KUCHING, August 23: Indonesian stars Aditya, Tompi and Tulus are among a group of top performers who will light up the 2nd Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival (KWJF) this Sept 28-29 at Grand Margherita Hotel.
Aditya is an R&B crooner who is well-known for hits such as ‘Be Mine’, ‘Tak Ingin’, ‘Hingga Akhir Waktu’, ‘Juwita’ and ‘Go Away’. He is no stranger to the international stage, having performed at the Melbourne Convention Centre in Australia and at prestigious events in Indonesia, such as the International Java Jazz Festival and Soulnation Festival.
With two studio albums, ‘BE M1NE’ and ‘I’M YOURS’, under his belt, Aditya has also performed in private events for the Brunei royal family. Citing R&B as his music roots and pop music as his soul, Aditya is well known for his unique shows, combining pop, R&B and electronics through his music.
“The best of me is still yet to come. My dream is to be the top male artist in Indonesia as well as reaching a wider international audience,” Aditya commented on the upcoming festival here.
Born and raised in a town of Lhokseumawe in Aceh, Teuku Adifitrian, or widely known as Tompi, is more than a multi-talented jazz, funk and soul singer. He is also a medical doctor specialising in plastic surgery in his own aesthetic clinic.
Tompi is also a music video director, photographer and creative director for his own music projects and other Indonesian musicians. He has an album called ‘My Happy Life’, which was dedicated to his son Teuku Omar Dakari.
His album ‘T’ brought him a nomination in Anugerah Musik Indonesia Awards 2006 under the Best R&B Production category.
Meanwhile, Tulus, an Indonesian singer from Bandung, has a strong passion in pop jazz. He is known for bringing a side of jazz that is easy listening and targeting a wider segment of music listeners.
His chart-topping single ‘Sewindu’ from 2011 remains a crowd favourite every time he performs.
“The word ‘Tulus’ means sincere in English, so that is my aim when creating music, the kind of music that’s sincere and also friendly to everyone’s ears,” he said.
The two-day jazz music festival here will feature 14 acclaimed jazz musicians and bands from all over the region.
Among the star-studded line-up are multi-award winning Sarawakian songstress Dayang Nurfaizah, Ito and The Blues Gang (Malaysia), Atilia Haron (Malaysia), Aisyah Aziz (Singapore), Carmen Souza (Portugal) and The Natalie Gillispie Band (Australia).
“Apart from giving prominence to the scenic Kuching Waterfront, KWJF hopes to be a platform to inspire and nurture local music talents. Local band Sang Voyage, who recently won the KWJF Jazz Band Search, will be joining the line-up.
“This year’s show will also feature Tuku Kame, who will be serenading the crowd with their jazz infused with traditional sape, fulfilling our intention of paying homage to the sounds of Sarawak,” said festival creator and organiser Soedirman Aini, the general manager of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).
The event aims to attract over 4,000 festival goers.
For the full programme and line-up, visit www.kuchingwaterfrontjazz.com. Hotel packages and festival tickets can be purchased online at the website of SEDC hotel partners Grand Margherita Hotel and Riverside Majestic Hotel.
For further enquiries, contact event organiser Place Borneo Sdn Bhd at 082-555189 or email kuchingwaterfrontjazz@gmail.com. — DayakDaily
