Festival daze
you can always count on the Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore to keep the flame alive for diversity and curiosity.
IN a crowded festival scene in Singapore, the Mosaic Music Festival at the Esplanade still stands out with its diversity factor and adventurous programming.
Coinciding with the Esplanade venue’s 10th anniversary celebrations, the upcoming Mosaic Music Festival, which runs from March 9 to 18, will offer a wide array of performers from 1980s synth-pop legends OMD, American jazz siren Stacey Kent, English indie rock outfit Elbow, one-man experimental orchestra Tyondai Braxton, flamenco guitar virtuoso Vicente Amigo, roots outfit John Butler Trio and for Latin music of a different flavour, Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band.
Adopting the theme of “Peace” this year, the festival also raises the bar by bringing together international acts and local performers from both sides of the causeway for a one-night only performance Imagine: A Soundtrack To Peace on March 10. Malaysian indie darling Yuna will share the stage with rocker Ramli Sarip, folk singer Art Fazil, Singaporean singersongwriter Jon Chan, Brazilian outfit Bossarenova Trio, the precocious Spanish songbird Russian Red and others.
The 10-day festival will showcase performances all around the Esplanade in Singapore, the headliners taking centre stage in the concert and the theatre halls while the must-dance-to acts will be housed in the Mosaic Club.
For those looking for more beyond the ticketed shows (18 concerts), there will also be workshops and free performances at the Esplanade’s outdoor theatre and concourse.
Leading the charge of highly anticipated acts is English synthpop outfit OMD, with founding members Andy Mccluskey and Paul Humphreys back at the helm. The band plays at the Theatre venue at Esplanade on March 10.
Mercury Music Prize-winning British rockers Elbow is a name to check out on March 18. Frontman Guy Garvey may have mellowed since the band’s break-out fourth studio album, The Seldom Seen Kid, but his mournful crooning will effortlessly tug at heart strings through its latest album Build A Rocket Boys!.
The indie crowd will be spoilt for choice with musicians from across the spectrum from Australian favourites Architecture in Helsinki (March 9), folk-pop darling Russian Red (March 11), to the dark cynicism of Los Campesinos! (March 17).
Jazz enthusiasts, too, will not be disappointed with the variety of acts taking part in the festival.
Stacey Kent is a notable highlight with her Blue Note background while Japanese big band No Name Horses led by pianist Makoto Ozone, make a comeback after two sold-out shows during last year’s fest. Philadelphia-raised drummer Ari Hoenig, who’ll be leading his own international quartet made up of Brooklyn-based guitarist Gilad Hekselman, Australian saxophonist Jamie Oehlers and Britain’s Orlando Le Fleming on bass, is also the sort of act to turn newcomers into firm believers.
The magic of Mosaic, you ask? It’s all in the discovery of music.
Check www.mosaicmusicfestival. com for the full concert and programme listing for the Mosaic Music Festival.