Saturday August 18, 2012
Dondang Sayang art laureate Nyonya Tan dies
By YVONNE LIM
yvonnelim@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: Nyonya Tan Abdullah (pic), a prominent figure in the Baba Nyonya community who was named a National Heritage Living Icon by the Government in May, has died.
Well-known for her contributions in the art of Dondang Sayang, the 62-year-old breathed her last at 1am yesterday at the Pantai Hospital in Malacca after a long battle with illness.
With three albums to her name, Nyonya Tan was conferred the national heritage status by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim during a ceremony held here.
Nyonya Tan had also performed in Paris during a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) event in conjunction with the announcement of the World Heritage City of Malacca in 2008.
She was bestowed numerous awards, which included the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM), Bintang Khidmat Terpuji (BKT), Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK), and Malacca Cultural Icon and Artist of All Time Award in Dondang Sayang in 2006 by the Singers, Musicians and Composers Association of Malaysia (PAPITA).
Nyonya Tan was laid to rest at the Bakar Batu Muslim cemetery in Bachang at 11am.
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