Seven Festivals in Borneo Not to Be Missed

Borneo's sunshine, vivid rainforests, and laid-back attitude are the perfect ingredients for outdoor festivals. The friendly people certainly know how to throw a party; festivals in Borneo are usually vibrant events with food, music, and good times for both locals and visitors!

You can find festivals in Borneo practically any time of year. With such a mix of indigenous cultures and religions there is always something to celebrate.

1. Rainforest Music Festival

The Rainforest World Music Festival is one of the largest music festivals in Southeast Asia. Held every year just outside of Kuching, the three-day concert features bands from nearly every continent. Musicians from all over the world showcase their traditional instruments in workshops throughout the day before the headlining bands take to the two main stages in the evening.

The Rainforest Music Festival takes place annually in July. The festival draws thousands to dance in the mud – make plans to attend early. Tickets can be purchased in Kuching or at the gate.

2. Miri Jazz Festival

Every May thousands of jazz enthusiasts flock to the city of Miri in northern Sarawak for two nights of world-class jazz performances. Well-known musicians from the US, Europe, and Asia get the crowd dancing rain or shine!

The $20 entrance ticket is a small price to pay for a great night of fun. Only a limited number of tickets are available at the gate, however tickets can be purchased online in advance.

3. Borneo International Kite Festival

The Borneo International Kite Festival began in 2005 as a small, local celebration and has quickly grown into one of the most pleasant festivals in Borneo. Hundreds of people gather in late September or early October to fly colorful and intriguing kites. Some kites are complex enough to require handling teams!

The festival is held annually at the Old Bintulu Airport in Bintulu, Sarawak; entrance is free. A week-long trade expo adds to the excitement.

4. Gawai Dayak

Gawai Dayak - also known as the Harvest Festival - is one of the most important celebrations for the Iban and other indigenous cultures in Sarawak. Traditional costumes, ritual music, a chicken sacrifice, and lots of locally-brewed rice wine make this event one of the most educational and entertaining in Sarawak.

Gawai Dayak is celebrated across Sarawak annually, beginning at sundown on May 31. The Sarawak Cultural Village outside of Kuching - the same venue as the Rainforest Music Festival - is just one of many places to witness the celebration of a good harvest. Sampling some of the traditional food in Kuching is half the fun.

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A touch of Brazil at Borneo Jazz 2011

KUCHING: From hot bossa nova to sambas, Cunha and Piper will be performing at the Borneo Jazz 2011 featuring contemporary and traditional compositions that have won them fans on three continents.

Fernanda Cunha rose out of the rich Brazilian jazz scene to become a rising luminary in international jazz.

She was born into a musical house and began her career in 1997 and has since toured Brazil, Europe, and North America performing at prestigious international jazz festivals.

Regular appearances at jazz festivals in Canada have helped to carve out a whole new fan base for Cunha’s post-bossa groove, and now she is repaying the compliment with her new CD Brazil-Canada.

Accompanying her will be Ray Piper, a composer/guitar player from Australia who has travelled to Brazil many times and is concentrating on exploring different areas of the country and their unique musical styles.

His compositions draw these styles featured in his new CD Sabor Do Rio, which features Fernanda Cunha’s bossa nova lyrics and vocals.

Borneo Jazz 2011 takes place in Miri from May 12-15. With artistes from every corner of the globe including India, China, Japan, France, Brazil, Holland, Australia, United States, Canada and our very own Jazz musicians, Borneo Jazz 2011 is truly an international event.

Cunha and Piper will be taking the stage on May 13 at the ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri.

For fans of this Brazilian group, be sure to get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

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Promotional ticket on offer for Borneo Jazz 2011

JAZZ lovers can now grab promotional tickets for the Borneo Jazz 2011 which will take place in Miri from May 12-15.

The limited tickets are available online at www.ticketcharge.com.my until Jan 15 on a first come, first served basis.

The offers include daily passes at RM35 instead of the normal price of RM60, a three-day extravaganza at RM200 and a two-day weekender at RM60.

In addition, tourism industry players are encouraged to come up with packages for visitors to enjoy the festival while experiencing Sarawak, particularly Miri, at the same time.

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'Borneo Jazz' set to dazzle in 2011

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism and Heritage Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan announced yesterday that ‘Miri International Jazz Festival’ (MIJF) is now renamed as ‘Borneo Jazz’.

Dr Chan who is also deputy chief minister made this announcement at a press conference at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia.

“The rationale behind this change is to set the event on par with other international festivals. This renaming is also to capitalise on the destination, Borneo, a name that evokes images of a magical destination,” he explained.

This change, he added, will provide a new image to reflect the vibrancy of the festival as well as destination.

“As part of STB’s (Sarawak Tourism Board) transformation and continuous improvement, the festival is now geared towards a commercial basis in order to bring it to greater heights,” he said.

Among other improvements made for the festival is that it will be extended to a four day event and held from May 12 to 15, said Dr Chan.

“Next year, the festival will kick-off with the opening night on May 12 which will be open to the general public. There will also be musical meetings in the afternoon of the festival on Saturday, which is then interlude by a Sunday matinee,” he said.

According to STB CEO Dato’ Rashid Khan, new initiatives have been planned under the transformation.

“Among them, the Internship and Volunteers Program whereby STB as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), will collaborate with the academia as part of an industry advisory platform in enhancing the quality of graduates that is relevant to the needs of the industry,” said Rashid.

He also said that the program will provide a unique learning experience for international volunteers and interns while exposing them to Sarawak’s culture, nature and adventure.

“The aim is to have 70 per cent students from outside Sarawak as participants of this programme. This is another step towards bringing the festival into the international arena,” he added.

He added that STB aims to attract 10,500 visitors to the festival and 60 per cent are expected to be foreigners.

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Miri International Jazz Festival - Simply blown away

The Miri International Jazz Festival, celebrating its fifth anniversary, was an experience to remember.

THE legend waited in the wings as his band introduced themselves on stage.

Sitting patiently in a wheelchair looking seemingly old and frail, it was almost a stretch to believe that the 75-year-old James Cotton could muster up enough strength to even walk on stage, let alone perform. After all, this was a man who could barely speak during the morning’s press conference.

Then again, they don’t call him the Superharp for nothing. Once his band – The James Cotton Blues Band – were done introducing themselves, Cotton rose from his wheelchair, raised his harmonica to his lips, and the most gorgeous, joyful sounds began to flow from it. For close to an hour, he beguiled us by coaxing the most wonderful sounds and music from that tiny mouth harp.

By the time he was done, James Cotton Superharp – blues harmonica legend, Grammy-award winner, Blues Hall of Famer – had turned the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) from a solidly entertaining jazz festival into a mind-blowing celebration of the blues.

Yes, you got that right, a blues band rocking the stage at the Miri Jazz Festival. But before the jazz purist in you starts crying foul, consider this: Cotton himself admitted that although he was a blues man through and through, jazz itself originated from the blues. So if you look at it that way, the festival was actually going back to the roots of jazz, which means he really wasn’t that out of place after all.

After all, how does one define what jazz is? The great Louis Armstrong once reportedly said: “If you have to ask, you will never know.”

If you were at the festival at the Parkcity Everly Hotel grounds last Friday and Saturday, you wouldn’t have needed to ask at all. Unlike last year’s festival, which many complained sounded more like a world music festival than a jazz festival, this year, the organisers took pains to select a line-up that was more standard jazz fare, albeit with a slightly eclectic edge to it.

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Powerful blues to amaze jazz audience at Miri Jazz Festival

Miri International Jazz Festival will live up to its International flavour with blues legend, James Cotton taking the stage this year.

Now in his 66th year in the entertainment business, one of the all-time greats of the blues harmonica and most likely the last of the original Chicago musicians who played and recorded the most exciting blues music ever, James Cotton's history reads like a veritable musical who's who.

American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter who is the bandleader for the James Cotton Blues Band - was born on the first day of July 1935 in Tunica, Mississippi.

His reputation has certainly elevated to be one of the best of the modern Chicago blues stylists, being recognised for his powerful and precise harp playing.

Orphaned at the age of nine, he was raised by Sonny Boy Williamson and quickly became his protégé. He lived and travelled with Williamson, eventually, assimilating many of his signature licks. While he played a few instruments, Cotton is famous for his work on the harmonica. Touring as a teenager, Cotton began his professional career playing the blues harp with Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s.

Early December 1954, as an adult - Cotton began his 12 year association with Muddy Waters, when Waters passed through town looking for harp players before forming his own band.

James Cotton Blues Band members are; Thomas Holland - guitar, Noel Neal - bass, Kenny Ray Neal - drums, Harrison Allen Jr - Guitar and of course Superharp himself James Cotton.

To date, he is a Grammy Award winner, an inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006, an inductee into the Smithsonian Institution in 1991, and the winner of countless WC Handy Blues Awards.

Cotton, as his friend's call him, has shared the stage with BB King, Johnny Winter, the Allman Brothers, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Sam and Dave, The Grateful Dead and a long list of others.

"I'm a blues singer and harpist. But no matter what genre you stick it in - rock, blues, soul, jazz - it is still a dance and party music. Many times people come expecting sad music - I like to change their minds 'bout the blues. I also want to let them know where I'm coming from, so I mix the older things in that young audiences might not know. I feel like, I got to teach the blues, to carry it on - James Cotton." (allaboutjazz.com)

James Cotton's powerful blues harmonica has amazed audiences around the world. Together with his band he will perform in the festival on Saturday night. This is a rare treat to listen to a legendary artist whose name is already in the history books.

The 5th Miri International Jazz Festival this year to be held from May 14 - 15 at ParkCity Everly Pavillion will feature Cotton with seven other international bands namely: Amina Figarova Sextet (Holland), Ricardo Herz (Brazil), Mellow Motif (Thailand), Michael Shrieve's Spellbinder (USA), SimakDialog (Indonesia), Norbert Susemihl's New Orleans All Stars (Denmark/Germany/USA) and Jeremy Tordjman (Switzerland), promising to spice up the night for festival goers.

Festival tickets are priced at RM60 (BND26) per day for adults while tickets for children between three and 12 years old are priced at RM30 (BND13) per day. For ticket booking, contact Freme Travel Services at: +673 3335025/35 (Kuala Belait), +673 3228171-4 (Seria), +673 2234277-9 (BSB) and +673 4260520/1 (Tutong). Booking/enquiries also possible via email: holidays@freme.com .

Tickets are also available at Visitors' Information Centres in Kuching, Sibu and Miri, Sarawak.

MIJF is supported by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Sarawak, and Tourism Malaysia.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Miri Jazz sneak peak

THE Miri International Jazz Festival happens next weekend in Sarawak. But if you’re in the Klang Valley, you can get a taste of this diverse festival with two free performances from Jeremy Tordjman Project (Norway) at the Laundry Bar, The Curve, Damansara Perdana in Petaling Jaya Selangor tomorrow (9pm) and the Apartment in KLCC on Saturday night (8.30pm).

Led by guitarist Jeremy Tordjman, the band plays fusion jazz and world music with a strong African influence.

The 33-year-old Tordjman travelled through Africa in his childhood, immersing himself in the continent’s music and traditions. Initially a self-taught jazz guitarist, he now studies under Gilles Renne in the CIM, a reputed jazz school in Paris, where he also lives and plays.

These upcoming Jeremy Tordjman Project preview showcases also double up as promo roadshows for the Miri International Jazz Festival. You can also find out more about the festival and purchase tickets from the Sarawak Tourism Board booths at Laundry Bar tomorrow and the Apartment on Saturday.

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Sarawak expects to generate at least RM10 mil during jazz festival

SARAWAK expects to earn at least RM10 million in tourism revenue during the Miri International Jazz Festival on May 14 and 15 by luring expatriates from Brunei.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Sarawak Tourism Board had found that the majority of expatriates in Brunei and Miri were music-lovers.

“This jazz festival is going to be bigger and more exciting than before. We are getting very good response thus far, especially from the expatriates, not just from Shell here in Miri, but also from the other international companies.

“We also expect to see a big turnout from expatriates who are in Brunei. We are talking about a huge number of expatriates in Brunei, mainly Filipinos, Thais, Indonesians, Europeans, Chinese, Australians, Koreans and Japanese.

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5th Miri International Jazz Festival moved outdoors

MIRI : The magical sounds of jazz music will now fill the grounds of ParkCity as the 5th edition of the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) has now been moved outdoors.

It was originally scheduled to be held at the Pavilion.

“Due to overwhelming response and feedback received from the public, we have, for this year, decided to move the stage outdoors. As such, this year’s MIJF will be one with a difference,” said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan.

Dr Chan, who is also Minister for Tourism and Heritage, said with the moving of the stage outdoors, the pavilion would be converted into a bar and dance floor where music would be manned by an international disc jockey (DJ).

Updating reporters on the MIJF here yesterday, Dr Chan said the festival, which had been enjoying a steady growth in recent years, would see performances from several foreign jazz bands. Their genre of jazz included blues, fusion, world, smooth and Latino beat.

“The bands that we will bring to you this time around will be James Cotton Blues Band from USA, Amina Figarova Sextet (Holland), Ricardo Hertz (Brazil), Mellow Motif (Thailand), Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder (USA), SimakDialog (Indonesia), Norbert Susemihl’s New Orleans All Stars (Denmark/Germany/USA) and Jeremy Tordjman (Switzerland).

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Miri promises another great repertoire of jazz

THE Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) 2010 promises to be an exciting event featuring a wide repertoire of jazz genres.

Organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), it will be held at The Pavilion of Park City Everly Hotel in Miri on May 14 and 15.

It will see performances by bands from various countries presenting jazz, blues, fusion, world and Latino beats.

The bands are James Cotton Blues Band (US), Amina Figarova Sextet (Holland), Ricardo Herz (Brazil), Mellow Motif (Thailand), Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder (US), SimakDialog (Indonesia), Norbert Susemihl’s New Orleans All Stars (Denmark/Germany/US) and Jeremy Tordjman (Switzerland).

Tickets for adults are priced at RM60 while for children aged between three and 12 years, the tickets cost RM30.

The tickets are on sale at Eclipse Booking Hotline: +603-7729 3829/+6016-688 1119.

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Miri International Jazz Festival - Solid reputation

The little oil town of Miri in Sarawak came alive with the sound of roaring jazz again.

IF you wanted one hell of a party, then the action stirred up at the fourth Miri International Jazz Festival was something to write home about. Held last weekend at the Pavillion, ParkCity Everly Hotel in Miri, the indoor festival rolled out many different genres of jazz and the entertainment value hardly wavered throughout the two days. There was variety in terms of acts offering their unique takes on jazz music. The intimate duos, songbirds, the virtuoso musicians and the noisy brass brigade ... you had them all at the festival.

For music fans that made the trip to Miri, it was an experience to remember. On the first night, Sabah-raised duo Double Take opened the festival with aplomb. The duo’s performance was charismatic and melancholic at the same time. As one-half of the duo, Roger Wang was a force on the acoustic guitar, nimbly plucking the strings and delivering each note with great clarity and precision.

Wang’s deft instrumentation were capably complemented by Double Take’s vocalist Mia Palencia, who held her own with her vocal strength and control. Her distinct sense of eloquence in song has remained intact through the years. Performing only covers, they effectively entertained the nearly 2,000 people that turned up and clapped enthusiastically to the duo’s tight and melodious reinterpretations of classics from Black Coffee right to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, transformed into a blues tune. That garnered much applause from the crowd.

Another show-stealer that evening was Australia’s six-piece band Alamode, influenced by the likes of Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Jamiroquai and Soulive. Like their inspirations, Alamode’s music had a heavy acid-jazz influence and overall, their performance pushed between the energetic and invigorating gears with ease.

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In the mood for jazz despite flu scare

MIRI - It's May and it's that time of the year when jazz lovers from Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia join their Malaysian brethren at Brighton beach.

They've come to party and soak in the music in the two-day Miri International Jazz Festival, which started on Friday.

Nearly 3,000 people packed the Park City Everly Hotel beach front despite the stifling heat.

"We sold 3,500 tickets for Friday but there was a sizable no-show. Just over 2,800 turned up," Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Gracie Geikie said yesterday.

With the economic downturn and the influenza A (H1N1) scare, it was anticipated that many would stay away. However, Geikie was elated yesterday as their target of 6,000 -- to match last year's sales -- was achieved.

That set her in the mood as she joined the crowd and partied to the jazz riffs emanating from the venue.

Eight groups from Britain, Japan, Australia, France, South Africa, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia, were invited to this year's fest.

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Sarawak Tourism targets audience of 8,000 at jazz festival

KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is targeting a crowd of 8,000 at the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) this year in considering that more than 6,000 people responded to it last year.

With just a few more days to go, STB is all set to showcase the fourth edition of the festival on May 8 and 9.

The annual jazz festival which will be held at the Pavilion of Parkcity Everly Hotel in Miri will see eight international bands showcasing a wide genre of jazz music that ranges from classic to smooth, blues and contemporary tempo that is laced with Oriental, African and Latino beat.

STB has enlisted bands from all corners of the world. The list include Double Take from Malaysia, Rumba Calzada (Canada), Dites 34 from France, Alamode (Australia), Thomsom Big Band (Singapore), John Kaizan Neptunes and Steps in Time (Japan), Bombay Baja Brass Band (UK) and Jeff Maluleke (South Africa).

Although the concert is held inside the Pavilion, festival goers can also enjoy the show outside at the festival ground.

This is because several wide screens will be erected for guests who watch the concert while enjoying their food and drinks.

For the more adventurous ones, they could just sit on the ground, with or without any mat, to watch the musical fanfare.

To ensure they all have a wonderful experience at the festival, guests are encouraged to come in comfortable apparel with comfy dancing shoes instead of high heels.

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Ba’Kelalan to host Apple Fiesta

MIRI: Ba’Kelalan will be busy again for hosting its annual “Ba’Kelalan: The Heart of Borneo Escapade 2009 (HOB)” from May 10 to 13.

Also known as Apple Fiesta, the event, organised by Borneo Jungle Safari (BJS) Sdn Bhd, has entered its third year. It will be held immediately after the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) 2009 on May 8 and 9.

According to BJS Managing Director, Mutang Tagal, some 50 guests comprising several local and international media as well as tourists will be joining the unique annual event which has the full support from Tourism Malaysia, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and MasWings.

Speaking at the press conference at BJS office yesterday, Mutang pointed out that the event and the programme itself had been supported by Sarawak Tourism Action Council (STAC) for three years in a row.

“Thanks to Tourism Malaysia, STB, MasWings and STAC for their full support in the great promotion of Apple Fiesta in Ba’Kelalan.

Such support has helped us a lot and Ba’Kelalan has now become popular in the eco-tourism industry via the Apple Fiesta,” he remarked.

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Five respondents win tickets to Miri jazz fest

MIRI: Five visitors to last year’s Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) must thank themselves for diligently filling in the festival survey form as this has won them tickets to this year’s concert here on May 8 and 9.

The five were picked from the 1,500 visitors who participated in the survey conducted by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), the organiser, to get feedback on improving the event.

The survey also asked the participants to vote for the bands which they preferred to return to MIJF the following year.

The five are Anne Lawai and Fiona Anne Kab, both from Miri, Alex Ooi (Kuala Lumpur), and Steven Aju and Trevor Nunes (both from Brunei).

Meanwhile, with the festival just two weeks away and entering its fourth year, STB is working at full capacity to ensure its success.

STB is targeting a crowd of 8,000 and eight international bands have been invited to perform at the festival at the Pavilion of Parkcity Everly Hotel here.

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Sarawak in Astro’s Travel and Living Network spotlight

MIRI: Astro’s Travel and Living Network will be featuring tourism documentaries on northern Sarawak soon, a move that is expected to draw more tourists to the region.

The network will be giving prominent coverage to Miri, Unesco World Heritage Site Mulu National Park, the highlands of Bario and Ba’kelalan and other destinations in the area in conjunction with the Miri International Jazz Festival 2009 on May 9-10.

Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Gracie Geikie said Astro had helped to facilitate the arrangements for the coverage.

“Travel and Living will highlight the jazz festival and air documentaries on the various places of interests that northern Sarawak has to offer, even after the festival is over.

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Kaizan promises high-energy jazz at Miri festival

JOHN Kaizan Neptune has gained international recognition as an innovator on the shakuhachi, a Japanese flute.

He will perform with a group of multi-national musicians who are both gifted and talented and together known as John Kaizan Neptune featuring Steps in Times.

They will be among the international bands that will strut their stuff at the Miri International Jazz Festival on May 8-9.

Of the five members of Steps in Time, two are from Malaysia, another two from India and one from Japan.

While Kaizan plays the shakuhachi, the members of Steps in Times will play on instruments like Indian traditional drums, violin and guitars.

The two Malaysian musicians are percussionist Lewis Pragasam and bassist Andy Peterson, both equally well known in the region’s music scene.

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Astro boost for Sarawak jazz and Rainforest music festivals

KUCHING: The Miri International Jazz Festival and Rainforest World Music Festival this year will get wider international publicity with Astro coming in as a major sponsor.

Measat Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Henry Tan said Astro would contribute some RM6mil worth of air-time and promotional programmes for the two festivals.

He said Astro, which would record both popular musical events, was discussing with its foreign partners to screen the documentaries through their international channels.

Tan and Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Gracie Geikie signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sponsorship at Bangunan Baithulmal here yesterday. State Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin witnessed the signing.

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Miri jazz fest singlet for early-bird ticket buyers

MIRI: An attractive limited-edition singlet will be given to those who buy two two-day tickets to the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF). This offer is valid until Jan 16 next year.

According to the festival’s organising chairman of Michael Lu, the offer is only for those who purchase the ticket online at www.ticketcharge.com.my or by calling the Ticketcharge office.

Encouraging festival goers to take advantage of this early-bird promotion, Lu said that only 500 of the singlets were available.

“The promotion may not last until Jan 16,” said Lu, who urged festival goers not to miss the chance to get this MIJF collectible item.

Lu said the two-day ticket priced at RM100 will be available only until April 25. After April 25, only daily tickets priced at RM60 will be available.

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Sarawak Tourism targets RM8m for next year’s Miri International Jazz Festival event

MIRI: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is targeting to reap RM8 million revenue from its 4th edition of music driven tourism product, Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) 2009, scheduled on May 8 and 9 at The Pavilion of ParkCity Everly Hotel Miri.

STB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gracie Geikie was optimistic the target could be achieved with strong sponsorship from ASTRO.

“We are indeed very happy that ASTRO this year is going to give wider television coverage in helping STB to make MIJF a truly international event. We are going to team up with ASTRO to document this festival under one of its programme ‘Travel and Living’,” she said in a press conference at ParkCity Everly Hotel yesterday.

Last year, Gracie, who is also the advisor of the festival, said some RM6 million in revenue had been collected from the 3rd event of its kind.

Thus with the continuous strong support from various sponsors, she remained highly confident of another great success next year.

Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Sarawak Tourism targets RM8m for next year’s Miri International Jazz Festival event