KWJF to be staged annually — Abdul Karim
We have the Jazz Borneo festival which is held in May in Miri and now the KWJF in Kuching. Maybe after this we can identify whether the KWJF should be held in September or October for next year’s festival.
KUCHING: The Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival ( KWJF) is set to become an annual event in the state starting this year.
This was revealed by Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who pointed out that Sarawak will now boast two jazz music festivals in a year, in Miri (Jazz Borneo) and Kuching.
“We have the Jazz Borneo festival which is held in May in Miri and now the KWJF in Kuching. Maybe after this we can identify whether the KWJF should be held in September or October for next year’s festival,” he told a press conference at his office in the Baitulmakmur Complex here yesterday.
Also present were Sarawak Economic Development Corporation ( SEDC) general
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister
manager Soedirman Aini, Grand Margherita Hotel general manager Mok Pin Chuan, KWJF programme advisor Gracie Geikie and SEDC Commercial Sector deputy general manager- cum-Tourism and Leisure Division and Corporate Relations and Communications Division director Edwin Abit.
The inaugural KWJF will be held at Kuching Waterfront near Grand Margherita Hotel on Sept 29 and 30.
According to Abdul Karim, the festival will feature local and international artistes and bands in the likes of Malaysian songstress Sheila Majid, Ernie Watts ( USA), Jeremy Monteiro ( Singapore), Kunto Aji, Abdul & The Coffee Theory, Balawan Magic Fingers (Indonesia), Mellow Motif (Thailand), and Shanghai Sisters ( Malaysia).
Festival organisers will also be sponsoring three non-governmental organisations ( NGO) namely the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), Heart Treasures and Ten Ringgit Club with KWJF booths to help create awareness and support of the respective charity’s mission and objectives.
“The festival also hopes to serve as a platform to inspire and nurture local music talents and at the same time raise awareness among tourists, particularly jazz music lovers, about Kuching,” Abdul Karim said.
Tickets to KWJF may be purchased at Grand Margherita Hotel, Riverside Majestic Hotel and Place Borneo Sdn Bhd.
For further enquiries, please call 082- 555189 or email info@ placeborneo.com.