Penang Jazz
A journey to the northwest coast of Malaysia conjures up an immense array of adventure tales and images from films about exotic intrigues, and romantic escapades. It’s the stuff of novels, but the real Penang has something even more significant to offer. There are many old temples and old colonial architecture, making it a delight for the eye, with amazing curiosities at every turn. And the population is fairly diverse, with ethnic Chinese making up the majority, by just a stretch, followed by the Malay culture, and then ethnic Indian. There is also a Jewish community living here, as well as many others. It’s an unusual mix of many things, and has a fascinating past that’s visible in the city’s architecture.
With a strong colonial presence here for a couple of centuries, there has been a need to accommodate guests, and the lodging industry is rather well-developed here. For hotels, Penang has something for every taste, to suit most every pocketbook. There is also an enormous variety of attractions in Penang to suit most every taste. If you’re here at the end of the year, and you like seeing cultural collaborations as well as interesting clashes of culture, or international jazz, then you’ll certainly love the Penang Island Jazz Festival.
It’s now in its 6th year, and began as a two-day event. Now it’s four days, and the acts playing this year come from all over the world. There are artists this year from Taiwan, South Korea, Norway, and Lithuania, among other countries. There are also local Thai artists playing new fusions of jazz with local traditions to make new forms in this amazingly inventive musical style. There is also a performance by the Michelle Nicolle Quartet, whose namesake is the award-winning singer from Australia who has been remaking the tradition and placing her own marks on its continuing evolution. Inventions of artistic forms are always exciting, and this form, which is based in invention and improvisation, is particularly exciting when it’s being absorbed and refashioned, even when its roots are still visible in the world.
Related posts:
- Cool Jazz in Albany
- The Jazz Scene and Other Music Venues in Lisbon
- James Blunt at Dubai International Jazz Festival
No Comments
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment