Blues music festival in Langkawi next week

KUALA LUMPUR: Langkawi is set to host the largest blues festival in Malaysia at Pantai Chenang over three days from Dec 29.

The Langkawi International Blues Roots Aseana (LIBRA) Music Festival will see performances by the Blues Gang, Sons of Adam, Trigger Finger Trio, Purple Haze, Lukarts and Public Voice, which will be among the more than 20 bands to perform.

Ito Mohamad of the Blues Gang said there would also be performances by international bands and young Malaysians, which he hoped would further promote the blues music genre to the people, especially the young.

The festival was also a platform for all blues singers and bands to showcase performances that propagated family ties and unity among Malaysians, he told Bernama here yesterday.

He said the festival would have the chemistry of the “old and new generation of blues”, whereby young blues bands would also be performing at the festival to share their new set of blues music.

“It’s a dream come true. I have long been keen to organise an international festival in highlighting the music of the blues genre since the 1980s.

“Definitely, this festival will deliver something fresh to all,” he said.

The festival will include pocket shows, music clinics, the arts and a 2018 countdown.

Ito said the festival was being organised in collaboration with the Langkawi Development Authority.

He said he hoped that more than 5,000 people would attend it. — Bernama