Fakhrul Razi was the only Bruneian who got into the final stage of the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) that took place in Hollywood, California earlier this year. He will perform in Miri, Sarawak for the first edition of Asia Music Festival held at the Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club this Friday and Saturday.

As an independent Brunei singer-songwriter, he began writing his own songs when he was 14 years old. He has performed in numerous shows and events in Brunei and International arenas since 2004. Against his career in the music scene, he is also a TV host for the morning show Rampai Pagi at Radio Televisyen (RTB), a Radio announcer at Kristal FM, an independent radio station in Brunei and one of the most sought emcees for important and exclusive event in Brunei Darussalam.

Fakrul had impressed the judges and crowd at WCOPA in Hollywood as he won gold medals in the R&B/Jazz, Original Works and Open Vocal (Male) categories. He had also won two silver medals for the Broadway and Pop categories. At Asia Music Festival, Fakrul will also perform together with local band from Miri, Camouflage.

Tritha was born in Kolkata. She started training in North Indian classical music at the age of five, and never stopped. She has forged her own unique, inclusive sound and has already gained critical and popular acclaim for her songs. Tritha’s dusky tones and throbbing intensity, vibrating and moving emotional commitment, thrills her audience and leaves the public spell bound.

For the past four years Tritha has also toured in Europe, including performances in famous venues such as Lieu Unique (Nantes), Il Posto (Verona), La Bellevilloise, Cabaret Sauvage, Bus Palladium, Satellit Café and St Eustache Church (Paris). She is a true global artist, always eager to discover new cultures and sounds.

As a woman, Tritha has suffered her share of harassment and discrimination in her country. She feels that her live performances, as well as her recent success as an original musician in India, are giving confidence to other women to assert themselves and follow their dreams. She is an ardent supporter of women’s rights in the country.

She includes her ideas in her songs with “Lyrics that deal with women’s liberation, social oppression and sexual exploitation” (Hindustan Times). In June 2012, she was featured on a full page in Marie Claire India as one amongst the ten most interesting young Indian women, and also that same month, in Tehelka Magazine. Tritha’s picture has been traveling all over the world in 2011 and 2012 with the exhibition Women Changing India, organized by the Magnum Photo Agency and BNP Paribas.

Miri City Council (MCC) is jumping on board Asia Music Festival to support the organizing by initiating a Shopping Bonanza. MCC has encouraged participation by shopping malls and supermarket within its jurisdiction area to be part and promote the festival by offering a giveaway prizes in conjunction of the festival.

Customer will be offered giveaway prizes in a form of free entrance tickets to Asia Music Festival for every purchase of goods valued more than RM100 in their respective outlets. The promotion tickets would be on “First-Come-First-Get” basis, while stock last.

Miri City Council in collaboration with the festival organiser, Sarawak Tourism Board has agreed to consider this free tickets promotion for AMF both days of the event in order to create awareness of this brand-new festival. The festival will be held on Friday and Saturday next week (4-5 October) at Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club.

At the launching of AMF 2013 Shopping Bonanza held here today, MCC had announced the participating shopping malls and outlets, namely Bintang Mega Mall, Boulevard & Imperial Mall, Boulevard Shopping Mall, PermyMall, Emart and Sin Liang Supermarket.

The Asia Music Festival 2013 Shopping Bonanza promotional period will begin on Friday, 27 September and last until Saturday, 5 October.

Other than organizing a Shopping Bonanza in conjunction Asia Music Festival, Miri City Council will be coordinating the fringe events at the venue. The fringe events will exhibit 100 big-bikers from Sarawak, neighbouring Sabah and Brunei, 8 handicrafts stalls from Miri Handicraft Centre, 4-tattoo exhibition booth and photography exhibition booth. These fringe events will create the festival atmosphere and encourages visitors to the festival.

As the organiser, Sarawak Tourism Board will continue to embark on its carbon footprint initiative through greening program such as the tree-planting ceremony. The planting will be held at the event venue on the first day of festival where all the local and international musician, artist, media, government officials and the publics are welcome to participate. MCC will also encourage the participating malls and supermarket to re-launch the “Say No To Plastic Bags” campaign in support of this greening campaign.

The Asia Music Festival brings together musician and performers from across Asia for highly unique musical extravaganza. The festival offers opportunity to experience the uniqueness of music festival that offers the whole host of electrifying eclectic mix of live music that spread over two days.

Bands that have been confirmed are Bembol Rockers (Philippines), VSTAR featuring Kamal Musallam (Korea), Anthony Dassan Yen Party Band (South India),  Orkes Soesah Tideor (Indonesia), Foxy Girls (Indonesia), Boy Thai Band (Thailand), Tritha (North India) and Fakhrul Razi (Brunei).

There will also be bands and singers from Malaysia and among them are Melissa Francis, Starlet Band, The Mountain Wind Band, Hevance Band and Sarawak’s very own Bob from the famous Malaysian TV program, Akademi Fantasia.

The Festival tickets are still on sale at all STB’s office and Visitors Information Centre located at Old Court House, Kuching (+6 082-410944), Jalan Melayu, Miri (+6 085-434180) and Jalan Tukang Besi, Sibu (+6 084-340980), Curtin University Sarawak Campus and Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club (+6 085-421010).

Entry tickets are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students aged 3-18 (ID required during entry). Information and updates about the festival is available at www.asiamusicfestival.net and www.facebook.com/SarawakTravel .

V.STAR, a young South Korean female group who were finalist in KOREA’S GOT TALENT of 2012 will be performing at the Asia Music Festival to be held on the 4 & 5 October in Miri, Sarawak.

This band has gained a reputation among the emerging South Korean young bands. Their style can be identified as the new traditional Korean mixture, as they play their music using traditional Korean music instruments, whether in original compositions or through new arrangements of famous Korean and Western covers. Their style is thus based on merging both Gugak traditions (Korean ethnic music) and modern sounds.

V.STAR comprises Gwan Jihye, playing the traditional Gayageum (Korean zither, modified into twelve strings), joined by the percussionist Kan Keun Hwa, playing Janggu (double headed drum with a narrow waist in the middle), Heejin Park playing the Daegeum (Korean flute), and Ellie Kim singing Pansori (Korean dramatic melodies), Ellie also plays a second Gayageum and the  keyboards in some shows.

The inaugural Asia Music Festival (AMF) will showcase no less than 15 really talented Asian artists. V.STAR will also feature Kamal Musallam, a prominent Middle Eastern artist. The partnership between Kamal and V.STAR has resulted in beautifully merging the traditional Korean music within a rich musical context full of elements from Asian music, Jazz and Rock and much more. All to bring the music to another Fusion level. The two groups of artistes wanted to show the world the power and beauty of Korean Gugak and how it can communicate with other musical traditions and styles.

Other than V.STAR band, the first edition of Asia Music Festival will also feature Bembol Rockers (Philippines), Anthony Dassan Yen Party Band (South India),  Orkes Soesah Tideor (Indonesia), Foxy Girls (Indonesia), Boy Thai Band (Thailand), Tritha (North India) and Fakhrul Razi (Brunei).

There will also be bands and singers from Malaysia and among them are Melissa Francis, Starlet Band, The Mountain Wind Band, Hevance Band and Sarawak very own Bob from the famous Malaysian TV program, Akademi Fantasia.

The tickets for the festival are now available from Sarawak Tourism Board’s offices or at its Visitor’s Information Centres in Kuching (+6082-410944), Sibu (+6084-340980) and Miri (+6085-434180). 

For enquiries, contact Sarawak Tourism Board at leisure@sarawaktourism.com or +6082-239171 or log on to www.asiamusicfestival.net and www.facebook.com/VisitSarawak for more updates.

Tickets are priced at RM30 per day for adult and RM15 per day for children or students aged between 3 and 18 years. Those below 3 years would be allowed in without charge.

Some of you might know that month (September), the first ever Asia Music Festival will be held in Miri. The inaugural Asia Music Festival (AMF) will be held on the 4th and 5th October 2013 at Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club in Miri. It has been an arduous task for the organiser, Sarawak Tourism Board to select bands for this inaugural festival due to the tremendous interest expressed in this first ever Music Festival featuring only Asian bands. I am once again, honored to be given the task to cover this event under Sarawak Bloggers.

One of the bands expected to attract attention is Anthony Dassan Yen Party. Originating from Reddypalayam, a small town in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, Anthony Daasan is a real folk artist. He is not just a singer for the group but also dances on stage, acts, juggle, does acrobatics and even plays a few instruments. He has his own style and wherever he performs, be it in international festivals all over the world or in villages, his unique style draws people to him.

Anthony travels and performs with his Band "Anthony in Party". The performances in their song and dance, which incorporates the Folk music of Tamil Nadu conjures images of the flowing Vaigai and Poigai rivers and of rich rice harvests brought into the granaries in carts.

Anthony usually sporting his characteristic bandana and urumi (a traditional double headed folk drum from Tamil Nadu) on a sling will always prove that he is the man of the show with his dance-music performance, cheeky onstage banter and infallible energy.

To enhance the music at the upcoming Asia Music Festival (AMF), Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will showcase an award winning Indonesian band, the FOXY GIRLS. FOXY GIRLS is a vocal group that performs a unique genre, R&B Pop Malay and members comprise 3 beauties.

Foxy Girls band started off as a group of 4 girls or rather models who were trained as singers. However, the current members of the band have evolved and are now represented by Jessie, Moza and Jeje. The band has often performed in many events like product or hotel launches as well as events produced by private television stations.

The band have also won many awards namely the AMI Awards 2012 in the category of Best Group, Best Dance Production Work and Best R&B production work.

If you were a huge fan of Elvis, the Rat Pack, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk and Plas Johnson or if you want to try something new, then check out the Bembol Rockers at Asia Music Festival (AMF) held at 4th and 5th October at Miri, Sarawak.

This band from Philippines formed since the Summer of 2006 consisting of Marc Liwanag on guitar and vocals, Lakshmi Kirtan das Ramirez on upright bass and vocals, Archimedes Archie Lacorte on tenor and alto sax, and Steven Hamilton Vasquez Mora on drum.

The music that they create, that is what making them so special. A lot of other bands tried to do jazz or rockabilly, but no one tried to combine these two types of music and that is exactly what Bambol Rockers do. A lot of music that they are playing are originals. They use the superiority of sound of their kundiman-rockabilly mish-mash and adds a element of Filipino pride.

But their main goal is to go back to the classics they all love and recover a new appreciation for it in light of today’s world. Their intention is to influence the younger generation to take a look at the past and see where their music comes from, to create a renewed interest in the Golden Fifties. Not just for the music, but the lifestyle, the dancing and the vintage attire, as well. They also want to make their mark on the Original Pilipino Music scene and help raise its level of artistry. They want to be remembered for music that is positive and fun.

Boy Thai Band developed a modernized Thai sound, by mixing western rhythms with the sounds of classical Thai music. Their music showcases Thai instruments such as the Thai xylophone (ranad), flute and Thai percussion but played with a very upbeat manner, fusing influences ranging from samba, bossanova and modern jazz. Within a very short period of time, this group of young musicians with different backgrounds succeeded in changing the common perception that traditional Thai music was conservative, boring and outdated. Their music became a sensation with younger Thais and praised by critics, who remarked that Boy Thai music “was the most innovative thing to have hit the Thai music scene.”

They have performed at many international music events in Japan, Italy, U.S.A., China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. One of Boy Thai’s original members, Sekpol Unsamran (aka Koh Mr.Saxman) has become one of Thailand’s most accomplished artistes and performed at the Borneo Jazz in Miri in 2012 and was a big hit with the crowds.

The band is made up of 6 talented musicians, Saranyu Suwannasoonthon (Saxophone), Paron Yuenyong (Ranad–Thai Xylophone), Pakee Navee (Bass), Ekkapong Saelim (Drums), Weerasak Hambubpaka (Keyboard) and Arnon Suttjaridjun (Thai Drums).

Melissa is involved in the music scene since she was 8 years old. She participated in the first singing contest in the Federal Territory of Labuan in 1994. She has won the second runner-up against several competitors. Melissa has attended to a basic workshop of drama, television, film and theater by FINAS and Saba-F production in Labuan Financial Park somewhere in 1997.

Melissa was also a singer in the group Hairee and Angelo. She was attached to the early establishment of this group in 2000, but after a while she stepped out of the group and became a solo artist in 2003. Since then, she continues to be a recording artist for a local record company. In August 2012, Melissa has set up her own company, which was called Platinum World Network Sdn. Bhd.

After 19 years of singing, Melissa received several awards for her dedicated work in this industry. Among the many achievement are the Best Female Singer (IBAN), Dayak Music Awards 2008, Winner of the Most Popular Songs SMS voting (Mutus Ati), Rhythm Champion Award Ruai, Cats FM 2012; Best Female Singer, Dayak Music Awards (DAMA) year 2012.

Melissa is scheduled to perform on stage at Asia Music Festival on the second day of the festival, Saturday 5th October at 5pm.

There will also be bands and singers from Malaysia and among them are Starlet Band, The Mountain Wind Band, Hevance Band and Sarawak very own Bob from the famous Malaysian TV program, Akademi Fantasia.Besides the music, there will be fringe events like the Big Bikers Charity Event, Tattoo exhibition and many more. It is set to be a weekend of fun, so don’t miss the excitement.

Join the upcoming Asia Music Festival. The tickets for the festival, priced at RM30 per day for adult and RM15 per day for children or students aged between 3 and 18 years are now available from Sarawak Tourism Board’s offices or at its Visitor’s Information Centres in Kuching (+6082-410944), Sibu (+6084-340980) and Miri (+6085-434180). 

For enquiries, contact Sarawak Tourism Board at leisure@sarawaktourism.com or +6082-239171 or log on to www.asiamusicfestival.net and www.facebook.com/VisitSarawak for more updates.