KUCHING: Malaysia's Datuk Zainal Abidin and the Julian Chan Jazz Orchestra and Sweden’s Platina Jazz will headline the 20th edition of the Borneo Jazz Festival in Miri this year.
The two-day music festival on Dec 4-5 will be held at the Pullman Miri Waterfront.
Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the 20th edition of the festival is an important milestone.
"It reflects the passion for music, creativity and cultural exchange that has sustained Borneo Jazz over the years," he said when launching the festival here on Thursday (Sept 17).
Ten groups from seven countries, including Japan, the United States, Brunei and Indonesia, will perform at the festival, with five acts each night.
Zainal Abidin and his orchestra will perform on the opening night, along with Elisha Tiga Eksperiment from Brunei, Marter from Japan, LaidThis Nite from Indonesia and Q Sound from the United States.
The second night will feature Nathanie Ngu from Sarawak, Greg Tan and Ai Furusato under Berklee Asia Rising, Matthew Sayersz and Marclesia Karim from Indonesia, Brekky Boy from Australia and Platina Jazz from Sweden.
Tickets go on sale at midnight on Oct 3 via festival's official website, jazzborneo.com.
The one-day pass costs RM400 for a VIP ticket and RM120 for a standard ticket, while a two-day pass for students and young adults is priced at RM150.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Sharzede Salleh Askor described the prices as "affordable".
A new feature this year is the Borneo Jazz Festival Village, a free-entry outdoor space next to the waterfront.
STB, the organisers of the festival, stated the "family-oriented space" would feature food and beverage offerings, retail, arts and crafts, family activities, live performances, community experiences and interactive brand activities.
The village will also feature the All Borneo Pavilion, which will bring together participation from Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Indonesia, further reinforcing the festival’s Borneo-wide character.
STB added the collaboration with Berklee Asia Rising, a programme under Berklee College of Music, would strengthen the festival’s talent development efforts, with performers Greg Tan and Ai Furusato joining the programme.
There will also be workshops, masterclasses and collaborative sessions to give musicians and emerging talents opportunities to exchange knowledge, build skills and explore diverse musical perspectives, STB said.
Assoc Prof Edvard Lee, a Malaysian-American lecturer from Berklee College of Music and founder of Berklee Asia Rising, will provide a remote lecture, audience conversation and artist-development masterclass over the two days.
