Latest news with #Marsha
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Marsha passionate about amplifying indigenous Borneo sound
SHE may not have been the top winner of a reality talent show, but Marsha Milan Londoh has established herself as one of Borneo's pop queens of the 2000s and beyond. While she excels in both singing and acting, and most recently tasted victory when her hit ballad 'Hening Rindu' topped the Anugerah Juara Lagu 39 in February, the Tamparuli-born beauty loves traditional Kadazan-Dusun popular music from her home state most. HEART For that reason, 40-year-old Marsha has just come up with a six-track album that pays tribute to the music that is close to her heart, titled 'Misompuru'. At a recent listening session of the album, which also saw Marsha share the stage with some of her collaborators and perform all six songs, the Akademi Fantasia 3 graduate said: "Misompuru originates from the Kadazan-Dusun language word that means 'gathering'. "This album is a love letter from me to my motherland, Borneo and it aims to be a work that will always be listened to by the people of Borneo, no matter where they are." Marsha added: "It is inspired by the rhythms, styles and colours of indigenous music from Sabah, Labuan and Sarawak, also known as East Malaysia. "And all of the songs in it feature elements of nostalgia, strength, resilience and longing for the homeland." COMPLETED Marsha began work on the album late last year and completed it around the same time as her participation in Anugerah Juara Lagu 39. She said: "Misompuru has been my ticket to go to the international music stage, and rightly so, as I sang for Malaysia at the Round Asean-Korea Music Festival 2025, with artistes from around Southeast Asia in June. "It was befittingly accompanied by my poster appearing on New York's Times Square billboard as part of the Equal campaign by Spotify in April." SIX SONGS Misompuru's six songs are 'Nalan Nalan' which features Sarawakian sape maestro Alena Murang, who also composed and wrote it; 'Lintah Darat' composed and written by Marsha's old friend from Akademi Fantasia 4 Velvet Aduk, who is the guest vocalist; and Pelangi Pasti, written and composed by Akademi Fantasia 9's Amir Jahari. There is also 'Santai Saja', written by Marsha and composed by Velvet's husband and fellow Akademi Fantasia 4 graduate Rich Gimbang of Estranged; 'Hey Aramai Ti', a duet with Sabahan composer and lyricist Datuk Francis Landong; and 'Sumandak Sabah', Marsha's and Velvet's catchy collaboration which they co-wrote and co-composed. USERS Marsha said: "The track 'Lintah Darat' was the most challenging song for me, as it is a subtle critique of users which is meant to be entertaining yet educational. "It's based on my real-life experiences, and that of Velvet's. I guess all of us have encountered such people in our lives, and they're people we must avoid at all costs." Marsha said that 'Nalan Nalan' was the song that best reflected her, as it was about being on the move, a metaphor for one's life journey and progress. "The song 'Nalan Nalan' precisely means a journey, and it's always a joy to have a duet with the magnificent sape, beautifully played by Alena, a world class musician of Borneo," she said. EMOTIONAL As for 'Pelangi Pasti', Marsha described it as the album's most emotional song, which often saw her shed tears while singing it. "It's my first collaboration with Amir, who is one of Akademi Fantasia's and Borneo's most prolific composers and lyricists. "It may have a rainbow in its title, but actually it contains a lot of sorrowful moments. After completing the entire song, I felt grateful for the many things, good and bad, which have happened in my life thus far." DECEMBER Marsha said that 'Nalan Nalan' and 'Lintah Darat' were the first two songs which she recorded, in November and December last year, while 'Santai Saja' was the last one. Marsha describes 'Misompuru' as her stepping-stone to promote her passion for indigenous music, and in future she would love to record more indigenous music, not just in Kadazan-Dusun but also in other languages of Borneo. KLANG VALLEY She admitted that songs in native Borneo languages were not easily received by mainstream audiences in the heart of the Klang Valley. "Nevertheless, Malaysians are fast becoming more open to diverse types of music. "More and more Malaysians are beginning to appreciate music that is sung in languages other than English and Malay," she said. HOPE She hopes that 'Misompuru' will encourage more of Borneo's indigenous pop singers to "go mainstream" and put the Borneo sound on the world music map. "This album is also my Kaamatan gift for fans and family. It combines both Malay and Kadazan-Dusun lyrics to make it accessible to Malaysians around the country." POSTERS While Misompuru's promotional posters speak of Marsha as the Queen of Borneo Music, she feels that there are many other iconic singers from Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan who are equally talented. "The title Queen Of Borneo does sound rather flattering, honestly. If there are people who truly deserve this title, they would be Borneo's pioneering female singers such as beloved 1970s legends Uji Rashid and Anita Sarawak," she said.
New Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Free listening session for Marsha Milan's new album 'Misompuru' on July 13
KUALA LUMPUR: Sabahan singer Marsha Milan Londoh is back with a brand new album that celebrates a blend of tradition and modernity. The album, titled Misompuru, which means "gathering" in Kadazan-Dusun, her mother tongue, features six songs and is now available on all major music streaming platforms. In a statement yesterday, Marsha announced that fans are invited to a free listening session of the album at 4pm on July 13. The free event, themed Misompuru: Borneo Album Listening Session, will take place at RXP in REX KL, Jalan Sultan, here. Marsha shared her enthusiasm, saying, "My latest album celebrates the beauty of Borneo's traditional music, and it comes from my deep love of my motherland." She added that her new album combines elements of nostalgia with a profound affection for tradition, family, and her roots. "In other words, it is my love letter to my homeland Sabah and Borneo," she explained. "Misompuru's sound is deeply rooted in the Borneo sound and resonates with everyone who loves their homeland and family." Misompuru also marks Marsha's first significant attempt to enter the global music market. She was recently invited to perform songs from the new album at the Round ASEAN-Korea Music Festival 2025. "My upcoming listening session promises to be an immersive and interactive musical experience," she said.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
In the spirit of Nusantara, Marsha Milan, the music queen of Borneo, celebrates her new album with a free listening party with fans
Malaysian music Queen of Borneo, Marsha Milan, wants to celebrate and invite all her fans for a free jamming session in Kuala Lumpur/ It will be an intimate celebration filled with the beauty of sound, culture, and art, Marsha will be performing with a special event, "Misompuru: Borneo Album Listening Session" on 13 July 2025 (Sunday), from 4 to 6 pm at RXP, REX KL. The singer who in February won the Anugerah Juara Lagu 2025 title for the song "Hening Rindu" has now notched up another success in her long glittering career with the launch of her new album "Misompuru". 'Misompuru' is a term derived from the Dusun language, meaning 'gathering' in English, or 'crowd' in Malay. Through this session, Marsha aims to translate that spirit by bringing together fans and media representatives to fully appreciate and enjoy the uniqueness of Borneo music. As a work born from a deep love for her homeland, "Misompuru" emerges as Marsha Milan's love letter to Borneo. It brings together elements of nostalgia, strength of spirit, and longing for her hometown, which makes this work close to the hearts of listeners, especially Borneo residents who always want to return to enjoy it. With a rhythm and musical style that reflects the unique taste of Sabah and Sarawak, which is different from the music of the Peninsular, "Misompuru" brings a fresh voice to a genre that is rarely featured in the mainstream music industry. Even more proud, "Misompuru" also paved the way for Marsha Milan to break into the international stage. After winning the AJL39 trophy, she was recently invited to the ROUND ASEAN-Korea Music Festival 2025, to bring songs from this album as representatives of Borneo's identity. This proves that Misompuru is not just an album, but a manifestation of heritage art that is now recognized globally, befitting the Queen of Borneo, Malaysia. "Misompuru: Borneo Album Listening Session" is not just about music; it is an immersive and interactive cultural experience, bringing together elements of Borneo music, art, and tradition in one space. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so make sure to register early for a live performance of all five songs from the Misompuru album, Cultural demonstrations and dances such as Magunatip, Sumpit and Sumazau, Traditional Borneo food and drink offerings and a stall offering exclusive Marsha Milan merchandise Marsha also encourages all fans coming to the show to come dressed in Borneo fashion, and she will herself present the best-dressed fans with special gifts. Listen to all the songs from the "Misompuru" album on all major digital streaming platforms. But if you want to truly experience the Borneo spirit from every verse, voice and performance by Marsha Milan said, "join me in the jamming session". For the latest updates on Alternate Records & Talents, visit the official Alternate Records & Talents social media accounts on Facebook, @ on Instagram, and @ on TikTok. Misompuru Album Tracklist: Nalan Nalan (Marsha Milan & Alena Murang); Lintah Darat (Marsha Milan & Velvet Aduk), Pelangi Pasti, Santai Saja, Hey Aramai Ti (Marsha Milan & Datuk Francis Landong)
Time Magazine
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Marsha P. Johnson Taught Us How To Defy This Anti-Trans Wave
It's Pride Month again. But unlike recent years, when corporations flooded us with rainbow merchandise and vague nods to the Stonewall Riots, this year feels markedly different. The signs of authoritarianism are everywhere— anti-trans executive actions and legislation, Democrats scapegoating the trans community for its political failures, and corporate backpedaling on LGBTQ+ support. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring, among other things, that trans people do not exist. The next day, he signed an order calling for the country to restore 'merit-based opportunity'—a euphemism for straight, white, cisgender supremacy. And on Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee state law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, greenlighting bans in up to 27 states. And yet, despite it all, my mandate for Pride remains unchanged. And despite Trump's attempts to erase trans people, I know he cannot because I know my community's history. I look to the lessons of our elders and trancestors—those trans ancestors whose lives continue to guide us. For me, 2025 marks the Summer of Marsha P. Johnson. This Aug. 24 would have been her 80th birthday. In the decades since her death, the lessons of her life have only become more resonant. That's why it felt necessary to center the second season of Afterlives, my podcast honoring the lives and legacies of trans folks our community lost too soon, on this movement titan. In a time of major erasure of our stories, we want to archive them. Marsha's legend lives in many hearts today. It's sprinkled throughout speeches and social media posts, it's been the subject of a posthumous TIME cover, and even inspired the dedication of a Brooklyn Park in her honor. Recently, decorated artist and activist Tourmaline released Marsha's first definitive biography, The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson. I was able to interview the best-selling author extensively for Afterlives, where we bonded over new Marshaisms gleaned from video archives like, 'Get your heart ready for heart failure.' Connecting with Marsha through grainy video clips stripped from interviews and the extensive collection of home videos created by her once-roommate, and also noted activist Randy Wicker, I was able to learn more about her. There is something so soothing and encouraging about the old-school campy lilt to her voice. Listening to her is like being caressed by a long-lost auntie. The warmth I feel for Marsha only deepened when I got the chance to visit her sister, Jeannie, and her nephew, Al. Both of them still live in Marsha's hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. They graciously welcomed my production team and me around their kitchen table. As the bright, late winter light shone through the window, they regaled us with tales of Marsha before she was an icon. The Elizabeth of the 1950s certainly was no bastion of queerness. However, Marsha became known for her exuberant personality and penchant for off-beat performance. According to her family, Masha was the most off-key singer in the children's Christmas chorus when she was growing up. But somehow, her charm always won over audiences. And whenever she opened her mouth, she would help raise the most money for the chorus. A tinge of jealousy ran through me when Al talked about being babysat not just by Marsha, but also the legendary Sylvia Rivera as a child. I returned to a lifelong question I have for myself: What if I could have known myself or people like who I'd become sooner? I grew up starved for images of trans possibility. My first glimpses of Marsha came through early Wikipedia pages and, later, through Tumblr posts, scattered pieces of a lineage I was never meant to find. Both Al and Jeannie wanted to set the record straight about Marsha's relationship with her family. While it's true she had many difficulties in life and was often misunderstood, she regularly returned home to visit her mother and them. And while her mother didn't always understand her identity, they still deeply loved each other. That love shone through Jeannie as well. Before we left, she gifted me the most scrumptious slice of Key Lime cake. I salivate every time I think of it. While Marsha kept her family close, she also built a sprawling community and found pockets of joy as she got older. From Times Square, to the Village, and later back to Jersey, Marsha picked up chosen family along the way. She mentored younger people, including a young Sylvia Rivera, and showed them how to survive homelessness and poverty. For so-called 'street queens' like them, sex work was a common source of survival. But Marsha believed that collectives were stronger than any individuals and that standing in solidarity with one another could improve the safety of their community. In time, that ethos led to the formation of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries or STAR, a group that helped often abandoned youth find shelter. They'd pool resources for sustenance. Marsha often struggled with housing herself. But she never turned away from performance. She'd perform on the streets and on stage, traveling as far as London, to make a splash. Often, she'd wear costumes made from materials she found while dumpster diving. Her aesthetics and tuneless vocals left audiences in awe and laughter. At a time when trans people are told we're asking for too much, and that we should disappear, Marsha's life reminds us we can make art out of scarcity—and joy out of resistance. Most people know Marsha's name through the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the militant uprising against harassment from the New York Police Department. These violent riots became a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ movement. In Tourmaline's book, one account recalls Marsha smashing a shot glass into a mirror and yelling, 'I got my civil rights!' This is a message of radical defiance we need now. As trans rights come under attack, the message from politicians is clear: they want us forgotten, just like in Marsha's time. But we must remember that trans people built movements. That we organized, fought, and cared for each other. It's these lessons from Marsha and history, lessons of full, nuanced trans lives that the fascists don't want you to know about. Our voices and our stories can serve as an antidote to fascism and authoritarianism. Some of Marsha's friends have said that the person she truly was—the poor, unhoused, sex-working artist—would be unrecognizable today beneath the polished iconography. We've turned her into a symbol. But what we lose in that transformation is the story of how she lived. Marsha teaches us that performance can be a form of protest. That caring for others is political. That imagination can be more valuable than wealth. That defiance doesn't require perfection—only courage. She reminds us that collectives are stronger than individuals. That joy can coexist with rage. That survival is a legacy. Marsha lives on not because we mythologized her, but because she modeled what's possible when you decide to be your most authentic self, every single day. She wasn't a pillar of perfection. She didn't have much to her name. But she lived, loved, and fought until her name and her power became undeniable. As we face a new wave of anti-trans hate, let's do the same.
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Celebrate Pride Month with one of these 10 new books, from romance to nonfiction
Celebrate Pride Month with one of these 10 new books, from romance to nonfiction Every June, readers come together to celebrate the authors transforming literature with LGBTQ+ storytelling. Some of this year's biggest releases feature LGBTQ+ stories – Taylor Jenkins Reid's 'Atmosphere' astronaut love story, Ocean Vuong's 'The Emperor of Gladness' and 'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil,' the new genre-defying paranormal from 'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' author V.E. Schwab. Romance author Jasmine Guillory penned "Flirting Lessons," her first sapphic romance. 'Detransition, Baby' author Torrey Peters published an enrapturing new short story collection. 10 new LGBTQ+ books to read this Pride Month Whether you're looking for swoony summer romances, a poignant social commentary or thrilling whodunnits, this list of LGBTQ+ books published in 2025 is a good starting point for every reader. 'Dream On, Ramona Riley' by Ashley Herring Blake Small-town waitress Ramona has big Hollywood dreams but is stuck in New Hampshire taking care of her younger sister after her father's car accident. A big-budget movie crew in town offers a glimmer of hope, but then Ramona runs into her first kiss, wild-child Hollywood nepo baby Dylan. 'The Lilac People' by Milo Todd Inspired by real events, this historical fiction novel follows a trans man whose work improving queer rights in Germany halts when Hitler rises to power. Fleeing from the Nazis, he and his girlfriend escape to a nearby farm and live in isolation, disguised. A decade later, when a young trans man in Holocaust prison clothes collapses on their property, the couple vows to protect him and flee together. 'Disappoint Me' by Nicola Dinan Deeply dissatisfied with tumbling (literally – the story starts as our protagonist falls down the stairs) through life, a trans woman decides to make a change. When Max starts dating slick, corporate Vincent, she thinks it's what will turn her life around. But he's hiding secrets about his true feelings and intentions. 'Disappoint Me' is a commentary on transness, race, millennial angst and relationships. 'Marsha' by Tourmaline Activist, writer and filmmaker Tourmaline pays tribute to one of the most influential figures of LGBTQ+ history, Marsha P. Johnson. In 'Marsha,' Tourmaline paints a comprehensive and engaging record of the trans woman rumored to have thrown the first brick at the Stonewall uprising of 1969 and how her legacy of liberation continues. 'Dining Out' by Erik Piepenburg 'Dining Out' is a culinary tour of restaurants as safe and celebratory spaces for the LGBTQ+ community from a New York Times journalist. Piepenburg's analysis travels from gay bars to the diners of the Stonewall generation to the intersectional eateries shaping LGBTQ+ culture now. 'Ordinary Love' by Marie Rutkoski In 'Ordinary Love,' an Upper East Side woman with the seemingly perfect marriage and family finds her life in disarray after she runs into her high school girlfriend, now a famous Olympic athlete. As her relationship with her parents and her marriage deteriorates, Emily finds herself drawn to Gen despite a rocky history and everything she stands to lose. 'Murder in the Dressing Room' by Holly Stars Can Misty Divine, a London drag queen, avenge her drag mother Lady Lady after she's been poisoned by a mysterious box of chocolates? After the murder in the dressing room, Misty and her fellow performers become prime suspects. Frustrated by the police, Misty takes matters into her own hands, racing against time before anyone else gets hurt. 'Mutual Interest' by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith 'Mutual Interest' follows a lavender marriage at the turn of the 20th century and the successful soap, perfume and candle empire the couple runs. Marrying gives both Oscar and Vivian the freedom they need to build the lives they desire, especially after Oscar falls in love with their business partner, Squire Clancey. Can they stay safe from exposure as their power builds? 'Loca' by Alejandro Heredia 'Loca' follows a year in the life of two best friends who move from the Dominican Republic to New York City. Charo is fleeing the life that's expected of her as a woman; Sal after an unspeakable tragedy. In New York, a chance encounter at a gay bar thrusts them into an intersectional queer community, giving them a shot at the lives and family they've long desired. 'Kiss Me, Maybe' by Gabriella Gamez In this romance, a librarian goes viral for a video she shares talking about being a late bloomer. Ready to get it out of the way, Angela uses her 15 minutes of fame to start a scavenger hunt, promising the winner her first kiss. But she can't pull it off alone. Will the help of a hot bartender – her unrequited crush – thwart her plans? Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
