A-Mild Jak Jazz festival to present more ethnic music
A-Mild Jak Jazz festival to present more ethnic music
JAKARTA (JP): This year's A-Mild Jak Jazz music festival will give more space to groups performing ethnic music, festival organizers have announced.
Ireng Maulana, chairman and founder of the festival, told reporters on Monday that the incorporation of ethnic music is expected to bring more color to the festival.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, chairman of the national committee for Indonesia's golden anniversary and chief advisor of the festival, also spoke at the press conference.
This year's festival, called Red-White Jak Jazz, will present 44 groups, 30 of which come from Indonesia.
The committee will build eight stages, including four ethnic stages decorated in Asmat, Betawi, Minang and Batak styles.
The festival will be held at Sebayan's Plaza Timur from Dec. 7 to 10.
All performances take place between 6.30 p.m. and 2 a.m., except for the opening day, Thursday, when performances will begin at 8 a.m. after an opening party.
Among the foreign musicians taking part in the musical event are American guitarist Earl Klugh; the Jimsaku Group from Japan, including Akira Jimbo and Tetsuo Sakurai; Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval from Cuba; Jazz singer Carol Kidd from Britain; the American pop-jazz group Surface, who are popular here with their hit Shower Me With Your Love; Igor Brill and the New Generation from Russia; the Drei vom Rhein trio from Germany; French trumpeter Antoine Illouz; the Nippi and Shana Noya percussion duo from the Netherlands; the Benko Dixieland Band from Budapest; Harmonica player Bruno DiFilippi from Italy; the Jeremy Monteiro trio from Singapore; the Sandy Evans trio from Australia; American guitarist O'Donel Levy; jazz violinist Luluk Purwanto and her husband Rene van Helsdingen from the Netherlands.
Indonesian musicians performing include Bubby Chen, Embong Raharjo, Elfa's Big Band, Ireng Maulana's All Stars; the Jeffry Tahalele trio; the Kiboud Maulana blues band; the Pattiselano band; the Benny Likumahuwa band; Joko and Victor Rompas; Didi Chia; the P.I.G. band; Tan Deseng and others.
The festival will also feature contemporary musicians Harry Roesli, Ben M. Pasaribu, Inisisri, Jadug Ferianto, I Wayan Sadra, all of whom are known for their various brands of ethnic music.
Different from the past, this year's festivals will also conduct jazz workshops from Dec. 4 to 6, from 1 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., at Jamz pub.
The free-of-charge workshops will talk about "How to Practice Jazz", "How to Develop and Create Your Own Style" and "Improvisation Techniques and Ideas".
Speakers at the workshop will include Igor Brill, Prof. Benko (of the Benko Dixieland Band), Nippy Noya, Jeremy Monteiro, Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Arturo Sandoval with moderators Benny Likumahuwa, Candra Darusman and Bill Saragih.
The Jak Jazz festival was first held in 1988 in Ancol, the second 1991 (also in Ancol), the third in 1993 in Senayan and the fourth in 1994 (also in Senayan0.
The festivals have generally drawn crowds of between 20,000 to 32,000 people. (jsk)