Paul Augustin receives prestigious lifetime award for work in music

 

Paul Augustin is known for running the Penang Jazz Festival, which put the state on the world jazz map, and curating the now-closed Penang House of Music. (File pic)

GEORGE TOWN: 

Paul Augustin, a well-known figure in the local music scene, has been awarded the Anugerah Adiguru in recognition of his decades of work in preserving, teaching, and documenting the country’s musical history.

The lifetime achievement award was presented by the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The 65-year-old is known for running the Penang Jazz Festival, which put the state on the world jazz map, and curating the now-closed Penang House of Music, an archive of musical history.

Augustin has spent over 30 years in the music industry. He started as a bass player in various bands and later became a leader in event management and music research.

In his most recent role as founder and director of the Penang House of Music, he developed the centre into a key institution for musicians, researchers, and fans of music.

In 2020, he was given the Gamechanger Award at the 17th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards for his impact on the arts and music community. And this year, he received the Hai-O Arts and Culture Award for his work in preserving and promoting culture, particularly through music.

More recently, the communications ministry appointed him to a pro-tem committee for a study on the development of the music industry, which among others will see him collaborate with industry stakeholders to propose legal frameworks and push for best practices.

He has helped bring Malaysian music to the world stage, working with festivals in countries like Korea, Finland, and the UK.

Augustin is also known for co-writing “Just for the Love of It: Penang’s Popular Music of the 1940s-1960s”, a compendium of Penang’s cultural identity and a main resource for understanding the state and country’s musical past.

“Music is more than entertainment, it’s a reflection of who we are as a people. It’s important to preserve its history so that future generations can understand and appreciate their roots,” he told FMT after receiving the award.- FMT