‘A lot of untapped musical talents’

Full of potential: Taylor (standing, fourth from left) taking a group photo with the organisers and international and local performers during a press conference in Kota Kinabalu.

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.

“I have been to many places and Sabah is among the very few places which I know actually have festivals such as this to help Malaysian talents,” said the artiste who now resides in Hong Kong, where he continues coaching young singers and musicians.

Touching on his experience with the King of Pop Michael Jackson, Taylor said he could never forget the star’s laughter.

“Michael was a great guy and I was with him from when he was eight until 15. I was more of a father to Michael than his father was to him because we spent more than 10 hours each day working on songs in the studio,” he said.

The annual KK Jazz Festival jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, is an event that brings together a musical melting pot of talents from all over the world while serving as a fundraising event for the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu.