LOCAL BAND: Didit Dinai, a local band, to showcase at the festival.
KUCHING: After a three-year hiatus, the Penang World Music Festival (PWMF) is coming back- bigger and better than before.
Music lovers will be in for a treat as the band line-up is a potpourri of well-known international and local musicians coming together to serenade them with rousing world beat that will keep them dancing amid the resounding rhythms of nature.
With music genre ranging from soulful to salsa and reggae, the upcoming PWMF 2012 is an event not to be missed.
Organised by Penang’s State Tourism Development and Culture Office, PWMF 2012 promises to be an exciting event to look out for this year.
The tourism office has appointed UCSI Communications Sdn Bhd (UComms) as the event management consultant to ensure the smooth running of the festival.
To be staged at the picturesque Quarry Recreational Park, Botanic Gardens, from March 30 to April 1, the upcoming festival will feature musicians from all corners of the world from places like Africa, Australia, Philippines, Colombia, South Korea, Russia, Mongolia and Bali.
Together with the local Malaysian bands, they will orchestrate a world beat that will rock the Pearl of the Orient.
Among the 18 bands that will be showcased at the festival include Maite Hontele from Colombia, Kalja Riddim Klan (Vanuatu), Gus Teja World Music (Bali), Beoga (Ireland), Tori Ensemble (South Korea) and Wild Marmalade (Australia).
They will be joined by Malaysia’s own bands with the like of Aseana Percussion Unit, Didit Dinai, Penang Dhol Blasters, Kumpulan Minang Moh and Geng Wak Long.
The beautiful landscape garden at the Botanic Gardens will provide the magical backdrop to the open air festival which will start from 2pm with a musical workshop.
Other programmes include the Kidzworld workshop which will be from 5pm to 6pm and a night concert which will commence from 7pm.
There will also be a festival bazaar offering a wide selection of food and beverages, souvenir items, handicrafts and the performers’ CDs.
Tickets to the festival are now available online at www.ticketxpress.com.my, priced at RM90 per day for adults and RM45 per day for a child between five and 12 years old.
Three-day tickets are also available priced at RM220 each for adults and RM120 each for children.
Tickets are also sold at all Discovery Overland Holidays offices (+60-13-3398113) and Penang Tourism Development and Culture Office (+60-16- 4110000).
Hard Rock Hotel Penang is the official hotel for the festival and the international-chain hotel will house all the musicians and invited media during the festival.
The festival is also supported by Virtual Malaysia, KDU College, Penang Campus and Straits Quay.
A preview show will be held at Hard Rock Hotel on March 28 and another at Straits Quay on March 29.