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Imee OoiHuáng Huìyīn (黃慧音)
Background information
Born	Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Genres	Buddhist music
Occupation(s)	Composer, record producer, singer
Instrument	Piano
Years active	1999–present
Labels	I.M.M. Musicworks
Website	immmusic.com

Imee Ooi FRSA (/ˈiːmiː ˈwuːi/ EE-mee WOO-ee; Chinese: 黃慧音; pinyin: Huáng Huìyīn; Jyutping: Wong4 Wai6 Jam1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ûiⁿ Hūi-im) is a Chinese-Malaysian record producer, composer, and singer who composes and arranges music for classic Buddhist chant, mantra, and dharani. She performs her compositions in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Mandarin. In 1997 she founded a record label, I.M.M. Musicworks, to publish her music. She has released more than 50 albums (55 between 1998 and 2020).

Ooi also composed and directed three highly acclaimed stage musicals: Siddhartha, Above Full Moon, and Princess Wen Cheng (aka Jewel of Tibet).

Biography

Early life

Ooi was born in Taiping, Malaysia to a musically inclined Hoklo family. Her grandfather, who was a writer and dramatist, emigrated to Malaysia from Guangdong, China. Ooi's mother was a piano teacher; Imee and her four siblings all learned piano. Ooi continued her study of piano and trained as a classical pianist.

Career

In the early 1990s, after training as a classical pianist, she followed her mother's example and in turn became a piano teacher, before moving into composition, creating film music for cinema or television series.

Buddhist vegetarian, she decided to specialize in Buddhist music, creating from sacred texts (dharanis, mantras, sutras) which she performs in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan and mandarin, some are translated into English. She also composes musicals and performs in concerts · .

In 1997 she founded a record label, I.M.M. Musicworks, to publish her music.

In 2015, she formed the male vocal group (8 singers aged between 25 and 38), named the Jing Shi Jin Gang which means "Guardians of the Dharma" with whom she toured internationally in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Imee is a discreet person. Her private life never comes up in the interviews she gives, preferring to talk only about her art and her spiritual path:

The power of music is very strong. We are trying to use music to convey positive messages. I’m a person who don't plan ahead. It is very much like Buddhist teaching – live for now, don't let the future tie you down, don't let the past trouble you and things will turn out well

Filmography

Musicals

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2013)

Discography

All songs composed, produced, and some performed by Imee Ooi arranged by Praveen maddhali

Solo albums

Soundtracks

References

1. "宇宙就是佛樂的殿堂—訪馬來西亞佛教音樂人黃慧音－－學佛網". Big5.xuefo.net. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
2. "'Imee Ooi's Musical Works & Dharma Concert Production', 2020". www.immmusic.com. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
3. ^ Noel Achariam (18 December 2017). "Meet Imee the mantra musician". buddhistchannel.tv. Retrieved 4 December 2023..
4. ^ Dennis Chua (2015). "Musician Imee Ooi prepares her first major showcase". www.nst.com.my. Retrieved 4 December 2023., published in the New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, article of the 27 July 2015.
5. ^ "Soaring scores". Ecentral.my. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
6. Stanford University. The Ho Center for Buddhist Studies. "Imee Ooi". buddhiststudies.stanford.edu. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
7. "'Imee Ooi's Musical Works & Dharma Concert Production, 2020". www.immmusic.com. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
8. Yoke, Yip (13 May 2009). "Archives | The Star Online". Thestar.com.my. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
9. ^ "Products (CDs, Tapes) – Siddhartha The Musical (in Mandarin)". Alyta.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
10. ^ "Creative Team – Imee Ooi 黃慧音". Asia Musical Productions. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
11. "(Timeline) – 2004: 'Above Full Moon the Musical' Original Cast – Lead Actress – Kuala Lumpur & Singapore". Paulway Chew. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
12. "THE PERFECT CIRCLE 2013 – EARTH EPILOGUE (Musical) (12th – 21st Apr)". KLPAC. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
13. May, Sarah (4 April 2013). "THE PERFECT CIRCLE 2013 EARTH EPILOGUE in KL, MALAYSIA, posted on Thursday, April 4, 2013". Sarahlow.net. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
14. "Lending voice to Mother Nature". Fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
15. "Jewel of the Tibet, The musical, posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008". Violetvoon.info. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
16. "(Timeline) – 2008: 'Jewel of Tibet the Musical' (Princess Wen Cheng) Original Cast – Leading Role – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia". Paulway Chew. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
17. "'Chinese musical Princess Wen Cheng takes centrestage again', written by (author unknown). Posted on September 8, 2012 (Saturday). Published by The Star". Thestar.com.my. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
18. Chua, Dennis (23 May 2010). "Akademi Fantasia 7's versatile champion will add musical theatre to his list of accomplishments when Kita opens next month". New Straits Times. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
19. "Mantras of the Sanskrit". I.M.M. Musicworks. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
20. "Mantras in Sanskrit". iTunes Store. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
21. "Medicine Buddha Dharani". I.M.M. Musicworks. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
22. ^ "Shopping – Soundtrack". Asia Musical Productions. Retrieved 25 November 2013.

External links

• Meet Imee the mantra musician
• I.M.M. Music Works
• An interview by 劉潔芬 in Chinese: 俗世慧音

• Living people
• Malaysian Buddhists
• Malaysian people of Chinese descent
• 21st-century Malaysian women singers
• 20th-century Malaysian women singers
• Performers of Buddhist music
• Malaysian composers
• Malaysian women composers
• 1964 births