their king."

STRICT CULTURE

Even though the trip was short, DJ Momay was able to learn a lot about Malaysian culture.

"Our guide told us that if a single man and a single woman go on a date at an inappropriate time, they could be arrested by the police," DJ Momay said.

DJ Momay's guide said that the strict laws in Malaysia can have some positive benefits. For example, the strong laws against pirating CDs allow more international artists to visit the country.

"Far more people buy CDs in Malaysia, so more artists want to tour there," DJ Momay said. "I felt sad to learn that we do so much more illegal downloading of music in Thailand. I think that laws need to be strict if people lack discipline."