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Malaysia Travel Guide

Sarawak’s Star Violinist Nisa Addina At Borneo Jazz

Sarawak’s Star Violinist Nisa Addina At Borneo Jazz

April 27, 2017

KUCHING, Wednesday –Sarawak-born award winning violinist Nisa Addina and her band Fluoroscent Collective will share the Borneo Jazz stage with renowned international artistes including Japan’s Osaka Monaurail and Canada’s Laila Biali, this May 12 to 13 at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

Making headlines at the young age of 14, Nisa won three gold awards at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood in 2011 and the Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) 29 in 2015. She has since gone on to study at Berklee College in the United States, where she joined Fluoroscent Collective in 2015, a band of Berklee students founded by Boston-based Malaysian pianist and recording artist, JennHwan Wong, known as Jenn-the-Redman.

Nisa has been busy performing since 2011, taking stage at events like the Johor International Music Festival in 2012, the launching of the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards and the Launch of Malaysia’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2013, as well as the Global Summit of Women in Kuala Lumpur in 2013 and again in France in 2014, as well as the Opening Closing of SUKMA 2016 in Kuching.

Nisa has even played for a president, having performed for the Official visit of President of China to Malaysia at Seri Perdana in 2013 and launched her first album “Yakina” in 2014, at 17 years old, and her second album “Tan Sri P. Ramlee” in 2015.

While Nisa’s journey hasn’t been easy, it has certainly been rewarding, and she has taken inspiration from different mentors who have taught her along the way, including her piano teacher who inspired her to take up violin at the age of 7, her parents and her peers who are like-minded in their passion for music.

“Since entering college and meeting many more people around my age doing the same thing as me, I find myself discovering different worlds of music that I didn’t delve into in my school days. It’s so beautiful. I wish to share that,” she said during an interview with Sarawak Tourism, explaining her passion for music, a passion she wishes to share. “It’s not just a form of entertainment, for me, it shares peace and love.”

Considering Nisa’s accomplishments before she has even graduated from Berklee, her life story has become an inspiration to local musicians in Sarawak and the rest of Malaysia.

As Nisa inspires them, she also continues to encourage them, urging them that “Sarawak needs you”. Nisa has urged people to support local artistes and musicians, “They are better than you think. My message is to tell everyone that art is not useless.”

Fluoroscent Collective will be performing a mix of genres from Rock to RB, pop to Blues, taking nice melodies and melding them with catchy, odd-time grooves to make their own unique repertoire. Every member contributes to their original compositions, whether individually written or drawn up as a group effort.

They’ve recently released a Live HD Cover Video of Miles Okazaki’s composition “Spiral,” and their originals include Point 7, Orange Line in Jackson and Sunny will be performed at Borneo Jazz.

Bands from Netherlands, Guadeloupe, Japan, South Africa, Italy, USA, Taiwan and countries from around the world will be performing at the Festival.

The Festival will be expanding its musical outreach programme, where aspiring musicians can learn the basics of Jazz Keyboard from professional musicians, by introducing additional classes for percussions and more.

The Festival includes night performances with sitting and dancing areas and a wide lawn for night picnics surrounded by arts, crafts and food stalls.

Festival tickets are available now and more information can be found at www.jazzborneo.com.

Borneo Jazz is organised by Sarawak Tourism, endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and is jointly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Sarawak and partnering with Malaysia Airlines as the presenting sponsor.

BJ2017 Flourescent Collective

Image shows band members of Fluoroscent Collective, with Nisa at second from left and Jenn-the-Redman fourth from left.

BJ2017 Nisa Addina

Image shows Nisa Addina’s Album Art for the album Tan Sri P. Ramlee (2015).

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700
E: [email protected]

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Freedom To Be Blue: DELGRES In Borneo Jazz

Freedom To Be Blue: DELGRES In Borneo Jazz

April 17, 2017

KUCHING, Saturday – The three-man band Delgres from Guadeloupe and France will be performing their Blues at Borneo Jazz on May 12 to 13 at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

A child of Caribbean heritage born and raised in France, Pascal Danae discovered his love of Blues in his ancestral home of Guadeloupe, and in the painful but meaningful history behind the conception of the Blues genre.

Originating in Louisiana, United States during a turbulent time of post-slavery racism, the creation of Blues was a response from the descendants of African slaves and Afro-Caribbean exiles to their daily hardships, as well as their protest against discrimination.

The namesake of the band ‘Delgres’ is Louis Delgres, a Guadeloupian hero who fought against the re-establishment of slavery in 1802.

By mixing Guadeloupian beats and tunes with old Louisiana Blues, a connection has been made over oceans, creating a singular Blues experience of two lands sharing a common denominator, which is using music to lament injustice while rejoicing and advocating freedom.

Through his music, Pascal Danae seeks to fight oppression in the way that founders of Blues did, channelling the voices of his ancestors through a melancholic Dobro guitar accompanied by sousaphone and percussions, painting a picture in a time when hopelessness and hope came together.

Pascal performs the Dobro guitar, while Raphaël Gouthiere plays the New Orleans sousaphone and Baptiste Brondy mans the drums.

This year marks the 12th edition of the festival and will feature international acts like Delgres from Guadeloupe/France, Laila Biali from Canada and Osaka Monaurail from Japan, along with local legends such as Fluoroscent Collective featuring local violinist Nisa Addina and Michael Simon’s Asian Connection, featuring legendary pianist Michael Veerapen.

The Festival will be expanding its musical outreach programme, where aspiring musicians can learn the basics of Jazz Keyboard from professional musicians, by introducing additional classes for percussions.

The Festival includes night performances with sitting and dancing areas and a wide lawn for night picnics surrounded by arts, crafts and food stalls.
Additional information on the festival and festival tickets, visit www.jazzborneo.com.

Borneo Jazz is organised by Sarawak Tourism, endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and is jointly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Sarawak and partnering with Malaysia Airlines as the presenting sponsor.

BJ2017 Delgres

BJ2017 © Remy Solomon

BJ2017 ©Pierre Danae

Photo by ©Pierre Danae

BJ2017 delgres

Issued by:
Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700
E: [email protected]

About Sarawak Tourism

Introduction
Sarawak Tourism Board was incorporated under the Sarawak Tourism Board (Incorporation) Ordinance, dated 12 November 1994.

Objectives

  • To achieve its objectives of increasing tourist arrivals into the state.
  • To create awareness among the trade, media and public of the diversity of Sarawak in terms of tourism products, both on a regional and international basis.
  • To position Sarawak as a prime destination for culture, nature and adventure tourism in the above areas.
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Japan’s Osaka Monaurail In Borneo Jazz

Japan’s Osaka Monaurail In Borneo Jazz

April 6, 2017

KUCHING, Monday – Japanese Jazz veterans, Osaka Monaurail will be performing their ‘superheavy funk’ Jazz at Borneo Jazz in May 13 to 14 at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

From their humble beginnings in Osaka University in 1992, Osaka Monaurail has gone from a large band of over 20 musicians, to a 10 person Jazz machine, collaborating with soul/funk legend Marva Whitney, one of James Brown’s original Funky Divas, and producing two albums, three European tours and two Japanese tours before she passed away in 2012. They also collaborated with world- famous trombonist Fred Wesley in 2012.

After 20 years, the funkiest orchestra that Japan has to offer is still top of their game, with their sharp suits, dazzling display of brass twirls, and still bringing their “superheavy funk” to their audience.

Front man, Nakata, runs his Shout! Productions label and continues to play a major role in soul/funk in Japan. His company has been responsible for: reissuing a string of Soul/Funk albums and movies such as “Superfly” (1972), “Coffy” (1973), subtitling “Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song” (1971), “Badasssss” (2004) and “Soul Power” (2009); most recently releasing “Edification of Weldon Irvine” (1976) on DVD.

The group was named after the 1975 funk classic, “It’s The J.B.’s Monaurail” (misspelling intentional), and has kept the heavy James Brown-esque influence in their music over the years.

Signed to RD Records in 1999, OM released its first album entitled “What it is – What it was” in 2000, followed by nine albums: three more albums on RD Records; four albums on P-Vine Records (signed 2006-2009); and the latest “State Of The World” on King Records (2011–present). In Europe, the last three albums are available on Unique Records (Dusseldorf, Germany).

Osaka Monaurail is led by Ryo Nakata (vocals and keyboards), includes Kentaro Yamagata and Teihei Awaji (trumpets), Shimon Mukai (tenor saxophone); Dan Hayami Yuichi Ikeda (guitars), Dai Nakamura (bass), Soki Kimura (drums).

This year marks the 12th edition of the festival and will feature international acts like Delgres from Guadeloupe/France, Laila Biali from Canada and Osaka Monaurail from Japan, along with local legends such as Fluoroscent Collective featuring local violinist Nisa Addina and Michael Simon’s Asian Connection, featuring legendary pianist Michael Veerapen.

The Festival will be expanding its musical outreach programme, where aspiring musicians can learn the basics of Jazz Keyboard from professional musicians, by introducing additional classes for percussions.

The Festival includes night performances with sitting and dancing areas and a wide lawn for night picnics surrounded by arts, crafts and food stalls.

Additional information on the festival and festival tickets, visit www.jazzborneo.com.

Borneo Jazz is organised by Sarawak Tourism, endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and is jointly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Sarawak and partnering with Malaysia Airlines as the official sponsor.

OSAKA MONAURAIL - BJ2017

Issued by:

Communications Unit
SARAWAK TOURISM
T: +6 082-423600  F: +6 082-416700
E: [email protected]

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