ONE of Southeast Asia’s longest running international jazz festivals, Borneo Jazz (BJ) festival is back, bringing musicians of diverse cultural backgrounds together to celebrate jazz music and empower the local community.
Themed ‘Jazz in The Jungle’, the BJ festival will be held on June 24 to 26, 2022 in a hybrid format to reach out to the greater jazz-loving community worldwide.
The physical three-day concert will take place at Coco Cabana, Miri while viewers will also be able to livestream one-hour blocks of their performances from home.
With musical content curated by No Black Tie Presents, Malaysia’s foremost jazz promoter, music lovers can expect a spectacular mix of jazz and hip-hop, tribal vibes, world beats and electro-jazz grooves during the 17th edition of the BJ festival.
Moreover, an eclectic mix of jazz musicians, rappers and DJs from the US, Hungary, Singapore, France, Malaysia and other countries will light up the BJ stage to celebrate cultural diversity, tradition, and innovation.
Sarawak arts council’s band Sarawak Symphony Orchestra (SONS) will also perform on the BJ stage for the first time as part of a continuing collaboration with Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) to elevate Sarawak’s local music scene.
“This year’s BJ is about rejuvenating the jazz scene while being surrounded by the wonders of nature that are in abundance in Miri,” commented Sarawak’s Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
“As we all know, artists and musicians have all been affected by the lockdowns, the BJ festival serves as the perfect platform to rejuvenate, rediscover, rekindle and rebuild the jazz connection that was interrupted for the past two years.”
For the record, the three-day BJ virtual experience 2021 garnered 244,637 online viewers from 43 countries.
“Last year, the festival reached a broader audience given the virtual format, and we hope to continue this traction once again this year,” noted the Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor. “Our goal is to provide our Sarawakian artists with an even bigger platform for their artistry to be recognised around the world.”
Jazz music fans can begin purchasing BJ tickets at the jazzborneo.com website tomorrow (April 22). For the general public, a one-day pass costs RM128 per ticket, a two-day pass (RM228) while a three-day pass (RM338).
However, students and senior citizens will only need to pay RM88 per ticket for a one-day pass, two-day (RM128) and three-day (RM188). As for those who want to enjoy BJ virtually, tickets are priced at RM25 per one-hour block. – April 21, 2022
