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CABOCUBA JAZZ Coming To Borneo Jazz

CABOCUBA JAZZ Coming To Borneo Jazz

KUCHING, Thursday – CaboCuba Jazz is coming to the Borneo Jazz Festival this May 12 to 13, at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

Based in the Netherlands, these eight musicians originate from Venezuela, Cape Verde, Colombia, Spain, Puerto Rica and Cuba, led by powerhouse Dina Medina, who won the “Best Female Singer of Cape Verde” in 2012.

Their CD “Rikeza y Valor” was nominated in four categories for the Latin Grammy Awards and was nominated four times at the Cabo Verde Music Awards in 2012, while the band itself has been touring the world and performing in the Havana Jazz Festival in 2014 and an Israel tour in 2016.

Their name describes it all – a fast-paced mash of Cuban and Cape Verde melodies and dance rhythms, seasoned with plenty of on-stage improvisations.

CaboCuba Jazz will be joined by bands from 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.

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

Further information on tickets, outreach programmes and performers 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.

Photo credit to Eric Van Nieuwland

Photo by Eric Van Nieuwland

Photo credit to Eric Van Nieuwland

Photo by Eric Van Nieuwland

Issued by:

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

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Sarawak’s Star Violinist Nisa Addina At Borneo Jazz

Sarawak’s Star Violinist Nisa Addina At Borneo Jazz

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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Malaysia Travel Guide

MICHAEL VEERAPEN: ARTISTE, MENTOR, STUDENT

MICHAEL VEERAPEN: ARTISTE, MENTOR, STUDENT

KUCHING, Friday – Michael Veerapen, an acclaimed Malaysian Jazz musician, will be performing with the Michael Simon’s Asian Connection at the Borneo Jazz Festival on May 12 to 13, at ParkCity Everly in Miri.

Veerapen is well-known in the Malaysian Jazz scene since his time in funk-fusion band Asia Beat with Lewis Pragasam and has established his place as a Jazz pianist, producer, record studio head and mentor, now with a new title to his name: Student.

Despite his 60 years of age and incredible achievements in the Malaysian Jazz arena, Veerapen intends to pursue his master’s degree in Music at Universiti Sains Malaysia with a research paper focusing on local Jazz composers such as Alfonso Soliano, Tan Sri P. Ramlee and Jimmy Boyle.

Veerapen will also be leading one of the Borneo Jazz Festival’s Outreach Programmes, where the Festival performers provide tutorials and talks with young aspiring musicians. His slot entitled “I Want To Break Free! The art of improvising at the keyboards” takes place on Saturday, May 13 at 9.30 am to 11.00 am.

“On the one hand, there is a group that lacks basic knowledge such as reading notes. On the other is a group with a lot of knowledge but little understanding of what’s happening on the ground,” Veerapan said during an interview with The Star Newspaper earlier this year.

Veerapen’s message of lifelong learning is inspirational in its own right, made more so by his goal in bridging the gap between passionate self-taught musicians and musical scholars, starting with himself.

Bands from Japan, South Africa, Italy, USA, Netherlands, Canada, 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.

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

Pre-sale 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.       

MICHAEL SIMON - PubPhoto - Michael Veerapen

Issued by:

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

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The Borneo Jazz Festival Is Back

KUCHING – The Borneo Jazz Festival is back celebrating its 12th anniversary year from May 12 to 13 at ParkCity Everly in Miri.

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This year’s Festival features international Jazz names like Laila Biali from Canada, CaboCuba Jazz from the Netherlands and Delgres from Guadaloupe/France.

Laila was named the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Composer of the Year and Keyboardist of the Year at Canada’s National Jazz Awards, while her album ‘Tracing Light’ was nominated for a JUNO award in ‘Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year’ in 2011. Laila has since gone on to become an internationally acknowledged vocalist and pianist with words of praise from artists such as Sting who said “Laila is an exciting and unique talent, and I admire her greatly”.

CaboCuba Jazz has toured through various Jazz Festivals such as the Havana Jazz Festival in 2014 and Israel tour in 2016 and the lead singer Dina Medina was “Best Female Singer of Cape Verde 2012”. The band formed in the Netherlands but the members and their music is rooted in Cuba and Cape Verde melodies, creating a fast-paced subgenre that borders on adventurous.

Delgres from the Netherlands showcases traditional Blues with an afro-Caribbean accent from the days of Napoleon, which will take you from Louisiana to Guadeloupe and back.

Bands from 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.

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

BJ2017 ©Pierre Danae

Image shows Delgres band’s album art. Photo Credit: ©Pierre Danae

BJ2017 laila-biali

Image shows Laila Biali, Jazz Pianist and Vocalist from Canada

Photo credit to Eric Van Nieuwland

Image CaboCuba Jazz, from the Netherlands. Photo credit to Eric Van Nieuwland.

 

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