IPOH, Sept 24 — It’s a throwback to ‘rock kapak’ this October at the Ipoh Music Symposium, organised by PORT (People Of Remarkable Talents) Ipoh.

The symposium will be held from October 10 to Nov 18 with the highlights being a concert on October 10 and a forum the next day.

PORT Ipoh general manager Nur Hanim Mohamed Khairuddin said this was the second year the organisation was hosting such a symposium, touted to be the first state to do so.

“Last year our symposium was on independent music. This year we are moving to rock kapak where we want to study its impact on culture and society,” Hanim said.

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Speaking to Malay Mail,  Hanim said since it first emerged in the 1980s, polemic on rock kapak with, “band members having free-flowing hair” came with negative connotations/

“But as time passes on, the matter is now looked at as part of stage performance.”

She said Prof Wan Zawawi Ibrahim would deliver a keynote address during the opening of the symposium on October 10 at PORT Ipoh, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.

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“He will also be the moderator on the forum on October 11 featuring panelists such as Jennifer Thompson, Nasir Jani, Datuk Hattan and Zulkifli Headwind.”

The concert, to be held on October 10 at the Arts and Culture Department from 9pm to 11.30pm, will feature some of the biggest rock kapak names such as May, BPR and Kris.

There will also be an exhibition on the genre of music featuring cassettes, vinyl, T-shirts, news reports and posters from 9am to 6pm daily from October 10 to Nov 18 at PORT Ipoh’s Black House.

Hanim said due to the recovery movement control order (RMCO), seats for the symposium, concert and forum had all been taken up.

“But fret not, we will be broadcasting live via our Facebook page.”

For further details on the symposium, visit the PORT Ipoh Facebook page.