KUCHING, Sarawak, 9 May 2022: The upcoming Borneo Jazz festival promises to keep building on the music tourism ecosystem in Miri to elevate the resort city as a cultural and music hub.
Bringing musicians of diverse cultural backgrounds together to celebrate jazz music and empower the local community, a new artist residency programme called FAB LAB will be an intense six-week interactive workshop in Miri for 30 musicians starting 9 May to 18 June 2022.
The Fab Lab Open Day was held on 8 May at Tegas Digital Innovation Hub Miri to allow music enthusiasts to meet the two musicians and also enjoy a preview of what was to come from 9 May to 18 June.
FAB LAB is led by two international musicians, Chris Stalk, a saxophonist, composer and arranger from France and Jules Vulzor, a bassist, DJ and performer from Switzerland.
Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Puan Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor said: “The FAB LAB programme is in line with STB’s goal to promote music tourism through our iconic music festivals, which includes Borneo Jazz. By embedding a knowledge-sharing environment, we hope to create a sustainable jazz culture for our Sarawakian musicians and provide an international platform to increase their musical growth.”
It is hoped that the music workshops and masterclasses offered by the FAB LAB will not only teach confidence in expression but serve to bridge the gap between the age-old indigenous oral tradition with the contemporary and evolutionary sounds of jazz and hip-hop.
“I strongly believe in fostering Jazz ExChange to advocate cultural diplomacy and promote sustainable growth in the arts within the local community. Borneo Jazz Artist Residency programme will indeed cultivate the connection between the international artists with the musicians’ community in Miri, Sarawak,” says Evelyn Hii, founder of No Black Tie and artistic director of Borneo Jazz festival.
FAB LAB aims to empower and enliven musicians before the Borneo Jazz festival through four workshops: Music Appreciation – Listen and Make It Your Own; Methodology – How to FEEL Free Playing Music; Sound Engineering- Make It Sound Good!; and Performance Module- Let’s Play.
For more on Sarawak’s tourist attractions visit: https://sarawaktourism.com/
(Your Stories Sarawak Tourism Board)
