This year will be my first time attending the Borneo Jazz Festival although it has been around for quite a while. I know it's shameful call myself a true Mirian and yet I've failed to attend one of the biggest musical event in the calendar which is organized behind my backyard every year. *Rainforest Music Festival sanggup drive 13 hours to Kuching, benda belakang rumah sik mok attend*

So this year, I'm honoured to be selected as one of the bloggers to cover the event under Sarawak Bloggers and Sarawak Tourism Board.The event will take place on the 10-11th May 2013 at ParkCity Everly Hotel and a day before that, (9th May) there will be a tree planting ceremony at Curtin University.
 


Here's some sneak peak of the bands/groups that is going to perform in this upcoming Borneo Jazz.

Flown in from Canada, The Nylons, a four-member capella group are one of the most heralded vocal groups in the world with seven gold and platinum records and sales more than 2 million to their credit.

The Nylons are renowned for their vibrant live shows, featuring dazzling harmonies, smooth arrangements, tight choreography, and fabulous showmanship. Their rapport with their audiences makes them perennial favourites for all age groups. 

The group has performed over 1000 concerts in dozens of tours worldwide including Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Europe, Brazil, the US, and Canada.

The Nylons have received numerous awards and accolades including their gold and platinum records, a Tokyo Music Festival award, and a Canadian Juno nomination for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM 2011 for their 15th release SKIN TIGHT. This CD features an eclectic collection of jazz standards, original songs and well known classics.

 Germany is not exactly known as the home of soul and funk, but after you’ve heard Mo’Blow from Berlin you will change your mind.

The quartet, which the ‘Berliner Zeitung’ described as one of the hottest club bands, has the groove in their blood.They are refreshingly new, exciting and unconventional, with that certain something and an international calibre about them.

Mo’Blow is calling their show at Borneo Jazz in Sarawak the “Gimme The Boots” release concert.

Prefer to be known as an energetic spicy groovy funk group, they have a string of awards to their name, among them the Winner of Berliner Jazz & Blues Award 2008, Winner of Future Sounds Award 2011, Winner of “Jazz am see” Award for best concert of 2011 and Winner of Jazz Rock TV Miles Award for Cool and Groovy New Jazz.

The band is led by saxophonist Felix F. Falk, bass player Tobias Fleischer, drummer André Seidel and pianist Matti Klein. They have worked hard to earn their reputation as a first-class live act through tours of Germany, England, Belgium, Russia, Croatia, Austria, Poland, Denmark and France and have appeared at festivals like the Jazz Festival Kaliningrad (Russia), Jazz Festival Liburnia (Croatia) or Jazzopen Hamburg (Germany). 

– From Down Under, comes Lisa Young Quartet at this year’s Borneo Jazz. The award winning Lisa Young Quartet is well known to Jazz and World Music listeners as an ensemble of creative improvisers incorporating Indian and African elements in their work.

Renown as an exceptionally creative vocal stylist and improviser, Lisa specialises in ‘konnakol’ – South Indian vocal percussion. The result is unusual and extremely appealing compositions.

The quartet features the intuitive musicality of Ben Robertson (Double Bass), Steve Magnusson (Guitar) and Dave Beck (Drums). They bring to the Borneo Jazz their most recent work ‘The Eternal Pulse’, a song cycle which layers Indian elements, rhythmic textures and ensemble dialogue using varieties of meter and subdivision.

The new album The Eternal Pulse received a nomination in the ‘BELL AWARDS’ finals, for ‘Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album 2012, the same award which won her'Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album 2007 for her album ‘Grace’ in 2007.

So have u gotten your tickets? No? Dont worry..Tickets are now on sale Visitors Information Centres in Kuching, Sibu and Miri, Sarawak. 


 Tickets priced at RM60for single entry and RM100 for a two-day pass. Children under the age of 12 years will enjoy 50% discount on each purchase. Borneo Jazz tickets are also available online at www.ticketcharge.com.my .



What else would be there apart from Jazz Music?


Complementing the festival will be the fringe events comprising of food and village mart where more than 30 booths will feature exhibition and sale of handicraft made by the local craftsmen and artisan.

If you have any enquiries, contact STB Leisure & Property at [email protected] (email) or +6 082-239171 (office hours only, 8:00AM – 5:00PM).


Hope to see you there.

Overdue post.. Earlier this month (2nd March 2013 to be exact) I joined a group of my friends to the Brunei Bike Week III. It was my 1st time attending this event after I missed it last year due to unforeseen circumstances.

All this while I've always had this thing for big bikes, especially sports bike but unfortunately my parents is totally against me of owning a bike. Dangerous they say.. Hahaha. But once I have my own family, I'll definately get one. One of the To-do list and a lifelong dream.

But according to my friends who went for the bike week last year, the crowd wasn't as much as it was previously. Its good to see fellow Mirians during the event. All these while, we often see Mirians driving Brunei registered cars, now its the same for bikes as well. Saw a few Miri based bike group riding Brunei registered bikes.

I think the Limbang registered custom scooter caught a lot of attention. Especially its hydraulic/ air ride suspension setup  I personally think its very creative and cool.  

You can see the pictures I took during the event at the Photo Tab.