[image]
[title]For two days Publika will play host to Malaysia’s largest jazz festival with 20 acts and 150 musicians performing in three venues – The Square, Black Box, The Bee and The Social. Publika Jazz 2019 has a great line-up of local and international musicians and singers covering all aspects of the genre from ethnic instruments and experimental music to jazz guitar and original compositions by up-and-coming musicians. And, it’s free!
Who to look out for
The Aseana Percussion Unit is no stranger to jazz fans and are known for their melding of traditional instruments and contemporary sounds. These musicians play more than three or four instruments from the Malay kompang to the Indian tabla and African djembe.
Rodrigo Parejo is an experimental jazz musician from Spain and is known for performing a broad range of styles including folk, flamenco and of course, jazz. He will be playing with a quartet of talented Malaysian musicians to bring you a repertoire of original compositions.
An exciting addition to the festival is Big Band Story - a large jazz ensemble based in KL who play big band music, swing, folk Malay jazz and melancholic jazz. Band members have been playing since high school and many of them are now professional musicians.
Colombian Martin Reyes has performed all over the world and worked with some of the most famous bands in South America. He is a popular fixture at international salsa festivals and promises to bring great Latin vibes to the stage.
Fans of regional jazz bands will be happy to know that Indonesia’s Parkdrive will be performing their unique sound combining pop, R&B, soul, funk, Brazilian rhythms and jazz. Another Indonesian act, R.I.M.A, will also be in attendance and are known for their funk and dance tunes.
There are many more cool acts to watch so be sure to check who’s performing where and when.
Publika Jazz 2019 starts Aug 23 (Friday) at 7pm till Aug 24 (Saturday) at 11.30pm. Admission is free. For more information on venues and performance schedules, visit Publika’s Facebook.