KKJazzFestival anticipates crowd of over 3,000 people

KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2018 which will kick off on March 9 to 10 at the covered Tennis Court Sutera Harbour is set to attract more Chinese and Korean tourists.

Its Organising Chairman, Jack Ong said the event anticipates a nightly crowd of over 3,000 people and this year, they expect more tourists to come.

“This year we will definitely targeting Chinese and Korean tourist as they are now also part of KK,” he said this during a press conference yesterday.

The annual festival is a not-for-profit event is being jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (or SPArKS).

Its objectives include funding various community service projects of the Rotary Club such as medical camp, building gravity-feed water supply for the rural folks, to create a tourism event, and to provide local jazz bands a platform to showcase and develop their talents.

The annual fundraising event will be showcasing an array of international and local musical talents. Daphne Iking, the Sabah-born Malaysian celebrity, media personality and beauty will be the emcee for the two-day festival.

This year’s line-up will feature local artistes such as Rozella, a Sabahan singer, songwriter nominee of VIMA Music Awards 2016 and the winner of Tiger Jams 2016 and Esther Applunius, champion of Borneo at Hard Rock’s inaugural International Band Competition 2016.

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Countdown begins for KK Jazz Fest

KOTA KINABALU: The countdown to the 12th KK Jazz Festival (KKJF2018) has begun!

It kicks off on Feb 3-4, from 3-5pm, at The Walk at Riverson, here, with one of numerous events running up to the Festival on March 9-10 at Sutera Harbour Resort.

The event at The Walk, which has become known as the Jesselton Artisan Market, will include a talent search audition for budding artists.

Some of the performers slated to appear at KKJF2018 will also be performing in between the talent search auditions.

Winners of the talent search will earn a spot in the KKJF2018 and share the stage with some of the best artists in the industry.

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KK Jazz Festival funds charity programmes

KOTA KINABALU: KK Jazz Festival is a charity festival with proceeds earned are used to fund charity programmes. The annual jazz extravaganza is jointly organized by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (SPArKS).

The monies collected will go to deserving community projects of RCKK and for the development of performing arts in Sabah through SPArKS, said organising chairman of the festival, Rtn. Jack Ong.

“Some of the RCKK community projects funded by the Jazz Festival include the provision of clean water projects, literacy programs, avoidable blindness campaign to detect eyes diseases and free medical services for rural communities.

“We also focus on environment protection programs and building of boarding homes for rural children so they do not have to walk for two hours to school daily,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Meanwhile, co-Chairman of the festival and SPArKS President, Roger Wang said this year’s performers’ line-up consists of three international bands and musicians, together with nine award-winning Malaysian talents.

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Local talent in limelight at KK Jazz Festival

KOTA KINABALU: Having experienced his first KK Jazz Festival from the sidelines, Sabahan musician Gordon Chin is excited to be given the chance to share the limelight at the 11th instalment of the highly anticipated annual music extravaganza.

Strumming the guitar since he was only six years old, Gordon has never looked back.

He recalled admiring the festival from afar until he managed to work his way slowly towards it, first as a reporter providing media coverage and then as an artist liaison for the festival in recent years, before landing himself a spot on the coveted stage.

“I’d been keeping myself updated with all the happenings in KK. When the first jazz festival happened 11 years ago, I was a senior in high school and I managed to convince my parents to drive me to the festival, where I watched from the sidelines because I couldn’t afford a ticket.

“Being a musician, I told myself I wanted to be on that stage one day. After high school, I went to college and then became a reporter with a local daily, which was when I covered a good three or four jazz festivals.

“I still held on to that musical dream while doing music on the side, and one day, I decided to pursue music full time.

“That was when I started participating more actively in the festival, by becoming an artist liaison,” he said.

Gordon told The Borneo Post that he had taken care of American-born fingerstyle guitarist, singer and songwriter Shun Ng, as well as Motown legend Bobby Taylor, most noted for discovering and mentoring The Jackson 5.

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival to bring together melting pot of musical talents

KOTA KINABLU: The 11th edition of the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival will kick off on Friday, July 21, for a two-night show, promising world-class entertainment by local and international acts alike.

Staged against the picturesque backdrop of the city, the festival intends to bring together a melting pot of musical talents from the world over, to an estimated strong crowd of 4,000.

Organising chairperson Rotarian Jack Ong said that this year, the committee aimed to bring something special to the table in terms of performers.

Along with co-organising chairperson and Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (SPArKS) president Roger Wang, Jack came up with the idea to involve artists that began their musical journey on the jazz festival stage.

“Roger and I came up with this idea to mark our achievements and the achievements of these performers.

“We decided to look back on artists who have performed on the jazz festival stage when they were starting out in their careers, most of whom are locals.”

Roger added that the committee rounded up as many jazz festival-bred local artists as they could, while actively searching for new homegrown talent.

“Every year, we conduct a talent search where we scout for performers at local watering holes to give them a chance to perform at the jazz festival.

“We want to give them the thrill of performing for a large crowd and we believe it’s important to do this, as a number of jazz bands started from the talent search,” he said.

Jack added that the committee and the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) also worked closely with schools to identify new talent, revealing that the winner of this year’s Bakat Interact competition from SM St Francis Convent would open the show on Friday night.

During a media launch, Jack told the press that proceeds from ticket sales would continue to be channelled towards funding community projects led by RCKK.

Some projects funded by the festival through the years include provision of clear water, literacy programmes, avoidable blindness campaigns for early eye disease detection and free medical services for rural communities, environment protection programmes and construction of boarding homes for rural students.

RCKK president Dr Ravi Mandalam said that the club would continue with their efforts in the avoidable blindness campaign, which had been sharpened and gained more focus in the last two years.

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KK Jazz Festival reaches musical milestone

Kota Kinabalu: KK Jazz Festival (KKJF) 2016 Organising Chairman Jack Ong said the event has reached a musical milestone with its 10th anniversary this year.

"Much has changed in the local music scene since then where the original idea of the festival was to create a musical event where Sabahans and tourists to the State would be able to enjoy some music."

He added the main objective of the festival of course is to raise funds for the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu's (RCKK) many community projects in the State which benefits the disadvantaged in society.

Ong said KKJF also appreciates the continuous support of main Sponsor Yayasan Sime Darby, Ministry of Tourism, Sabah Tourism Board and City Hall, Mah Sing, Carlsberg and many others.

He said the festival has now become a tourism event in the city where it is a premier music event in the Sabah Tourism Calendar as well as a key component of the Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival .

"We also conduct the Sabah Jazz talent search every year to find Sabahan jazz talents and this year we will feature international and Malaysian talents such as Bobby Taylor, Juzzie Smith, Juwita Suwito, Shanghai Jazz Festival trio, WVC band, Borneo Big Band & Joan Jim , RTM Combo, 4B's, Momain Blues, Sabahan talents such as Appy Tots including Elton Wong who will be playing jazz piano at the festival."

Ong said this during a press conference on Friday at Sutera Harbour Marina theatre on the KKJF event on July 22-23 from 7pm to 11pm.

KKJF 2016 Co- Organising Chairman Roger Wang said this year's KKJF 2016 festival would also see some performers coming back from the previous years' KKJF.

"We have a long list of nine years of performers and selecting them wasn't easy. Some bands were not available, some were just passing through as part of their world tour then and some don't exist anymore and some of our past performers have sadly passed away.

"But in the end we just wanted to get back to our original format where we featured more than 50 per cent local Sabahan jazz talents.

"This is something we are proud of as it really made a difference to the local Kota Kinabalu music scene.

Continue reading at: KK Jazz Festival reaches musical milestone

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Motown legend Bobby Taylor at KK Jazz Festival today

KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival, now in its 10th year, has started.

The event taking place at the covered tennis court of the Sutera Harbour Marina & Country Club started yesterday with performances by local artistes the likes of Jonathan Tse, Appy Tots, WVC, Gee Mojina & Elixir, Momain Blues, RTM Combo as well as the top three winners from the recent “Bakat Interact” comprising of students from SM Stella Maris, SM La Salle and SM St Francis Convent.

Today, patrons at the festival will see USA Motown legend Bobby Taylor, the incredible Juzzie Smith, Juwita Suwito, Shanghai Jazz Reprise, 4B’s, Jazz Crash, and Alton Wong. Bobby will also be introducing two of his students during the show today.

The festival will start with the first act at 7pm and ends at about 11pm. Tables and chairs are provided at the venue but availability is based on first come first serve basis.

Food and beverage coupons will be sold at the venue at RM20 and RM50 per book. Apart from food, the festival merchandise and music CDs of the performing artistes will also be sold.

The event is jointly organised by Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu together with Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah.

The KK Jazz Festival would still feature 50 per cent of local talents, said well-known musician Roger Wang during a press conference held ahead of the show yesterday.

“We are proud that it has made a difference in the music scene in KK,” he said.

He added that KK Jazz Festival had become a platform for local musicians to showcase their craft and talents.

“We are proud that we are building something,” said Roger.

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2016’s tickets now available

KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2016 will be spiced up by a line-up of established international and local musicians.

The two-day festival which will be held on July 22 and 23 at the Sutera Harbour Marina & Country Club’s covered tennis court here is expected to be attended by some 4,000 people.

Among the performer for this year’s jazz festival are USA Motown legend, Bobby Taylor, Juzzie Smith, Juwita Suwito, Shanghai Jazz Reprise, and WVC.

“Local talents from Sabah will be Appy Tot with his versatile tunes, Jonathan Tse with his energetic and contagious groove, Gee Mojina and Elixer, Momain Blues, 4B’s, Borneo Big Band, and Alton Wong.

“The festival will definitely be a memorable one with one pure non-stop music satisfaction performed on either the main stage or centre stage,” said its organising chairman, Jack Ong when met at the Sutera Avenue roof-topping ceremony here, recently.

The festival’s doors open at 6pm and the evening begins with the first act at 7pm, and ends at about 11pm at night.

Food and beverages will be served by Carlsberg, Coffee Bean, Party Play, The Chateau, Fruto, Adelphi, Alexys, Wine Shop, Good Sheperd Services, and many more with F&B coupons of RM20 and RM50 per book will be sold at the festival.

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The best ever KK Jazz Festival to date

KOTA KINABALU: If the first night of the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (KKJF) was mesmerizing, the second night was nothing short of scintillating.

With an estimated 4,000 people in attendance over both nights, the ninth edition of this glittery event might just be the best one ever.

“We have the most fabulous trumpeter, a great line-up of performers and fans came out in full force. After nine years, I think jazz has finally arrived in Kota Kinabalu,” said organising chairperson Jack Ong.

Also present on the second night of the festival was Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.

“I think the standard is getting better and better every year, and the crowd is growing as well,”said Masidi, when asked to comment on the event.

“KKJF is fast becoming an event which is widely known in this part of the world. My hope is that it will eventually become the premier jazz festival in this region and I’m sure it can, one day.”

He also commended the efforts of the joint organisers, the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS).

“I think they’ve done a wonderful job, considering that all of them are volunteers. This is something that all of us in Sabah should be very proud of. The fact that they are able to attract quality performers indicates their confidence.”

Masidi wrapped up his statement by saying:“Tourism is one aspect, but the most important thing is the Sabahans’ ability to organise something of a world-class standard, and I think we are moving towards that.”

The first night of the festival saw outstanding performances by local and international talents alike, namely, Faizul Sany and The Hybrid, Headhunters and of course, the legendary Bobby Taylor.

It certainly raised the bar for the second night, but what unfolded exceeded all expectations.

Suria Buskers set the stage with their mixture of various genres, consisting of world music, pop and rhythm and blues, just to name a few. This highly experienced group of professional musicians, comprising of bands from Sandakan boasted a catalogue of music styles that best complemented the event.

Following Suria Buskers was Eilvane Chang, who is no stranger to the KKJF stage. Returning for the second time around, Eilvane reminded the crowd why they fell in love with her in the first place, displaying exceptionally smooth vocals and a repertoire the audience adored.

Eilvane, who is of the opinion that jazz is“one of the best genres out there,” shared her views on why it is an important genre to upkeep.

“To me, jazz is like an expression of life,”said Eilvane.“The thing about jazz is that everything is so unstructured; nothing is really set in stone. That’s kind of the way life is. Everything just happens and we make improvisations along the way. The same thing goes for jazz. It’s the best expression of life, in a musical way.”

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More promising KK Jazz Festival

KOTA KINABALU: The highly-anticipated Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (KKJF) is back for its ninth edition, this time more promising than ever.

The annual fund-raising event, jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS), will be held on July 24 and 25, from 7pm to 11pm at the Covered Tennis Court of the Sutera Harbour Marina, Golf & Country Club here.

Known for being a melting pot of musical talents from around the world, KKJF has earned itself a spot as the “premier event in the Sabah Tourism annual calendar of events – and Malaysia Tourism calendar – and is also a key component of the Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival,” said organising chairperson of the festival and current RCKK president, Jack Ong, at a press conference here yesterday.

Jack said the main objectives of the event were to be a tourism event in Kota Kinabalu, develop local jazz bands and most importantly, to raise funds for community projects.

Since its inception in 2007, the funds obtained from KKJF ticket sales have been channelled towards community projects such as organising medical camps in rural areas, providing clean water to villages, conducting literacy programmes and having eye screenings under the Avoidable Blindness Campaign.

Also present at the press conference was co-founder of the festival, Datuk Adeline Leong of SPArKS, who said: “Our jazz festival in this region is a very special one because we emphasise a lot on our local talents. That’s why, every year, we have a jazz talent search amongst our local bands, and the winner of the search will perform at the festival.”

The winner of the talent search this year is Supertonic, a group from Labuan. They will be performing alongside other local acts including Quadro Forte, The Prathaz Band, Headhunters, Suria Buskers, Eilvane Chiang, May Mow, Liyana Fizi and 2013 Akademi Fantasia winner, Faizul Sany.

International artistes include The Rio Sidik Quartet and Gugun Blues Shelter from Indonesia and Shun Ng from the United States.

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival - A lot of untapped musical talents

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s musical talents have caught the eye of an American producer and singer who feels they have great potential.

“Sabahans possess an incredible amount of untapped talent in music,” said musician Bobby Taylor who has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson and Shania Twain.

“I heard a girl singing last night (Thursday) and my, she can really sing. All I could tell her was to stop singing from the nose and use her diaphragm. She was that good,” he said at the KK Jazz Festival press conference yesterday.

Taylor said some other singers whom he had a chance to hear sing were also very good and all they needed was a place to unearth their talents, to explore what they can do and be heard.

“People need to hear them sing. Music needs to be heard and these singers have to be given a chance to actually sing,” he said, referring to the lounge band of a resort here.

Taylor is among dozens of singers invited to perform at the ninth KK Jazz Festival here today.

He commended the festival organisers for their effort in introducing jazz to the people and to help local talents showcase what they can do.

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Bigger names, talents for Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2015

Kota Kinabalu: Bigger names and talents have been lined up for the ninth edition of the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival this year on July 24 and 25 at the Covered Tennis Court, Sutera Harbour Marina and Country Club.

The festival is jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS).

The launch of the ninth edition performers' line-up was done by co-organising chairman Roger Wang, who is also the President of SPArKS, in Hard Rock Café Kota Kinabalu at Oceanus Waterfront, here, Thursday.

This year, the festival would be headlined by Motown legend, Bobby Taylor.

Taylor is most notable for discovering and mentoring the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson.

Another attraction would be the internationally renowned Gugun Blues Shelter from Indonesia, a three-piece band known for its genre-crossing style of blues that incorporate influences from rock, funk and soul.

Coming back for the festival is The Rio Sidik Quartet from Bali, Indonesia.

Music lovers in the State would also be able to see Shun Ng – a finger-style guitarist, vocalist and acclaimed international performer nominated for 'International Artist of The Year in 2013' and '2014 Boston Music Awards' known for his unique and virtuosic style which infuses elements of Soul, Funk, Blues and Jazz on stage.

The local front would see Malaysian's Liyana Fizi, a guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, wowing the audience with a mix of pop, folksy and jazzy accents.

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival - Jazz greats mesmerize fans in KK

KOTA KINABALU: The platform for a melting pot of musical talents from around the world cum annual fund-raising event, the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival, is back for its eighth edition.

And while annual events normally have the tendency to unfold in predictable patterns, the KK Jazz Festival continues to be an anticipated event as it brings diverse repertoire of live music to the Nature Resort City, year after year.

This year, the event is bringing over talents from as far as Cuba, Italy, the Philippines, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, as well as local talents, seasoned and budding alike, to play music in the name of passion as well as charity, at the Covered Tennis Court, Sutera Harbour Marina Golf & Country Club, on June 13 and 14, from 7pm to 11pm.

Jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS), it has now become a signature event in Sabah’s annual calendar of events, recording a crowd of over 4,000 people during the two-night’s performance.

Emceeing the event this year is renowned national personality and Sabah’s very own pride, Daphne Iking, who joins a list of other famous Sabahan personalities who have hosted the KK Jazz Festival, incliding television and radio host, Serena C.

Kicking off the event on the night of June 13 was a list of talented local bands and artistes, including the Kian Kok School Big Band and Fingerstyle, and two bands discovered through the KK Jazz Festival – Jazz Stars 2014, SIA Goofy and Rozella Marie Mahjirin.

Seasoned national quartet, The Seasons 4 from Kuala Lumpur is proof that music defies age and time. They took over the stage last night, wowing the crowd as they belted out golden voices performing a blend of evergreens, contemporary songs and jazz, with a presentation that was a complete surprise to many.

Jerome Rico and Mara Viola from the Philippines are a duo who got together for the KK Jazz Festival, but had long achieved professional musician and performer status, with award-winning Jerome having performed in various notable shows and Mara, with her own list of professional performances to name, in the Philippines, Japan, and China.

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival a mecca for jazz aficionados

KOTA KINABALU: For two days, the covered tennis courts of Sutera Harbour Marina Golf and Country Club were packed with jazz aficionados, enthralled to the renditions of Mia Palencia In Good Company, and sounds from Moscow Fish, Humanfolk and Kekko Fornarelli Trio among others.

The Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (KKJF) held on June 14 and 15 returned bigger, better and bolder this time around with rhythm and beats that offers festival goers a toe-tapping good time.

Apart from the wonderful music showcased from 7 pm to 11 pm on both nights, local and foreign jazz lovers were served with thousands bottles of beer sponsored by Carlsberg.

Among the performers on Friday night were Funkafize, Albert Sirimal, Lazz United, Kekko Fornarelli Trio, Moscow Fish, Shanghai Jazz Redefined with Janet Lee and Johnny Alegre Trio.

On the second night, Kian Kok School Big Band, Appy Tot, Gee Mojina and Elixir, KK Jazz Half Marching Brass Band, Mega Boogies Blues Buster, Mia Palencia in Good Company, HumanFolk and Moscow Fish showcased their enthusiasm for all forms of improvised music.

The festival, which is in its seventh year, has so far proved a reliable mirror of international trends in jazz music.

Moscow Fish, one of the international bands performed an electronic and an acoustic show that wowed the audience with their unique and very versatile music.

In a short introduction during the event, Moscow Fish thanked the organizers of KKJF for giving them the chance to perform.

“I am very thankful for being invited to Sabah, and I am very touched with the appreciation of music by the people here. It is very rare in the world,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sabah-born Mia Palencia and her group, Mia Palencia In Good Company, as expected succeeded in mesmerizing the audience who had been waiting year long for the event.

On the first day, Mia sang several jazz numbers while on Saturday she swayed the audience with her rendition of sexy bossa nova songs.

Mia Palencia In Good Company is a unique collaboration between two islands. While pursuing her music degree on the Island Of Tasmania, Australia, Mia approached Tasmanian Jazz arranger and keyboardist Kelly Ottaway with the idea of forming an ensemble to explore both her original music and improvised jazz.

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RM100,000 Yayasan Sime Darby sponsorship for KK Jazz Festival

KOTA KINABALU: The 7th Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival (KKJF), which kicked off last night, has received a RM100,000 sponsorship from Yayasan Sime Darby.

Yayasan Sime Darby yesterday announced the sponsorship of the popular festival jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah (SPArKS).

The sponsorship is in line with the Yayasan Sime Darby’s guidelines under the arts and culture pillar to promote programmes that benefit the development of arts and culture amongst the diverse multicultural society of Malaysia and to foster the development of artistic talents among the young and old alike.

The sponsorship covers the festival expenses including fees for artistes and performances, logistics expenses as well as marketing and promotion costs.

During the press conference before the event started yesterday, Yayasan Sime Darby governing council member Datin Paduka Zaitoon Datuk Othman praised the organizers of KKJF, calling the event a celebration of diversity through music as this year would see the inclusion of bands from as far as Canada, Italy, Australia and the Philippines.

“KKJF is everything a good music festival should be and more. Aside from being a place for like-minded fans to gather and be entertained over the course of two nights, KKJF is also a place where new local talents are born, providing them with a launchpad that will catapult them to international audiences and stardom,” she said.

Zaitoon added that establishments such as hoteliers as food and beverages outlets also looked to KKJF as a ‘scouting’ ground for local acts to hire to entertain guests at their premises.

“Events such as KKJF also contribute to the tourism of Kota Kinabalu, which is already famous among tourists for its eco-tourism, environmental and cultural heritage which are unique to this part of the world,” said Zaitoon.

The event organizer also ensures that at least 40 per cent of KKJF’s performers are Sabahans to give the event a more definitive, localised flavour.

Continue reading at: RM100,000 Yayasan Sime Darby sponsorship for KK Jazz Festival

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Promising stars to shine at Kota Kinabalu jazz fest

KOTA KINABALU: Highly rated local and international jazz artistes will take to the stage at the 7th KK Jazz festival here.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah, the annual event will be held on Friday and Saturday at the covered tennis court of the Sutera Harbour Marina Golf and Country Club.

Among the artistes are Albert Sirimal, Kekko Fornarelli Trio (Italy), Moscow Fish (Canada-Thailand), Shanghai Jazz Redefined with Janet Lee (Malaysia), Johnny Alegre Trio (the Philippines), Mia Palencia in Good Company (Australia) and Human Folk (the Philippines).

The event is supported by the Sabah Tourism, state Culture and Environment Ministry, Sabah Tourism Board and Yayasan Sime Darby.

"Jazz and all art is an essential part of the human experience. A basic understanding and appreciation of music will broaden one's character and deepen the connection with those around us," said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun during a courtesy visit by the festival's organising committee at his office on Monday.

Organising committee chairman Jack Ong, in thanking the state and its agencies for supporting the festival said more than 4,000 people came to the jazz fest in 2011.

"This year, KK Jazz Festival promises to be another ground-breaking experience not to be missed by music lovers from all over the world.

"Acknowledging the immense talent of Sabah people, KKJF serves as a stage in showcasing local artistes. The selected bands of this year's Sabah Jazz Talent Search are Funkafize, Jazz United, Mega Boogie Blues Buster and singer Eilvane Chieng."

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival Returns in 2013

Every year since 2007, the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah jointly organise the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival.

2013 sees the 7th instalment of the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival set in the picturesque capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

The jazz festival was initiated to promote Kota Kinabalu’s to the international music scene.

Judging by how the jazz festival brings together a musical melting pot of talents from around the world, it’s safe to say they are reaching their goal.

From the smallish venue at the Jesselton Point pier in 2007 where the festival was a 1 night affair, the KK Jazz Festival quickly grew to a 2-night festival by it’s 3rd edition in 2009.

Last year over 4,000 people attended the jazz festival.

Aside from added exposure for Kota Kinabalu as an international tourism destination, the festival has been very successful in raising public awareness about jazz as a music genre.

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Rousing performances at KK Jazz Festival

KOTA KINABALU: The sixth Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival kicked off with a series of rousing performances by both local and foreign acts, including the famed local RIMBA band, as well as Raisa Adriana, the new star in the music industry in Indonesia.

Raisa first appeared in Mac Muzik Indonesia in 2011 with the single, ‘Serba Salah’ and received positive response from fans.

Her second single, entitled ‘Apalah’ released in July 2011 received the same effect with music enthusiasts.

In addition, accompanied by Albert Sirimal, Jamie Wilson and Badar, The Amir Yusoff Acoustic Project showcased music from Amir’s illustrious 25 years in the music industry.

The AIM award-winning singer-songwriter, who made his name in the mid-1990s, has re-invented his career as a roots-based acoustic artiste.

Also performing at the KK Jazz Festival at the Sutera Habour Marine, Gold and Country Club’s covered tennis court here last night was award winning Juwita Suwito who began her solo career in 2004 with the release of her award winning album ‘Brand New World’.

Her debut performances at the Yamaha Endorsee Showcase at Putra World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur and the Main Stage of the Penang Island Jazz Festival have drawn instant recognition.

Continue reading at: Rousing performances at KK Jazz Festival

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Sabah’s ‘Rimba’ to promote Borneo music to world

KOTA KINABALU: Local band ‘Rimba’ which was formed in 2002 is all out for promoting their version of fusion ethnic jazz to the world.

Combining traditional and modern musical instruments, ‘Rimba’ believe that they would be able to capture the hearts of jazz enthusiasts.

“Our music is easy listening, and by blending the traditional musical instruments with modern ones, we believe the fusion ethnic jazz music would be able to penetrate into the international market,” said band leader Felix Samunting.

He described the decade-old band as “versatile”, adding that everyday is a learning process for them.

“We like doing experimental ethnic jazz music, such as re-arranging songs to add twists of traditional and modern touches into the song.

“Blending the traditional and modern also attracts the people’s attention,. For instance, people are more interested to know about the bamboo flute rather than a normal flute, or may be the kulingtangan, to mention some … we want to show the people that we can play all kinds of music, and to be able to include traditional touches into our music is a bonus,” he said.

Speaking after performing in the 6th KK Jazz Festival 2012, Samunting added that ‘Rimba’ is also planning to produce their first singles soon.

“We are proud to be part of the event such as the KK Jazz Festival as it provides us with the exposure and confidence to move a step higher in the music industry,” he said.

Samunting, who has been in the industry for over a decade said, that with Rimba having participated in three KK Jazz festivals, he expressed belief that they are ready for other internationally-known events like the World Music Festival in Penang and the Rainforest Music Festival in Sarawak.

“Over the years, I believe that the younger generation are beginning to embrace jazz music as they are more exposed to this genre of music, unlike the more senior ones. So it is our hope that blending the old and new musical instruments would capture the interests of everyone, regardless of their age and background,” he said.

And while Rimba is all pumped up to promote Borneo music to the world, Samunting admitted that it was not exactly a bed of roses for them, due to financial constraints.

“Although we may have creative and talented people in the band, it is hard to move forward without financial support, and I believe I share this problem with other artistes in the local music industry,” he said.

Continue reading at: Sabah’s ‘Rimba’ to promote Borneo music to world

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2012 on June 15-16

KOTA KINABALU: City Hall has once again given its full support to the organisers of the Kota Kinabalu Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2012 which will be held on June 15 and 16.

Commending the organisers for their sixth Kota Kinabalu (KK) Jazz Festival, Mayor Abidin Madingkir said he welcomed such an interesting event which not only adds colour and livens the city but also helps bring more tourists to Sabah.

He noted that the Jazz Festival has now become a signature event in Sabah’s annual calendar of events and also a key component of the Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival.

Thanking the mayor for his support, organising chairman Jack Ong said the festival is an annual fund-raising jazz extravaganza jointly organized by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah (SPArKS).

The jazz festival, he added, brings together a musical melting pot of talents from around the world and last year recorded a crowd of over 4,000 people during the two nights of performance.

One of the striking differences about KK Jazz Festival, he explained, is its line up of artistes, who include international names and highly talented local bands and singers.

Some of the artistes that will be performing this year are Raisa (Indonesia), Rio Sidik (Bali, Indonesia), Johnny Rodgers Band (United States of America) and Roger Wang (Malaysia).

Held in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu 60th anniversary, this year’s festival also serves as a stage in showcasing local artistes. Local celebrity DJ Rica and Cheryl will also be hosting the evening as emcees.

Ong said this year’s event is sponsored by Yayasan Sime Darby, Sabah Development Bank, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and Carlsberg. The festival is also supported by City Hall and the Embassy of the United States of America.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival 2012 on June 15-16

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