KUALA LUMPUR: United States-based Malaysian pianist, composer, arranger and producer Shereen Cheong has once again put Malaysian music on the world map, clinching a collaboration with a Grammy-winning singer.
The 26-year-old Berklee College Of Music graduate has joined singer-songwriter Carlos Battey, better known as Jackie's Boy as his main arranger, pianist and music director, and is busy preparing for their joint appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas in September.
"We connected online in early March last year. I discovered him on Instagram, and we have been working together since," she said.
Cheong was immediately drawn to Battey's talent and reached out to him after listening to his single Do It Again which also featured Shawn Stockman of R&B group Boyz II Men.
Battey is an artiste of Big Circle Music Group, an independent record label which he co-owns with veteran radio announcer Darryl Johnson.
Cheong said: "I am excited for that big day. I have an insatiable hunger for constant growth of my craft, and I am extremely driven to it pay it forward for my mentors and loved ones. Music is oxygen to my soul."
Cheong recently worked with British electropop artiste Marina Diamandis, and they will be performing at her album release concert on Sunday.
They will also perform on Seth Meyers' Late Night Show on Monday.
Cheong received her music education at the International College Of Music (ICOM) in Kuala Lumpur and Berklee in Boston, where she studied on scholarship.
She had her big break in 2016 when she arranged music for a sold-out concert of Argentinian composer and Latin Grammy winner Pablo Ziegler, at the Berklee Performance Centre.
A year later, Cheong arranged music for music legend Lionel Richie and conducted his concert at Boston's Agganis Arena.
In 2018, Cheong joined the all-female band of Victory Boyd who was discovered by music producer Jay-Z. They appeared at several prestigious venues and events, such as the talk show Good Morning America and the Essence Festival, the biggest African-American music festival.
Cheong was the music director for Boyd's sibling band Infinity Song on the Look Up Child Tour US with Christian music artiste Lauren Daigle. She arranged their single Ride Or Die in 2019.
Cheong, who has also arranged and conducted for world-renowned artistes as Wang Leehom, Kaki King and Chelsey Green, believes that strong faith and hard work are the key ingredients of her successful musical journey.