{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=January 2012}} {{more footnotes|date=January 2012}} }} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Shanon Shah | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1978|8|14}} | death_date = | origin = Alor Star, Kedah, Malaysia | instrument = Piano | genre = Soul | occupation = Singer-songwriter, journalist, playwright | years_active = 2001–present | label = Interglobal Music | website = }} '''Shanon Shah''' (born 14 August 1978 in Alor Star, Kedah), is a singer-songwriter, playwright and academic from Malaysia. He released two albums ''Dilanda Cinta'' (2005)<ref>{{cite web|last=Goh|first=Daryl|title=Review: Dilanda Cinta|url=http://ecentral.my/music/reviews/review.asp?file=archives/music/2005/4/DilandaCinta&artist=SHANON%20SHAH&title=Dilanda%20Cinta&sec=Music|work=The Star Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> and ''Suara Yang Ku Dengar'' (2010)<ref>{{cite web|last=Berita Harian|title=Muzika: Dimensi ritma berbeza Shanon|url=http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Muzika_DimensiritmaberbezaShanon/Article/index_html|publisher=Berita Harian Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> on the InterGlobal Music Malaysia independent label. He is noted for his emotive voice and cabaret-style piano playing.

Trained as a chemical engineer,<ref name=Chevening>{{cite web|last=Shah|first=Shanon|title=The biography of a Chevening scholar|date=19 November 2010 |url=http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/cheveningconversations/2010/11/19/the-biography-of-a-chevening-scholar/|publisher=Foreign and Commonwealth Office Blog|accessdate=14 July 2012}}</ref> Shanon has previously worked as a credit risk analyst,<ref name=Lifeandstyle.com.my>{{cite web|last=Lifeandstyle.com.my|title=Personality: Shanon Shah|url=http://www.lifeandstyle.com.my/personality/shanon-shah.html|publisher=Lifeandstyle.com.my|accessdate=14 July 2012}}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> human rights advocate and journalist.<ref>{{cite web|last=The Nut Graph|title=Who are we?|url=http://www.thenutgraph.com/who-are-we/#shanon|publisher=The Nut Graph|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> In his various writings, he focuses on issues relating to gender, sexuality and Islam.

==Music==

In 2003, Shanon won the Mandarin Oriental Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award at the 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kakiseni|title=Winners: The 2nd BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2003|url=http://awards.kakiseni.com/winners/2003-awards/|publisher=kakiseni|accessdate=13 July 2012|archive-date=17 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817192530/http://awards.kakiseni.com/winners/2003-awards/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Two years later, he went on to win the Anugerah Industri Muzik award for best male vocal in an album for ''Dilanda Cinta''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Utusan Malaysia|title=Shanon tidak kecil hati|url=http://utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2006&dt=0509&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Hiburan&pg=hi_05.htm&arc=hive|publisher=Utusan Malaysia Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref>

In 2007, he entered the Ikon Malaysia televised competition which looked for an icon among existing Southeast Asian artistes. The Malaysian level of the competition was ultimately won by Jaclyn Victor.

Shanon has also performed as a duo with fellow singer-songwriter Azmyl Yunor and with his backing band the Cintas. Fellow singer-songwriter Ariff Akhir has also performed as part of the Cintas, and produced Shanon's second album, ''Suara Yang Ku Dengar''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Akhir|first=Ariff|title=Ariff's bio|url=http://ariffakhir.tumblr.com/bio|publisher=Tumblr|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref>

Shanon's musical influences include Leonard Cohen, Aimee Mann and Sam Phillips.<ref name=Lifeandstyle.com.my/>

==Theatre and film==

Shanon Shah is also a playwright. His play ''Air Con'' was by the Instant Cafe Theatre Company's FIRSTWoRKS programme.<ref>{{cite web|last=Johan|first=Rizal|title=Assembling Air Con|url=http://ecentral.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/26/soundnstage/21630963&sec=soundnstage|work=The Star Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> The play, directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi, was performed to critical acclaim prompting a revival in 2009.

One reviewer praised not only the play's take on issues such as hate crimes against transsexuals, homophobic bullying in schools, racism and religious fundamentalism, but also its comedic touches and bilingual dialogue.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nair|first=Sharmila|title=Boys' world|url=http://ecentral.my/services/sprinterfriendly.asp?file=/2008/7/11/soundnstage/1559253&sec=soundnstage|work=The Star Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> Shanon has said he is greatly influenced by award-winning Malaysian actor and playwright Jit Murad.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cheong|first=Niki|title=Telling Malaysian tales|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/31/merdeka/22118284&sec=merdeka|work=The Star Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref>

''Air Con'' was nominated in nine categories for the 7th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, winning four awards, including Best Original Script (Bahasa Malaysia).<ref>{{cite web|last=Kakiseni|title=Winners: The 7th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards|url=http://awards.kakiseni.com/winners/2008-awards/|publisher=Kakiseni|accessdate=13 July 2013}}</ref>

Shanon also co-wrote the screenplay and four original songs for Chris Chong Chan Fui's first full-length feature film ''Karaoke'',<ref>{{cite web|last=IMDb|title=Chris Chong Chan Fui|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1483077/|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Chang|first=Justin|title=Review: Karaoke|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940361/|publisher=Variety Reviews|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> which in 2009 was selected for the Directors' Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival. The songs for ''Karaoke'' eventually made it into ''Suara Yang Ku Dengar''.

==Journalism and writing==

Shanon Shah was also the former full-time Columns and Comments Editor at ''The Nut Graph'', a bilingual, independent, Malaysian online news site aiming "to provide space for columnists and reader comments from as broad a political spectrum, and from as many sectors of interest, as possible".<ref>{{cite web|last=The Nut Graph|title=What is The Nut Graph?|url=http://www.thenutgraph.com/about/|publisher=The Nut Graph|accessdate=13 July 2013}}</ref> He contributed several English-language features, commentaries and interviews on the politics of Islam in Malaysia. His fortnightly Malay-language column, ''Secubit Garam'', often took a light-hearted approach to serious political concerns through the fictional agony aunt Kak Nora.<ref>{{cite web|last=The Nut Graph|title=Secubit Garam|url=http://www.thenutgraph.com/?s=secubit+garam&x=0&y=0|publisher=The Nut Graph|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref>

Shanon has also been published in other print anthologies. His 5,000-word essay "The Khutbah Diaries" was published in ''New Malaysian Essays'' 2 in 2009. In the same year his essay, "Muslim 2 Muslim", was published in ''Body 2 Body'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Krich|first=John|title=Risky writing from gay Malaysians|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1933112,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031191852/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1933112,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 October 2009|publisher=Time Magazine|accessdate=13 July 2012|date=9 November 2009}}</ref> an English-language anthology of fiction and non-fiction on sexual diversity in Malaysia. ''Body 2 Body'' was published by writer-director Amir Muhammad's publishing company, Matahari Books.

In June 2012, Shanon's essay "Lot's Legacy" was published in the third issue of ''Critical Muslim'' (''Fear and Loathing''),<ref>{{cite web|last=The Muslim Institute|title=Critical Muslim: Fear and Loathing|url=http://www.musliminstitute.org/critical-muslim/issues/03-fear-and-loathing/fear-and-loathing|publisher=The Muslim Institute|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> a British "quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground-breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world".<ref>{{cite web|last=The Muslim Institute|title=Critical Muslim|url=http://www.musliminstitute.org/critical-muslim|publisher=The Muslim Institute|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> The magazine is co-edited by London-based Muslim scholar and critic Ziauddin Sardar.

==Current activities==

In 2010, Shanon was awarded the Chevening Scholarship to pursue his Master of Arts (MA) in Religion in Contemporary Society at King's College London.<ref name=Chevening/> He completed his MA in 2011 and won the Shelford MA Prize from King's School of Arts and Humanities.<ref>{{cite web |last=King's College London |title=Prizes 2012 |url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/grad/ceremonies/afterceremony/gradlist/awards/Prizes2012.pdf |accessdate=13 July 2012 |publisher=King's College London}}{{Dead url|date=April 2025}}</ref>

He is currently a doctoral candidate at King's College London.<ref>{{cite web|last=Shah|first=Shanon|title=Malaysia 2.0 – A case study|url=http://www.thenutgraph.com/malaysia-2-0-%E2%80%93-a-case-study/|publisher=The Nut Graph|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref>

==Discography== *''Dilanda Cinta'' (2005) *''Suara Yang Ku Dengar'' (2010)

==Filmography== *''Karaoke'' (2009)

==Theatre== *''Air Con'' (2008)

==Awards== *First Prize – "Kisahmu Belum Berakhir" (song: music and lyrics) for Pertandingan Mencipta Lagu Patriotik Alaf Baru, by International College of Music Malaysia, 2001<ref>{{cite web|last=Utusan Malaysia|title='Kisahmu Belum Berakhir' menang Pertandingan Lagu Patriotik Malaysia|url=http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2001&dt=0826&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=muka_hadapan&pg=mh_08.htm&arc=hivearc=hive|publisher=Utusan Malaysia Online|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> *Mandarin Oriental Fan of the Arts Most Promising Artist Award, 2nd BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, 2003 *Best Male Vocal in an Album, for ''Dilanda Cinta'', 13th Anugerah Industri Muzik, 2005 *Best Original Script (Bahasa Malaysia), for ''Air Con'', 7th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, 2008

== References == {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Shanon}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Chemical engineers Category:Malaysian people of Malay descent Category:Malaysian Muslims Category:Malaysian male singer-songwriters Category:Malaysian singer-songwriters Category:Malaysian television personalities Category:People from Kedah Category:Malay-language singers Category:Malaysian soul singers