A True Artist ...

... submits to his art. A true artist does not need to be told when there is room for improvement in his works for the true artist knows that he is only as good as his last creation and that his soul thrives on perpetual creation. There is no rest for the true artist.

We have one here in Malaysia and she is the composer, Saidah Rastam. She was the passion behind M! - the backbone, the driving force. Some will say that she should be for it is her brainchild afterall. I, together with many M! colleagues, looked deeper and saw a soul that created a work of art for us to create upon, bringing us on an eccentrically bewildering and exciting creative journey. Was that necessary? No. But Saidah did it. Saidah the artist, the composer, shared this with us.

How often does one experience such a privilege? I can now say that I had the honour to work with Saidah and she has further reinforced my believe in her and my respect for her today when she said that she will be reworking on M!. The run of M! the Opera in March 06 was just the first step. Such humility. I take my hat off to her as a person and as a professional for accepting criticisms from all around and for wanting to address the niggling issues.

As a musician, the general Malaysian audience's disgruntled reaction towards M! was a testament to the fact that our people (including those who think they are musicians or of musical authority) are shallow in their perception of art. They go for patronising entertainment - no thought is required. Entertainment does not automatically equate art. For many, face value is what counts. The majority of our audience cannot discern potential in a work of art. It further reinforced my long time suspicion that the majority of the nation is not ready to grow artistically. They do not realise the their position of privilege in being able to see original works being performed in their lifetime. M! is not without flaws. Many of them too! But art is a consequence of the journey of the artist together with his work - a relationship - and it is a continuous process.

As artists and creators, there is no need to wait for our audience, for we are creators and for art knows no boundaries. A true artist does not seek gratification from the general audience reaction. The soul of the true artist knows when he has achieved what he set out to accomplish.

This entry is not just about Saidah but it serves and will continue to serve as a reminder for my personal goal as a performer and hopefully an artist one day.

As for M! the Opera, may the gods, angels and spirits of creativity continue to look upon Saidah through her artistic journey and be her guiding light in her quest to realise M!'s full potential.