Borneo Jazz Festival expected to attract over 8,000 visitors

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MIRI: The 10th Borneo Jazz Festival that promises the best ever performers’ line-up to be held at ParkCityEverly Hotel Miri on May 8 and 9, is expected to attract over 8,000 jazz lovers including from overseas.

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) director – Events and Corporate Relations, Angelina Patricia Bateman said sales of tickets were very encouraging and she expected many will turn up for the actual performing nights on Friday and Saturday.

“We are bringing back the top 10 bands who are the favourites since 2006. We have aggressively promoted the festival, and for the first time this year, STB is collaborating with Johor Tourism to showcase all related events with elements of tourism tossed in,” she told reporters yesterday.

Also present were general manager of ParkCity Everly Hotel Andrew Peter Law, and STB’s communication manager Barbara Benjamin Atan, and her assistant Kevin Nila Nangan.

Angelina said Sarawak’s very own jazz performer ‘Shafiee Obe and All The Best’ will be the first to perform on Friday night.

Following it, will be Lluis Caloma from Spain, The Nylons’ (Canada) and ‘Jump 4 Joy’ of Sweden.

On Saturday night the bands performing will be ‘The Doodaddis’ (Australia), ‘ Anthony Strong from United Kingdom, Mo’ Blow (Germany), and ‘Dirty Dozen Brass Band’ from New Orleans (USA)

“At the end of each performing night, we will continue with a jamming session. The overwhelming response to this session last year had been very encouraging. It will be at the ‘Ruai’ of the hotel to enable interaction of visitors and performers,” she said.

Before the actual jazz performances start on Friday and Saturday, the brass bands of Chung Hua and Riam will render their shows respectively.

People who cannot attend the festival can have a chance to see Nylons on May 7 (6pm) at a preview show to be held at the new wing of Bintang MegaMall Miri.

At the festival site, STB has set up a ‘walk down memory lane’ for visitors to view pictures of the bands that performed there for the last 10 years.

Twenty stalls will be set up selling food, drinks, crafts, souvenir items, and festival memorabilia such as performers’ CDs, and T-shirts.

A greening tree-planting event is scheduled this morning at the newly established Piasau Nature Reserve.

Some 150 people comprising officials from STB, Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Sarawak Shell Berhad, local agencies, and volunteers from non-governmental organisations, universities, and the media will take part in the programme.

Meanwhile, pre-sale tickets for the Festival priced at RM95 for an adult two-day entrance, RM50 for a single entrance and a family package of two adults and two children at RM100 are still on sale today (May 7).

Festival door sale tickets at RM130 for an adult two-day entrance, RM70 for a single entrance and a family package of two adults and two children at RM150 are available at the festival venue from 4pm onwards on Friday and Saturday.