
Sarawak’s first ever Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival (KWJF) will be happening today on the 29th and 30th September this year at the Grand Margherita Hotel Kuching. The 2-day jazz music festival will feature a total of 17 acclaimed jazz musicians and bands from all over the region. Among them are Sheila Majid (Malaysia), Ernie Watts (USA), Jeremy Monteiro (Singapore), Kunto Aji (Indonesia) and Shanghai Sisters (Malaysia).
Guide for you if you are coming
- Rain or shine, this event is solely outdoors.
- There is however a marquee!
- It is a free standing event. Expect to sit on the ground and have fun! That being said, bring along some floor mats etc
- Always keep your coded wrist band intact
- Each wrist band is good for one person.
- Dress to the nines or better, dress for a night of fun and relaxation.
- Since it is outdoor, insect repellent would be a good idea
- Umbrella and rain coat in case it rains
- For ladies, forget your high heels. Wear comfy dance shoes instead
- Variety of food and drink counters available in a picnic atmosphere
- Information counter, First Aid Station and public toilets are available for your convenience
- Merchandise/CDs/Souvenirs are on sale. Don’t forget to get something for yourself.
- Be there early. There are usually long queues at the gate for tickets or access to the venue due to ticket verification and other security measures.
- Please do not bring non-permitted items (knives, sharp items) as they will be confiscated.
- No outside food & drinks and animals are allowed to be brought inside the venue.
Programme

You may want to park in the Grand Margherita Hotel, Riverside Majestic Hotel, or at Bukit Permata also known as TopSpot.
Limited car-parking facilities are available near the festival site. However, to avoid any inconvenience, you are encouraged to use UBER (check out our Facebook and Instagram for the code), our official ride partner
Performers

Sheila Majid, dubbed Malaysia’s Queen of Jazz, has been in the Malaysian and international jazz arena for more than 30 years. She first soared to success with her 1986 song ‘Sinaran’ and it is still an evergreen favourite to this day. She achieved international stardom when she won the prestigious Indonesia BASF Award for Best Female Artiste in R&B category in 1987, never before done by a non-Indonesian. Her success in Indonesia was followed up with a 1988 nationwide tour which received an overwhelming response. Sheila then went on to spread her wings to Japan with the release of her 1988 multi-platinum selling album ‘Warna’. Since then, she has performed in many cities around the world and has released several more award-winning albums including ‘Legenda’, ‘Ku Mohon’ and ‘Cinta Kita’. Her 2017 album entitled ‘Boneka’, is her first studio album after 13 years. Her music has broken all age and racial barriers and she has and always will be a household name in Malaysia.

Ernie Watts, dubbed one of the greatest living tenor saxophonists of all time, is an American jazz musician who is one of the most versatile and creative saxophone players in music. Starting at the age of 13, the two-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist has played jazz professionally for 50 years all over the globe. He has been featured on 500 recordings with different artistes and has even played on movie soundtracks for acclaimed hits such as Grease and The Color Purple. He has a total of 23 successful albums under his belt of which 8 were created under his own music label, Flying Dolphin Records. In 2014, he received the prestigious Frankfurt Music Prize given by the city of Frankfurt, Germany – an award given to classical and non-classical musicians and only 6 recipients have been jazz musicians. According to the Frankfurt Music Prize Foundation, Ernie was selected for his melodic saxophone style and original tone language that has enriched many generations of musicians. Other than performing with various bands all over the world, he also finds time to give back to music by conducting clinics and master classes for students and professionals. At this year’s Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival, Ernie will be playing with the Jeremy Monteiro Organ Trio.

Jeremy Monteiro is regarded as one of the foremost jazz pianists in Asia and has been referred to as Singapore’s King of Swing by the media. He has celebrated over 40 years of being a professional jazz musician and has more than 20 jazz albums under his belt as well as playing on numerous other jazz albums by other artistes including Ernie Watts. Jeremy Monteiro will be performing in 2 separate sessions with his Organ Trio and Ernie Watts as well as with the Asian All Stars Power Quartet featuring Melissa Tham, both of which promises a show not to be missed at the Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival.

Kunto Aji, one of the youngest musicians to perform at KWJF, is a 30-year old musician from Indonesia. He became well known after being a finalist in Indonesia Idol in 2008 and has since released a slew of hit singles from his debut album Generation Y in 2015. Kunto Aji achieved numerous awards throughout 2015, such as the Breakthrough Artist of the Year on NET.’s Indonesian Choice Awards, and the Best Newcomer and Best Indonesian Song on Anugerah Planet Muzik 2015 in Singapore. The young and creative musician also delves in other fields of passion such as fashionwear. The talented singer has a bright future ahead of him and is expected to create a buzz in the Malaysian music scene after KWJF.
The Shanghai Sisters are Winnie Ho, Janet Lee and May Mow – sisters in voices and vivacity. Their repertoire of yesteryear songs will bring back nostalgia and memories of Old Shanghai, Grand Malaya, Romantic Hollywood and other halcyon memories.
Among the other musicians and bands that will be performing during KWJF are Abdul and the Coffee Theory (Indonesia), Balawan Magic Fingers (Indonesia), Mellow Motif (Thailand), Andy Peterson (Malaysia) and many more.
Apart from giving prominence to the scenic Kuching Waterfront, KWJF also hopes to be a platform to inspire and nurture local music talents. The event also aims to encourage events and festivals in Sarawak to increase destination visibility and awareness. The inaugural festival is expected to garner local and international media coverage from Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and India. For the full programme and line-up, do visitwww.kuchingwaterfrontjazz.com. Hotel packages and festival tickets can be purchased online at the website or at the Grand Margherita Hotel, Riverside Majestic Hotel or Place Borneo Sdn Bhd.
Where to Stay?
Where to Stay?
Grand Margherita Hotel ad Riverside Majestic Hotel is offering a specially designed room package in conjunction of the upcoming Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival 2017. Both hotels that are located just a step away from the Waterfront provides exclusive benefits when you stay with us during the first ever Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival 2017 which is happening on the 29th and 30th September 2017. The 2-day jazz music festival will feature well known jazz musicians and singers from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia & Thailand.
You will have the choice of a 3-Day & 2-Night stay or a 4-Day & 3-Night stay package which includes daily breakfast, 2-day festival tickets and 2 UBER rides within Kuching City area (pick-up point to festival ground and festival ground to drop-off point)
For 3D2N room package, it is priced at RM530 nett onwards for Grand Margherita Hotel and RM510 nett onwards for Riverside Majestic Hotel. For 4D3N room package, it is priced at RM720 nett onwards for Grand Margherita Hotel and RM680 nett onwards for Riverside Majestic Hotel.
Room package can be booked and purchased online at www.grandmargherita.com/offers for Grand Margherita Hotel and www.riversidemajestic.com/offers for Riverside Majestic Hotel, or you can call our Reservation Department at 082 – 532000. For any inquiry, please email to sales@centraloffice.my.
Keep Updates!
For latest updates, do search Kuching Waterfront Jazz on Facebook and Instagram. Call +6082-555189 or email kuchingwaterfrontjazz@gmail.com for further enquiries.
COMMENTS