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Fans want Sheila Majid in future Borneo Jazz (TheBorneoPost)

MIRI: Jazz fans are keeping their fingers crossed that Malaysian jazz queen Sheila Majid will be one of the performers at the Borneo Jazz next year, saying that would be the best gift to jazz music lovers in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the festival.

Held at ParkCity Everly Hotel here, the festival is an annual event organised by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) as part of the month-long May Fest to celebrate City Day.

“A-list performers like Sheila Majid would be the attraction to music lovers to go to the festival. Sheila has a big fan base not only in the country but also in the region particularly in Brunei and Indonesia. Sheila would be the attraction not only for jazz music lovers but also music fans of other genre,” one of the festival-goers said.

The engineer attached to an oil and gas company hoped that the organisers would consider inviting at least one or two A-list performers for future festivals otherwise they would feel disappointed and discouraged.

“A-list or top performers would help to increase the number of festival goers,” he added.

“Currently, it is a gamble for most festival-goers as performers are relatively unknown in the music scene in the region. They might be well known performers in their home countries but not here or in the region. At least there should be one or two top or A-list jazz singers like Sheila among others from the region at the festival,” he stressed.

With or without A-list performers, diehard jazz music lovers still flocked to the festival on May 9 and 10, which was rated a success with good turn-up during both nights.

They were entertained to performances by eight jazz groups; namely YK Samarinda from Indonesia, Vocal Sampling (Cuba), Brassballett (Germany), Anthony Strong (United Kingdom), Irao (Georgia) and Mario Canonge (Martinique) including two home-grown jazz performers JuncOFunc from Kuala Lumpur and Beijing-based jazz singer Diana Liu from Kuching.

Diana, who has made it big in Beijing, China, was the opening act for the festival on Friday.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/05/16/fans-want-sheila-majid-in-future-borneo-jazz/#ixzz347erX1Zk