Jazz festival a resounding success

MIRI: The just concluded Miri International Jazz Festival 2007, which was held for two nights here from Friday, at the Pavilion of ParkCity Everly Hotel is a resounding success.

The organising chairman, Michael Lu, yesterday said 4,560 tickets were sold, more than their target of 4,000 and double the number sold during the inaugural festival last year.

He thanked everyone for the commitment and cooperation, adding that the two-day festival was held in a very peaceful and orderly manner.

He said everyone seemed to be very happy and had enjoyed themselves to the fullest with music and songs provided by eight renowned jazz groups from 11 countries.

They were David and Junji Gomez from Malaysia and Philippines, KCP4 (India/Germany), The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (New Orleans), Lluis Coloma (Spain), Orak NAA Naa (Morocco/Germany), George WashingMachine Quartet (Australia/UK/France), Habana Sax (Cuba) and SON2NOS (UK/Philippines).

Lluis Coloma, the Spanish sensation at the boogie-woogie piano was here for the second time. Equally thrilling was the eight-member Dirty Dozen who played sousaphone, trumpets, saxophones, trombone, flugelhorn, drums and guitar. They had to perform until the wee hours of the morning, well beyond the scheduled time of 12.15am at the request of the audience on the last night Saturday.

Among those in the audience during the first night were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Dr George Chan, Minister for Urban Development and Tourism Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and chief executive officer of Sarawak Tourism Board Gracie Giekie.

Lu added that in keeping with tradition, one band from among the eight, the audience favourite, would return to perform at next year’s festival scheduled on May 9 and 10.

The festival, among other things, is used to promote jazz and also as part of efforts by the authority to promote Miri City as one of the premier tourist destinations in the region.

Written By:
Anthony Joseph
The Borneo Post
14th May 2007