SEDC deputy general manager Edwin Abit (third left) presents mock festival tickets to Abdul Karim while others look on. 

KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hopes the annual Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival is held on a fixed date each year or by end of September to allow jazz lovers worldwide know when to book their flights here.

Based on the inaugural event last year, which was a sold-out, he is confident that this year’s festival would be the same.

“Even people from Indonesia came here for the festival, and it shows how popular it is.”

“I recall the beautiful venue and setup when I attended the inaugural edition of the festival last year. I can attest to, and have a wonderful experience of being serenaded by jazz, amplified by the ambiance of its location. It was just the first year but it managed to get sell-out crowd for both nights. I’m sure it will be the same this year and years to come,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

He added that many events have been planned for Kuching starting this month, such as What About Kuching, International Dragon Boat Festival, Sarawak Regatta, Gendang Festival, Mooncake Festival, and this Jazz Festival.

All these will make Kuching alive and vibrant, he said.

He, however, said the festival venue had to be expanded in the coming years to allow more people to come and enjoy those festivals.

He also suggested the renting of barges, to be docked at the waterfront, to accommodate the growing number of festival-goers.

This year’s edition will feature 14 jazz musicians and bands from all over the world. They include Sarawakian songstress Dayang Nurfaizah, Tompi (Indonesia), Aditya (Indonesia), Atilia Haron, Carmen Souza (Portugal), The Natalie Gillespie Band (Australia), Aisyah Aziz (Singapore), Ito and the Blues Gang.

It will be held from Sept 28-29 at Grand Margherita Hotel here. The concert begins at 6.30pm and ends around 12.30am. It’s a free-standing event, with plenty of food and beverages, arts, crafts, activities and workshops on the sidelines.

There’s also music workshops by Ito and the Blues Gang, The Natalie Gillespie Band and Tuku Kame Jazz, which are free-of-charge and open to public.