SarawakTourism Board partners premier jazz club No Black Tie to stage 13th BorneoJazz Festival

MIRI: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is embarking on a new model for the 13th Borneo Jazz Festival this year.

The board is co-presenting this year’s edition, to be held at Coco Cabana in Marina Bay from May 11 to 13, with No Black Tie – Kuala Lumpur’s premier jazz club.

Ministre of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports  Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said as part of this year’s festival, No Black Tie and STB are launching the first-ever Borneo Jazz Talent Search.

“I believe we have many young promising musicians in Borneo, and this platform has been developed specially to help nurture our young talents. Some of them will even be performing alongside international artistes during the festival,” he said at the launch of Borneo Jazz Festival 2018 here yesterday.

His text-of-speech was read by Assistant Minister Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin.

Abdul Karim said No Black Tie has played host to leading jazz names from both the region and internationally for the past 20 years, adding that he was pleasantly surprised to learn that the proprietor, Evelyn Hii, hails from Miri.

“I believe this partnership (between STB and No Black Tie) will help the festival to grow even bigger and better in the years to come.”

He said Borneo Jazz Festival has rightly earned its reputation as a noteworthy regional event after 13 years, drawing thousands of visitors every year.

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Foreign music lovers praise Borneo Jazz Festival

MIRI: The annual Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board is a great platform for music enthusiasts from all around the world to fall in love with jazz and share their passion for the music genre.

For Bruneian Kim Garcia, a second-time visitor at the festival, BJF is a really fun event and she came back this year after her first visit in 2013 when she started to fall in love with jazz.

“It is really fun to be here as everyone is enjoying what jazz music has to offer. I was not a jazz fan before I went to the Borneo Jazz Festival and since my first trip here in 2013, I started to fall in love with jazz and will continue to attend the festival for years to come,” said the 28-year-old restaurant supervisor.

In this edition of BJF, award-winning pianist, vocalist and composer Laila Biali from Canada was her favourite performer for her smooth voice and unique take on music.

Another Biali fan, Abex Alfira Naftaly from Indonesia, said that BJF 2017 was all very good and she enjoyed the artistic ambience that the performers from all over the world had created.

“This place is so good and overall it was so entertaining. Although I am not a big fan of jazz, I started to fall in love with the music genre after I attended this festival.

“I would like to suggest to the organisers to place more tables and chairs as well as picnic decorations on the festival ground because I can see that people who are here mostly bring their own mattress so that they can relax while enjoying good music,” said the 30-year-old Trek Venture travel agent.

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World-class acts close Borneo Jazz Festival

MIRI: The 12th edition of Miri’s most celebrated festival, the Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) 2017 ended successfully with memorable renditions of exciting Latin-Asian rhythms and melodies, Canadian modern pop and contemporary jazz, Nusantara-inspired Indo-jazz and Japanese jazz-funk at the ParkCity Everly Hotel here on Saturday.

The concert started at 7.30pm and the first band to perform that night was Michael Simon’s Asian Connection that brought elements of Asian melodies enveloped in jazz sounds and harmonies.

This group comprised old-school musicians who have become local legends and up-and-coming musicians from the Netherlands, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Award winning pianist, vocalist and composer Laila Biali from Canada brought a unique arsenal of modern pop and contemporary jazz to create an easy-going, feel-good experience.

Her smooth voice caught the attention of the crowd and got the revellers holding hands and dancing around the field to the sounds of her flowing keyboard trills.

Indonesian band Idang Rasjidi Syndicate, performed next on stage. Recognised as one of the greats of Indonesian jazz and renowned for his keyboard skills and vocals, Idang and his band are regulars in the Southeast Asian jazz festival scene.

The band brought its Nusantara-inspired, peace-centred Indo-jazz to the shores of Miri, promoting its message of positivity and peace through music.

Last but not least, to perform at the finale of BJF 2017 was Japanese band Osaka Monaurail.

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Borneo Jazz 2017 ends on high note — thanks to volunteers

MIRI: This year’s Borneo Jazz would not have gone smoothly without the hard work of at least 100 volunteers working across various aspects of the annual festival – as liaison officers (LOs) for performing artistes and the manpower to handle musical instruments, up to event marketing, operations and management.

For Regal Marketing and Trading Sdn Bhd senior area executive Goh Teck Lim, his experience as the LO for the Cape Jazz Band, Osaka Monaurail and Miri Orchestra and Choir Society is something that he would cherish forever.

According to him, working with these bands has given him an enjoyable experience in that the band members are very friendly and easy to get along with.

“I had no trouble working with them at all. I have always been excited to meet people and Borneo Jazz provided me a great chance to meet and interact with people from all around the world.

“Apart from that, I also learned many things like the cultures from outside my native home,” said Goh, adding that he would definitely volunteer again for the next editions.

He also hoped that more aggressive strategies would be used to market the festival and attract more visitors from near and far.

In a similar sentiment, Curtin University Sarawak Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Entrepreneurship) student Voon Yu Min treasures the experience.

She signed up as a volunteer under Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) a month ago before Borneo Jazz 2017.

“I became interested to volunteer after a friend introduced me to the festival. I hope to know more about people and enhance my communication skills by interacting with them,” said Voon.

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A night to remember at Borneo Jazz Festival 2017

MIRI: The first night performance of the Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) 2017 on Saturday began with a fusion of contemporary jazz numbers by Fluorescent Collective – a brilliant group of musicians dabbling in multiple genres.

The band consists of students from the Berklee College of Music and eclectic musicians proficient in everything from rock to R&B and pop to blues, taking unique melodies and melding them with catchy, odd-time grooves.

Visitors didn’t let the heavy downpour put a damper on their enthusiasm as they waited for the show to begin, lifting their umbrellas above their heads and called for the show at ParkCity Everly Hotel’s stage-by-the-sea to commence.

It was a testament to the kindred spirit shared among jazz fans and enthusiasts at the Saturday night event, further emboldening the performing musicians.

Cabocuba Jazz, a band hailing from the Netherlands continued to keep the audience entertained by playing a mix of melancholic Cape Verde melodies and vigorous Cuban dance rhythms.

The audience sang and danced to their melodic, foot-tapping music before being moved by a more Afro-Carribean groove as trio Delgres took the stage, bringing an impressive ensemble of Delta Blues heavily influenced by Guadeloupe, Louisiana Blues and beyond.

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Over 5,000 expected for Borneo Jazz Festival

MIRI: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is targeting over 5,000 festivalgoers for the 12th Borneo Jazz Festival at ParkCity Everly Hotel.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said ticket sales were strong last week.

“Last year’s attendance reached 4,000 with an average spin-off to the local economy totalling RM8.5 million, which is based on the ratio of 70 per cent Malaysians and 30 per cent non-Malaysians,” he told a press conference yesterday.

He said the outreach programme has been well received with four tutorial music workshops this year.

“Our main objective in organising this musical tutorial is to further encourage especially local musicians to immerse themselves in musical theories with the hope to enhance their understanding and to create deeper interest in music appreciation especially the jazz genre,” said Lee.

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Borneo Jazz Festival starts with beach-cleaning

MIRI: Internationally acclaimed Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) kicked off yesterday with cleaning the beach at Luak Bay Esplanade in collaboration with Miri City Council to conserve the environment and beautify the city.

Media representatives from around the world who had come here for BJF joined in the activity.

“It’s great to see that where there is a pertinent need, this greening project will fill it, as beaches in Miri have begun to get international attention, particularly for its Blue Tears phenomenon.

“This greening project is a great way for us to work together as a community without barriers. We labour to clean this beach today using our two hands, in the process becoming ambassadors of nature. We will do our part to help keep Miri City clean, beautiful and healthy,” Miri Deputy Mayor Julaihi Mohammad said when officiating at the ceremony.

Julaihi who represented Mayor Adam Yii at the event said Miri is the only major town in Sarawak with a long stretch of beautiful beaches right in the city centre.

He commended Sarawak Tourism Board for ensuring the cleanliness of the beach was taken care of.

“We should encourage the local community here, especially the younger generation, to get involved in this outreach programme – not just representatives of the organiser and the local and international media fraternity,” Julaihi said.

He suggested future activities such as ‘gotong-royong’ with villagers nearby, and cleanliness awareness programmes with students and teachers of schools in the surrounding area.

“Through such programmes, we remind the local community on the importance of keeping the environment clean, rather than let other people take care of our environment,” he said.

Sarawak Tourism Board director of events and corporate relations Angelina Bateman was present at the beach cleaning.

Borneo Jazz, organised by STB, is an annual international event that is part of Miri May Fest.

Eight bands from around the world will be performing at the two-day festival: Idang Rasjidi Syndicate (Indonesia), The Cape Jazz Band (South Africa), Michael Simon’s Asian Connection (Netherlands/Taiwan/Malaysia), Osaka Monaurail (Japan), Fluoroscent Collective (Malaysia, USA, India, Italy), Laila Biali (Canada), Delgres (Guadaloupe/France) and Cabocuba Jazz (Netherlands).

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Sneak preview of Sarawak Tourism Board’s Borneo Jazz Festival at Ming Café

MIRI: Jazz music fans gathered at Ming Café here for a musical showcase it co-hosted with Sarawak Tourism Board on Wednesday evening.

The event serves as a special sneak preview leading up to the 12th edition of STB’s Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) to be held at ParkCity Everly Hotel here today and tomorrow.

The showcase attracted a jazz-loving audience of over 100 who came to enjoy a live performance by a jazz band that will be making its debut at the annual BJF, CaboCuba Jazz from the Netherlands.

“This is our first time in Borneo and we are excited to entertain our jazz-loving audience, and looking forward to spend a lovely time here,” said a member of the jazz band, Nils Fischer.

Nils said the band’s name describes it all – a fast-paced mash of Cuban and Cape Verde melodies and dance rhythms, seasoned with plenty of on-stage improvisations.

“Jazz music has always been a music which embraces all kinds of influences and our band tries to reflect that by bringing Cuban and African music together with jazz.”

Local bands Finger Basket and Mountain Wind Band joined in to entertain the crowd.

Based in the Netherlands, the group comprises eight musicians from Venezuela, Cape Verde, Colombia, Spain, Puerto Rica and Cuba, led by powerhouse Dina Medina who was Best Female Singer of Cape Verde in 2012.

Their CD ‘Rikeza y Valor’ was nominated in four categories for the Latin Grammy Awards and nominated four times at the Cabo Verde Music Awards in 2012, while the band itself has been touring the world and performing in the Havana Jazz Festival in 2014 and an Israel tour in 2016.

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Networking session on music, business to make debut at annual Borneo Jazz

The Borneo Jazz will for the first time conduct a networking session on ‘Jazz and Money – Do They Mix?’ at the Ruai Bar in ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri this May 13, scheduled to commence at 2pm.

This session will be facilitated by international music producer Patrick Lee-Thorp.

According to the organiser, the event provides a platform for aspiring professional jazz musicians to gain input from a seasoned expert on the reality of pursuing music as a career, focusing on the jazz music industry.

Topics to be featured include the ups and downs of making a living out of music and the international jazz scene over the past 20 years.

“The session will give opportunity for the guest jazz musician to share his opinions and experiences with the participants on the challenges faced by professional artistes in the ever-changing business landscape of the music industry,” it said.

Lee-Thorp is currently based in Hamburg, Germany and has over 30 years of experience as a music producer and publisher.

He created a South Africa-based record label Mountain Records in 1980, which has released records by local acts such as David Kramer, Robin Auld and Amampondo.

He also established a sub-label known as Sea Records based in Europe, which has released non-label South African acts such as Brenda Fassie, Philip Tabane and the Soul Brothers, as well as international acts like Tony Bird (USA), Janvier Honfo (Benin) and Celso Fonseca (Brazil).

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CaboCuba Jazz to perform at the Borneo Jazz Festival

KUCHING: CaboCuba Jazz is coming to the Borneo Jazz Festival at ParkCity Everly, Miri from May 12 to 13.

Based in the Netherlands, the group comprises eight musicians originating from Venezuela, Cape Verde, Colombia, Spain, Puerto Rica and Cuba, led by powerhouse Dina Medina, who won the “Best Female Singer of Cape Verde” in 2012.

“Their CD ‘Rikeza y Valor’ was nominated in four categories for the Latin Grammy Awards and was nominated four times at the Cabo Verde Music Awards in 2012, while the band itself has been touring the world and performed in the Havana Jazz Festival in 2014 and an Israel tour in 2016,” said Sarawak Tourism Board through their press statement yesterday.

According to the statement, their name describes it all – a fast-paced mash of Cuban and Cape Verde melodies and dance rhythms, seasoned with plenty of on-stage improvisations.

CaboCuba Jazz will be joined by bands from Japan, South Africa, Italy, USA, Taiwan and other countries from around the world in performing at the festival.

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Catch Nisa Addina, Fluoroscent Collective at Borneo Jazz

KUCHING: Sarawak-born award winning violinist Nisa Addina and her band Fluoroscent Collective will share the Borneo Jazz stage with renowned international artistes including Japan’s Osaka Monaurail and Canada’s Laila Biali, this May 12 to 13 at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

Making headlines since the age of 14, Nisa won three gold awards at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood in 2011 and Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) 29 in 2015.

She has since gone on to study at Berklee College in the United States, where she joined Fluoroscent Collective—a band of Berklee students founded by Boston-based Malaysian pianist and recording artist, JennHwan Wong who is also known as Jenn-the-Redman—in 2015.

Nisa has been busy performing since 2011, taking the stage at events such as the Johor International Music Festival in 2012, the launch of the Asean International Film Festival and Awards and launch of Malaysia’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013, as well as the Global Summit of Women in Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and again in France in 2014.

She also performed for the opening and closing of the Sukma 2016 games in Kuching.

Nisa has even played for a president, having performed for the official visit of the President of China to Malaysia at Seri Perdana in 2013 and launched her first album ‘Yakina’ in 2014 at 17 years old, followed by her second album ‘Tan Sri P Ramlee’ in 2015.

While Nisa’s journey has not been easy, it has certainly been rewarding, and she has taken inspiration from different mentors who have taught her along the way, including her piano teacher who inspired her to take up violin at the age of 7, her parents and her peers who are like-minded in their passion for music.

“Since entering college and meeting many more people around my age doing the same thing as me, I find myself discovering different worlds of music that I didn’t delve into in my school days.

“It’s so beautiful. I wish to share that,” she said during an interview with Sarawak Tourism, explaining her passion for music, a passion she wishes to share.

“It’s not just a form of entertainment—for me, it shares peace and love.”

Considering Nisa’s accomplishments before she has even graduated from Berklee, her life story has become an inspiration to local musicians in Sarawak and the rest of Malaysia.

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Celebrate CJB’s musical democracy at Borneo Jazz Festival

The Cape Jazz Band will be performing at the Borneo Jazz Festival at ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri this May 12 and 13.

Fondly known as ‘The CJB’, the jazz band will be bringing a full brass section to the festival, performing their ‘cape jazz’ from Cape Town, South Africa.

With a special focus on brass and percussion instruments, they will be performing a fast paced, street carnival styled repertoire akin to that of the founders of Cape Jazz back in the early days of post-apartheid South Africa, according to a Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) press statement yesterday.

The CJB, which began in 2013 led by jazz drummer Jack Momple, has contributed to many of the most famous ‘cape jazz’ recordings.

Their album ‘Musical Democracy’ was released that same year and comprised original ‘cape jazz’ compositions by Momple and CJB members.

Their energetic, manic-celebratory style maintains the bottom line of ‘cape jazz’, that is freedom of expression through times of oppression, a message that no hurdle is insurmountable without hope, persistence and a little festivity.

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Delgres to ring in Blues at Borneo Jazz festival May 12–13

A three-man band Delgres from Guadeloupe and France will be performing their Blues at the Borneo Jazz at ParkCity Everly Hotel, Miri on May 12 and 13.

Born in the Caribbean and raised in France, Pascal Danae discovered his love of Blues in his ancestral home of Guadeloupe, and in the painful but meaningful history behind the conception of the Blues genre.

Originating in Louisiana, United States during a turbulent time of post-slavery racism, the creation of Blues was a response from the descendants of African slaves and Afro-Caribbean exiles to their daily hardships, as well as their protest against discrimination.

The namesake of the band ‘Delgres’ is Louis Delgres, a Guadeloupian hero who fought against the re-establishment of slavery in 1802.

By mixing Guadeloupian beats and tunes with old Louisiana Blues, a connection has been made over oceans, creating a singular Blues experience of two lands sharing a common denominator, which is using music to lament injustice while rejoicing and advocating freedom.

Through his music, Pascal Danae seeks to fight oppression in the way that founders of Blues did, channelling the voices of his ancestors through a melancholic Dobro guitar accompanied by sousaphone and percussions, painting a picture in a time when hopelessness and hope came together.

Pascal performs the Dobro guitar, while Raphaël Gouthiere plays the New Orleans sousaphone and Baptiste Brondy mans the drums.

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Borneo Jazz to again feature free teaching sessions

KUCHING: The Borneo Jazz Outreach Programme, a free music learning session, will again be held over the festival weekend at ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri.

The programme will provide aspiring musicians with teaching sessions led by professional performers — some of them veterans.

On May 12 from 2pm to 3.30pm, the ‘Make Me Hip’ session will cover contemporary keyboard led by James Boyle of National Culture and Heritage Arts Academy (Aswara).

The drumkit and percussions concert clinic, ‘I Got Rhythm!’ will run from 4pm to 5.30pm on the same day, led by CaboCuba Jazz’s Nils Fisher and Armando Vidal.

On May 13, the class on improvising at the keyboard, ‘I Want To Break Free’, will run from 9.30am to 11am led by Michael Veerapen of Michael Simon’s Asian Connection.

The final class on brass instrument technique and tone production, ‘Blow Your Horn!’, will be from 11.30am to 1pm, led by Michael Simon and Terry Hsieh of Michael Simon’s Asian Connection.

Sarawak Tourism decided to expand the programme, which was launched last year with one session on keyboard, following the great response.

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Malaysia’s jazz maestro Veerapen joins Borneo Jazz 2017

KUCHING: Acclaimed Malaysian jazz musician Michael Veerapen will be performing alongside Michael Simon’s Asian Connection at this year’s Borneo Jazz, taking place at the ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri from May 12 to 13.

Veerapen is very well-known in the Malaysian jazz scene, having been with the funk-fusion band Asia Beat with Lewis Pragasam and established himself not only as a musician, but also as a producer, record studio head and mentor.

Even at 60 and with many achievements under his belt, Veerapen intends to pursue a Master’s Degree in Music at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He is now working on a research paper focusing on local jazz composers such as Alfonso Soliano, Tan Sri P Ramlee and Jimmy Boyle.

He will also be leading one of the festival’s outreach programmes, where the performers will conduct talks and tutorials with young aspiring musicians.

His slot ‘I Want to Break Free! – The Art of Improvising at the Keyboards’ is scheduled on Saturday, May 13 running from 9.30am to 11am.

“On one hand, there is a group that lacks basic knowledge such as reading notes. On the other is a group with lots of knowledge but little understanding of what’s happening on the ground,” Veerapan was quoted to have said during a media interview earlier this year.

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Idang Rasjidi to perform at Borneo Jazz Festival

KUCHING: Indonesian jazz icon Idang Rasjidi and the Idang Rasjidi Syndicate will perform at the Borneo Jazz Festival on May 12-13 at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

A press release yesterday said Idang’s music promotes a message of unity in diversity, where the different types of seemingly polarised rhythms, melodies and instruments blend together to create harmony from what should have been chaos.

“Jazz is a barometer of freedom. For me, liberty is in jazz music,” Idang said at the Prambanan Heritage Jazz Festival in October.

Beginning as a bassist, he later taught himself to play the piano and became one of the most well-known jazz pianists in Indonesia.

He’s also known for his realistic vocalisations imitating trumpets, trombones and percussions.

Idang has released five studio albums, with his first in 1996 called ‘Heaven and Earth’.

In 2008, he released ‘Sound of Hope’ (2008) and the following year ‘Sound of Truth’, both of which promote his message of positivity and peace.

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Japanese Osaka Monaurail to perform at Borneo Jazz fest

KUCHING: Japanese jazz veteran Osaka Monaurail will be performing its ‘superheavy funk’ jazz at Borneo Jazz at ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri this May 13 and 14.

From a humble beginning in Osaka University in 1992, Osaka Monaurail has gone from a large band of over 20 musicians, to a ten-person jazz machine, collaborating with soul/funk legend Marva Whitney, one of James Brown’s original Funky Divas, and producing two albums, three European tours and two Japanese tours before she passed away in 2012. They also collaborated with world- famous trombonist Fred Wesley in 2012.

After 20 years, the funkiest orchestra that Japan has to offer is still top of their game, with their sharp suits, dazzling display of brass twirls, and still bringing their ‘superheavy funk’ to their audience.

The group was named after the 1975 funk classic, ‘It’s The J.B.’s Monaurail’, and has kept the heavy James Brown-esque influence in their music over the years.

Osaka Monaurail is led by Ryo Nakata (vocals and keyboards), while Kentaro Yamagata and Teihei Awaji play the trumpets, Shimon Mukai (tenor saxophone); Dan Hayami and Yuichi Ikeda (guitars), Dai Nakamura (bass), Soki Kimura (drums).

This year marks the 12th edition of the Borneo Jazz festival and will feature international acts like Delgres from Guadeloupe/France, Laila Biali from Canada and Osaka Monaurail from Japan, along with local legends such as Fluoroscent Collective featuring local violinist Nisa Addina and Michael Simon’s Asian Connection, featuring legendary pianist Michael Veerapen.

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Borneo Jazz Festival expands its musical outreach

KUCHING: The Borneo Jazz Festival is back to celebrate its 12th anniversary at ParkCity Everly Hotel, Miri from May 12-13.

This year’s festival features international jazz acts like Laila Biali from Canada, CaboCuba Jazz from the Netherlands and Delgres from Guadaloupe/France, said Sarawak Tourism in a press statement yesterday.

At Canada’s National Jazz Awards, Laila was named Composer of the Year and Keyboardist of the Year by Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (Socan), while her album ‘Tracing Light’ was nominated for a Juno award for Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year in 2011.

Laila has since gone on to become an internationally acknowledged vocalist and pianist with words of praise from artistes such as Sting who said “Laila is an exciting and unique talent, and I admire her greatly”.

CaboCuba Jazz has toured various jazz festivals such as the Havana Jazz Festival in 2014 and Israel tour in 2016; its lead singer Dina Medina was Best Female Singer of Cape Verde 2012.

The band formed in the Netherlands but the members and their music are rooted in Cuba and Cape Verde melodies, creating a fast-paced sub-genre that borders on the adventurous.

Meanwhile, Delgres showcases traditional Blues with an Afro-Caribbean accent from the days of Napoleon, taking you from Louisiana to Guadeloupe and back.

The statement further revealed that bands from Japan, South Africa, Italy, USA, Taiwan and other countries from around the world will be performing at the festival.

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Borneo Jazz Fest the buzzword in Miri

MIRI: The Borneo Jazz Festival, now in its 11th year, is fast becoming a signature event for Miri, playing out to big bucks in the tourism business, said Mayor Lawrence Lai.

He said the Miri City Council (MCC) welcomes collaboration, as in joint organisation of activities, events and programmes that portray Miri not only as vibrant but also as a green Resort City.

Mayor Lai was among around the 2,000-strong audience on the first night of the festival held at ParkCity Everly Hotel here on Friday night.

“The (Miri) city council welcomes any organisation and bodies including the private sector, to organise events either on their own or jointly with others and in collaboration with the city council,” he said in an interview during intermission.

Lai was accompanied by Sarawak Tourism Board director of events and corporate relations Angelina Patricia Bateman.

According to Angelina, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will collaborate with city council in organising Miri City Day Half Marathon.

“The marathon will be held on Sunday while Borneo Jazz is on Friday and Saturday. We will tie both the marathon and Borneo Jazz together. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. Jazz lovers can join the marathon while the runners can have an enjoyable and relaxation on Friday and Saturday evening of Borneo Jazz,” she added.

Lai believed that the collaboration with STB will boost the popularity of both events in making Miri a tourist destination.

The first night of the festival on Friday night featured four bands with O Sister from Spain for the opening act, followed by A.P.I (a Malaysia-India collaboration), Yuchiro Tokuda’s Razzdig (Japan) and Manou Gallo Groove Orchestra (Ivory Coast & Belgium).

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Borneo Jazz Fest draws international crowd

MIRI: The Borneo Jazz Festival, which entered its eleventh year this year, has become an iconic and internationally recognized festival attracting many festival goers and tourists besides enhancing the sustainability of the local tourism industry.

Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Tourism Sarawak and chief executive officer of Sarawak Tourism Board Datu Ik Pahon Joyik said the niche event attracted around 4,000 audience members last year including expatriates working in the state and neighbouring countries.

Forty per cent of the festival goers were non-Malaysians.

“For many, this festival has become more than just a yearly weekend entertainment but our local business community has benefited with RM17 million being injected into the local economy and roughly RM10 million worth of international media value being added to Miri generating interest in the destination,” he said at the welcoming sunset dinner for media representatives, performers, sponsors and organising committee members hosted by Miri Marriott Resort & Spa.

Also present were Miri Resident Antonio Kahti Galis, Miri Marriott Resort and Spa’s Cluster general manager Marc Cosyns, ParkCity Everly Hotel Miri general manager Andrew Law, Malaysia Airlines chief commercial officer Paul Simmons and Sarawak Tourism Board’s corporate communications director Angelina Patricia Bateman.

Ik Pahon pointed out that despite many setbacks and challenges, predominantly due to dynamics within the industry, the festival has prevailed and now reached its 11th edition.

“We’ve also managed to assemble a diverse set of artistes from around the globe, and this year’s festival is one of our most decorated yet, with multi-award winners and critically acclaimed musicians gracing our stage,” he said.

He thanked all those involved in ensuring the success of the festival, which he said created 11 years ago under the name ‘Miri International Jazz Festival’ was designed to support Miri’s status as a Resort City.

Indeed he said Miri has proven itself as a Resort City, and being a gateway to the state’s famed national parks, continued to attract tourists besides investors.

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