Delgres to sing the blues at Borneo Jazz

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KUCHING: Blues trio Delgres from Guadeloupe and France will be performing their brand of music at Borneo Jazz on May 12 to 13 at ParkCity Everly in 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 delved into the painful but meaningful history behind the conception of the 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 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, the band melds a

to the public singular blues experience of two lands sharing a common denominator, using music to lament injustice while advocating freedom.

Through his music, Pascal seeks to fight oppression in the way the founders of blues did, channeeling 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 lays down the beat on 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.

It also includes night performances with sitting

and dancing areas and a wide lawn for night picnics surrounded by arts, crafts and food stalls.

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

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