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Shanon Shah | |
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| Born | (1978-08-14)14 August 1978 (age 47) |
| Origin | Alor Star, Kedah, Malaysia |
| Genres | Soul |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, journalist, playwright |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Interglobal Music |
Shanon Shah (born 14 August 1978 inAlor Star, Kedah), is a singer-songwriter, playwright and academic fromMalaysia. He released two albumsDilanda Cinta (2005)[1] andSuara Yang Ku Dengar (2010)[2] on the InterGlobal Music Malaysia independent label. He is noted for his emotive voice and cabaret-style piano playing.
Trained as a chemical engineer,[3] Shanon has previously worked as acredit risk analyst,[4] human rights advocate and journalist.[5] In his various writings, he focuses on issues relating togender,sexuality andIslam.
In 2003, Shanon won theMandarin Oriental Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award at the 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards.[6] Two years later, he went on to win theAnugerah Industri Muzik award for best male vocal in an album forDilanda Cinta.[7]
In 2007, he entered theIkon Malaysia televised competition which looked for an icon among existing Southeast Asian artistes. The Malaysian level of the competition was ultimately won byJaclyn Victor.
Shanon has also performed as a duo with fellow singer-songwriterAzmyl Yunor and with his backing band the Cintas. Fellow singer-songwriter Ariff Akhir has also performed as part of the Cintas, and produced Shanon's second album,Suara Yang Ku Dengar.[8]
Shanon's musical influences includeLeonard Cohen,Aimee Mann andSam Phillips.[4]
Shanon Shah is also a playwright. His playAir Con was by the Instant Cafe Theatre Company's FIRSTWoRKS programme.[9] The play, directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi, was performed to critical acclaim prompting a revival in 2009.
One reviewer praised not only the play's take on issues such as hate crimes against transsexuals, homophobic bullying in schools, racism and religious fundamentalism, but also its comedic touches and bilingual dialogue.[10] Shanon has said he is greatly influenced by award-winning Malaysian actor and playwright Jit Murad.[11]
Air Con was nominated in nine categories for the 7th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, winning four awards, including Best Original Script (Bahasa Malaysia).[12]
Shanon also co-wrote the screenplay and four original songs for Chris Chong Chan Fui's first full-length feature filmKaraoke,[13][14] which in 2009 was selected for theDirectors' Fortnight of theCannes Film Festival. The songs forKaraoke eventually made it intoSuara Yang Ku Dengar.
Shanon Shah was also the former full-time Columns and Comments Editor atThe Nut Graph, a bilingual, independent, Malaysian online news site aiming "to provide space for columnists and reader comments from as broad a political spectrum, and from as many sectors of interest, as possible".[15] He contributed several English-language features, commentaries and interviews on the politics of Islam in Malaysia. His fortnightly Malay-language column,Secubit Garam, often took a light-hearted approach to serious political concerns through the fictional agony aunt Kak Nora.[16]
Shanon has also been published in other print anthologies. His 5,000-word essay "The Khutbah Diaries" was published inNew Malaysian Essays 2 in 2009. In the same year his essay, "Muslim 2 Muslim", was published inBody 2 Body,[17] an English-language anthology of fiction and non-fiction onsexual diversity in Malaysia.Body 2 Body was published by writer-directorAmir Muhammad's publishing company,Matahari Books.
In June 2012, Shanon's essay "Lot's Legacy" was published in the third issue ofCritical Muslim (Fear and Loathing),[18] a British "quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground-breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world".[19] The magazine is co-edited by London-based Muslim scholar and criticZiauddin Sardar.
In 2010, Shanon was awarded theChevening Scholarship to pursue his Master of Arts (MA) in Religion in Contemporary Society atKing's College London.[3] He completed his MA in 2011 and won the Shelford MA Prize from King's School of Arts and Humanities.[20]
He is currently a doctoral candidate at King's College London.[21]
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