Kechara House Won 5 Awards!!!!!
I initially came up with the idea to have a stage show of TSONGKAPA’S LIFE. This manifested in having a great production called “Legend of the Conch Shell” which was very well recieved. We had one of Malaysia’s top dancer Mr. Lee Swee Keong heading the leading part of Tsongkapa. Many people were very moved to tears during the show. It was quite touching in fact. I also shed tears during the show.
THE BOH CAMERONIAN ARTS AWARDED US FIVE AWARDS TWO DAYS AGO!!! Please read below and see the trophies!! Kechara House really was rewarded for it’s hard work.
See some pictures from the show Kechara produced:
We are in the papers yesterday for winning 5 awards!!!
Casts and crews
Click on below links to read more about the event:
- http://www.kechara.com/?p=267
- http://www.kechara.com/?p=997
- http://www.kechara.com/?p=990
Kechara Won 5 Awards For Our First Time Production!!!
The 8th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Award 2009 has just finished. This event is organised by www.kakiseni.com and the main sponsor is BOH Plantations. BOH produces world class teas. Other sponsors include Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Alexis Bistro, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Heineken and Red Communications.
Their cause is to promote local talents in the performing arts. It is a great event as the arts in this country is very important. This is Kakiseni’s 8th year and final year.
More than 500 people from the local performing arts industry attended the awards ceremony. It’s an opportunity for Kechara to reach out to this part of the community.
Kechara won five out of the six awards we were nominated for. They are:
- Lee Swee Keong (lead dancer) won the Best Featured Performer for Legend of the Conch Shell
- Best Music and Sound Design
- Best Choreographer in the Feature-Length Work
- Best Costume Design
- Best Set Design
The above awards will be great credentials for promoting the bigger production of Legend of the Conch Shell. Lama Tsongkhapa’s name will be popular in Malaysia.
This is our first step in realising a new department, Kechara Performing Arts Department. We can bring many wonderful stories from Buddhism into a modern setting for today’s minds.
See our awards below!!! Congratulations to my team who produced LEGEND OF THE CONCH SHELL AND KECHARA HOUSE!! Please see below the five awards Kechara House won for it’s production!!!
ALL FIVE AWARDS TOGETHER!
WE WON BEST CHOREOGRAPHY!
WE WON ALSO BEST COSTUME!!
BEST MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN AWARDED TO US!
BEST PERFORMER BY OUR PRODUCTION!
Best Set design ALSO!! IMAGINE HOW PROUD OUR KECHARA HOUSE IS WITH FIVE AWARDS IN ONE NIGHT!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE JUDGES!
Our Kechara Members at Awards Ceremony.
Kechara Members happy with our awards at the ceremony.
Our members with the Producer…..
Much care,
Tsem Rinpoche
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[…] Kechara House won 5 awards!!!!! […]
Its been 2 – 3 years since this major WIN for Kechara, and I still feel the glory and excitement after reading this article =D
“Legend of the Conch Shell” tells the story of Lama Tsongkhapa, a saint and master of the Gelupa lineage. The play of Lama Tsongkhapa is so timely. KMP had just published the comic book version of Lama Tsongkhapa and a few months later, the Liaisons decided to promote Lama Tsongkapa in a play.
Dancers were volunteers recruited from Kechara members. Lee Swee Keong, the lead dancer danced so well. The Tibetan costumes were well designed. It is like watching Lama Tsongkhapa coming to live in their performance. My favorite part of the play was “Migstema” music playing in the background. It has such a melodious tune, the kind that you cannot forget.
CONGRATULATIONS TO KECHARA HOUSE FOR WINNING THE 5 AWARDS FROM THE BOH CAMERONIAN ARTS!!!! WONDERFUL!!
First of all, I would like TO THANK RINPOCE FOR THE WONDERFUL IDEA OF LIFE STORY OF LAMA TSONGKAPA!! AND FOLLOWS BY MR LEE SWEE KEONG ( LEAD DANCER), THE DIRECTOR MR WOON FU SHENG, MS SHEREEN ( CHOREOGRAPHER), MDME IRENE LIM ( KIND SPONSOR OF THE SHOW) AND ALL THE CREWS FOR MAKING IT HAPPENED!! THANK YOU
It is because of all of you, who were involved with your endless effort and confidence. KECHARA HAS MOVE UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL. More and more people will come to know KECHARA from every part of the world.
May KECHARA continuously benefiting others in which whatever ways! MAY RINPOCHE’S DREAM FOR KECHARA WORLD PEACE CENTRE MANISFEST SOON! OM MANI PEME HUNG!
Angel
I cant wait for this play to be re-staged! We need more plays of sages! It’s due time that the world gets to know about Lama Tsongkhap because there has much stories about his life story made public. There was only one biography by Robert Thurman, but not much other than that, despite having many Gelug centers around the world. It’s very good that Kechara helps to promote Lama Tsongkhapa, first with a comic and now with a play! And not just a sad, tired play but a dynamic one that won many awards!
Also through a medium like a play, more and more people especially those that are not particularly spiritual can get to know about Lama Tsongkhapa too without converting. The play really helps to break barriers in the most incredible way. If they do rerun this play, i’d definitely ask all my artsy friends to come along!
I saw the stage play and it was FUNTASTIC! Although it was low budget, the casts did it professionally. After many months of hard work, late nights and not enough sleep, the stage play was a huge success. You know why? Because they were nominated for 6 categories and bagged 5 trophies from The 8th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Award 2009. It was truly a blessing. Even those who did not know who Tsongkhapa is, enjoyed the stage play very much. Some even asked when will Kechara be staging this play again. Many of the casts received blessings and a Dharma talk from Rinpoche personally in Ladrang before the showdown. Well Done!
In Malaysia, we do not respect artists and the industry of performing arts. In fact, if a child tells his parents that he is going to pursue performing arts as a career, the chances are the parents will say no or strongly discourage. As we are a society which does not believe in the arts and do not invest in it, then no artists can thrive or even make a decent living out of it. Hence, it becomes a cycle which does not promote arts in all forms but kills it or stunts it. Then those who are talented in this field will not get their chance to ever live out their natural talents or passion in the artistic sense. I truly appreciate BOH for organising such events because it helps us appreciate and value arts within our community. Hence, for Kechara to win 5 awards on its maiden debut, it is truly a gratifying feeling. Knowing how hard everyone in the industry works, knowing how hard every individual worked for this particular project, it is a cause to celebrate. One for the arts itself and one for Kechara. Double Happiness!
Congratulations to Kechara House’s production Legend of the conch shell for winning five awards from the THE BOH CAMERONIAN ARTS. I also nearly shed a tear during the show. It was so magical, it was literally ressurecting Lama Tsongkhapa after more than a thousand years. I thought that the sound effects during the spririts part was scary but overall the whole play was very, very good. KSA will flourish as these are also arts. Also, I would like to say once more congradulations to Kechara House for creating this lovely show to teach us the life story of Lama Tsongkhapa and provide the children who had a chance to watch the play to have insight and future interest towards Lama Tsongkhapa!
Terima Kasih Rinpoche!
Thanks to Rinpoche’s constant guidance, patience and compassion, it has culminated into what it is now: recognition for those efforts without any expectation or agenda.
Thanks to the Kechara team involved, they have shown to the whole country and the world at large what is persistence, teamwork, talents and the spirit of ‘All for One and One for All’ that has made Rinpoche and all Kecharians proud and us aiming for greater heights and realizations.
All dedicated towards the manifestation of KWPC, these are the building blocks towards that goal for all sentient beings that starts with ourselves being Dharmic, doing things the Dharmic way and then achieving Dharmic results.
Thank you Rinpoche for guiding us all and thank you to Kechara for making this all possible for the greater cause of Dharma and manifestation of KWPC!
Indeed it was a surprise for Kechara to have bagged 5 awards for staging of The Legend of the Conch Shell (the life story of Lama Tsongkhapa) as we were the new kid on the block when it came to stage plays. With our Guru’s blessings we were able to put pen to paper and the play was born. With Irene’s kind contribution it was a great way to kick start the project. Irene’s dedication and commitment to our Guru and the dharma cannot be denied. She has put into action what she has learned from being a long-time student of Rinpoche. Irene has a big heart and does not say no to anyone seeking help.
I was very surprised on the night at the Boh Cameronion prize presentation when we bagged 5 awards .
Kechara House is really the new kid in the field of performing arts. I must say a big thank you to the lead dancer, Mr Lee Swee Keong; the director, Mr Woon Fu Sheng; the choreographer, Ms Shereen (without them Legend of the Conch Shell would still be on the story board) , all the other dancers and volunteers of KH.
From the conception of staging a show on the life story of Lama Tsongkhapa to the actual premier night , we had less than 6 months to do all the work. We had no idea how to start ,how much the production would cost and no funds for it.
Thanks to Kechara Oasis Vegetarian Restaurant (http://www.kecharaoasis.com/) headed Irene, who generously sponsored RM60,000 for the production. With the blessing of our Lama and the RM60K sponsorship our confidence was boosted and the rest was history.
Congratulations guys! I am so proud of our Kechara members (and not forgetting the other talented performers) who worked round the clock with rehearsals, costume making, props setup, all the work and planning that goes into creating this award-winning performance. This is our first time, this is our first effort, but via sheer effort, hardwork and TALENT, WE DID IT!!
Who would have thought that a story about the Buddhist saint and master, Lama Je Tsongkhapa would sweep the Cameronian Awards ceremony? Here’s looking forward to the next production of Legend of the Conch Shell! Let us bring Tsongkhapa’s story to the world!!
I can’t wait for them to make a bigger production and stage it overseas!!!!!
Wonderful news…!!! Congratulations to KECHARA HOUSE AND EVERYONE WHO HAS INVOLVED!!!
This is definitely an innovative way to make inroads to a community that would have no other way to be reached. During the show, our famous stand-up commedian, Harith Iskandar said, “Next time Prince Siddharta plays, I’m going to see it”. That was after the community was bowled over to witness Prince Siddharta sweep 10 out of 12 awards. That was about the life-story of Shakyamuni. That really stood out to me in what it signifies.
These awards we received will cause people to look our way, lend credibility to what we are doing (purely arts to them), and provide the impetus for us to attempt something bigger in future, increasing the reach and our effectiveness.
kechara boleh! kecharian boleh!
We do have indeed talented people in the Kechara Organisation. Even a few of the Manjushri Kids get to perform e.g. Bradley, Edward, Rachel, Xander. There were alot of hardwork that they put into rehearsing everyday especially during the last year end school holidays. 2 Thumbs Up for everyone!!
Kechara Performing Arts Department sounds like a great idea.
This will be a great medium for bringing the Dharma to those who may not normally get a chance to hear about it.
Awesome!! Congratulations everyone!!