The 66-year old co-founder of the acclaimed KL International Jazz and Arts Festival is also a talented musician, having released his debut album, ‘Compromise’ in 2024.
This month, the Sentul-born talent will showcase his music on his biggest stage ever, as he presents “Black Swan Rises”, a unique concept-based concert taking place at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur.
This eclectic concert will draw inspiration from Rodin’s original compositions and arrangements, and promises a unique musical fusion experience, where jazz meets classical compositions.
According to Rodin, the concert’s concept was inspired by the swan themes and imagery in many of his songs, as well as the metaphor of a “black swan”: a rare event with a major impact that was difficult to predict.
He explained that unlike a traditional concert, where an artist played their most popular hits, “Black Swan Rises” would feature diverse musical concepts, with songs ultimately illustrating a concept.
“Each of the songs in the concert lead to each other, to tell a story about a black swan rising. And it’s ultimately symbolic of humanity. In a way, we are a ‘black swan’, outcasts in the universe. Many of us fall down, but usually rise again,” Rodin told FMT Lifestyle.
“Ultimately, life is about finding strength to keep picking ourselves up, to reach apotheosis, or the highest point of something.”
“Black Swan Rises” will feature a 21-piece Malaysian orchestral band, including guest musicians Damon Brown and James Ryan, who hail from London and Sydney respectively.
Brown and Ryan will be performing 15 of Rodin’s original compositions, including “Life’s Like a River”, “Gates of Jerusalem” and “Leida’s Lovers”, in a 70-minute set.
Rodin himself is playing electric bass, while his brother VJ Thison, who Rodin described as having “a great sense of balance, adding dynamics to all my recorded songs”, is on drums.
The concert is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in Rodin’s unique musical style, which he dubs “neo-gen”: a mix of all his diverse influences, including blues, rock, funk, soul, various genres of jazz, ambient sounds and movie scores.
“I have been listening to different types of music over the past 40 years, and these certainly have had a huge influence on my own music. Neo-gen is the freedom to explore beyond boundaries and thus create something different,” Rodin explained.
Serving as principal conductor is Professor Hanafie Imam, an expert and educator on Malaysian music, and Rodin’s former music teacher.
Hanafie is known for his performances with the Hanafie Imam Jazz Quartet (HIJQ), the Gamejazz Ensemble and his world-music group, the Rasia Ensemble.
Speaking to FMT Lifestyle, Hanafie said: “This concert is truly a ‘zero to hero’ story of diligence and tenacity. From his bachelor days in music studies to his current professional career, Rodin has been consistently successful in adopting and expanding music education theories and principles into conceptual applications in areas of management, finance and entrepreneurship. The final outcome is this concert you should not miss.”
The concert will also feature two vocalists: veteran singer Maria Angela and Dr Aljafri Majid, a cardiothoracic surgeon who has sung at many private events, even performing for royalty.
Maria will be singing “What Would You Say” and “Who Knows Who”, while Aljafri will take on the song “Apotheosis-A Stairway to Heaven”.
Aljafri said: “After listening and reading its lyrics I realised this could be one of Rodin’s most memorable and significant compositions. In fact, his magnum opus.
He said the mystical lyrics and haunting melody at the start of the composition were infectious and that the slow build up to the “great energetic climax” drew him closer to his love for opera.
“I am excited to sing at ‘Black Swan Rises’. It is certainly not a run-of-the-mill music concert. This is a new experience, listening to a story of humanity expressed in Rodin’s music and lyrics,” Aljafri concluded.
Black Swan Rises
Venue: Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Level 2, Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur
Date/Time: Feb 19 at 8.30pm
Tickets can be purchased from Dewan Filharmonik Petronas or via WhatsApp at 012-5717759.