Idang Rasjidi to perform at Borneo Jazz Festival

KUCHING: Indonesian jazz icon Idang Rasjidi and the Idang Rasjidi Syndicate will perform at the Borneo Jazz Festival on May 12-13 at ParkCity Everly, Miri.

A press release yesterday said Idang’s music promotes a message of unity in diversity, where the different types of seemingly polarised rhythms, melodies and instruments blend together to create harmony from what should have been chaos.

“Jazz is a barometer of freedom. For me, liberty is in jazz music,” Idang said at the Prambanan Heritage Jazz Festival in October.

Beginning as a bassist, he later taught himself to play the piano and became one of the most well-known jazz pianists in Indonesia.

He’s also known for his realistic vocalisations imitating trumpets, trombones and percussions.

Idang has released five studio albums, with his fi rst in 1996 called ‘Heaven and Earth’.

In 2008, he released ‘Sound of Hope’ (2008) and the following year ‘Sound of Truth’, both of which promote his message of positivity and peace.

His performance at the Borneo Jazz Festival will take place on May 13.

Other international performers include bands from Japan, Canada, Netherlands, South Africa, Italy, United States, and Taiwan.

Presale festival tickets are now available at www.jazzborneo. com.

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