Esplanade's Mosaic Music Festival returns!

Written by The Esplanade Co Ltd

Page 1 of 8 Jazz, funk, blues and soul. Veteran artists, new talents, performers - young and old. Catch all these and more at Mosaic Music Festival! Returning March 7 to 16, the annual 10-day event by Esplanade promises something for everyone to enjoy. Into its fourth edition, Mosaic kicks off with superstar jazz crooner Harry Connick, Jr. presenting his My New Orleans tour concert. It also features the festival's first Artist-in-Residence: seven-time Grammy® nominated jazz vocalist Kurt Elling. A new segment, In the House FM allows music fans to get up-close to their favourite artists andcontinuing with its Asian focus, more than 50 local and regional groups will be presented in the 107 performances lined up. Said Esplanade's Director of Programming, JP Nathan: "Since we started, Mosaic Music Festival has endeavoured to grow and develop both audiences and artists alike. Through the years, it has added a certain buzz to the local and regional music scene and made a name for itself with its increasingly eclectic line-up. This year, we engage local artists further with Artist-in-Residence, Kurt Elling. We hope our artists will benefit from his workshop, master class and his involvement in various aspects of the festival. Moving ahead, we will continue to develop the festival's residency programme and work with acclaimed musicians with different expertise to expose our local artists and audiences even more." Dubbed "the most flamboyantly creative jazz singer to emerge in the last decade" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Kurt Elling is considered one of the foremost contemporary voices in the art of vocalese - a genre of jazz singing where lyrics are written for melodies that were originally part of an all-instrumental composition or improvisation. Combining thought-provoking lyrics with clever arrangements, surprising choices of material and an infinite capacity to swing, Elling has forged a potent body of work since his 1995 debut that is marked by quality, consistency and an audacious sense of risk-taking. With seven Grammy® nominations already to his credit, Elling continues to be a favourite among audiences and critics alike, winning US jazz magazine Down Beat's Male Vocalist of the Year in both Critics and Readers polls for 2006 - the third time he has won the top spot in both polls. Besides his solo concert, Elling will make guest appearances at jam sessions at Mosaic. For the first time, he will collaborate with jazz guitar virtuoso Lee Ritenour at the Montreux Jazz Special concert on the second night of the festival. Sharing his vast music experiences, Elling will also conduct a vocal master class and workshop for local artists. A sample of his poems will also be displayed at the Singapore Art Café at Esplanade. Entitled Lyrics, the exhibition will feature Elling's writings through the interpretation of local visual artist Michelle Tan Chuinwei. Also happening at the Singapore Art Café is In the house FM - a new festival element which gives fans a chance to get up close and personal with their favourite artists. Hosted by home-grown singer-songwriters Jack and Rai, this series of informal, intimate chat sessions will give audiences an insight into the musical experiences of various Mosaic artists, together with impromptu acoustic  performances by both the hosts and their guests. Highlights Mosaic's eclectic performances will be held in venues all over Esplanade with the headliners presented at the Concert Hall and the Theatre. Besides Harry Connick, Jr., other headline acts include the "Godfather of Funk" George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic, British jazz icon and TV host Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Al McKay - the man responsible for all the timeless hits of R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire as well as Icelandic electronica group Múm,  whom Rolling Stone Magazine says "generates atmospheres too vivid and tangible to be mere mood". Watch out also for vocalist and guitarist Raul Midón who reminds audiences of "a sweet-voiced Ray Charles, or Nat King Cole, but ... reveals a strong, individual and totally musical mind at work" (The Guardian, July 2006) and cheery Norwegian folk-pop artist, Sondre Lerche who will charm audiences in the 11th Hour series at the Concert Hall. The Heineken Music Club returns for its second year with "chill out" acts presented in a relaxed club atmosphere. Catch ‘Lady Miles Davis of Europe', Saskia Laroo, the explosive Japanese jazz band SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS and indie pop duo the bird and the bee from Los Angeles, among others as you party the night away. Local artists uBlues and Teo Boon Chye also come together with Filipino band Lampano Alley and Italian guitarist Enrico Crivellaro to present House of Blues II in the closing act for the Heineken Music Club. Adding different textures to the festival are the shows in the Mosaic Studio. Here, artists with a more unique sound whose works are driven by their strong personalities will be showcased. Be mesmerised by Tunisian oud (Arabic lute) virtuoso, Dhafer Youssef as he juxtaposes ancient, mystical Islamic music with modern electric jazz. Also listen to Thai power band Modern Dog veer from melodic-DIY-power-rock to more polished and "funkified" sounds with the deftness of a tuk-tuk driver in his element. Other artists featured include the Omar Sosa Afreecanos Quartet with their blend of music combining old Cuban forms and postmodern jazz, the "Bob Dylan of South Africa" Vusi Mahlasela whose sound skims folk, rock, traditional African and reggae as well as Japan's yanokami - made up of Akiko Yano and Rei Harakami and their happy electronic mélange of moody new wave, fusion, jazz balladry, pop and folk. Besides ticketed events, free performances featuring an international mix of artists are also presented everyday during the festival at the Living Room at the Concourse and outdoors at the Nokia Powerhouse. Some of these acts include local musicians Daphne Khoo, Kevin & Marcus Loh, Olivia Ong and The Aurora Project as well as other foreign artists like Silly Fools from Thailand, Up Dharma Down from the Philippines, Tokyo Rose from USA and Megan Bowman from Australia, among many more. Public spaces around Esplanade will also feature free visual arts presentations like Every Entranced Euphoria - a colourful celebration of life through the creation of art -presented by local and Malaysian artists at Jendela (Visual Arts Space by Cristal Caritas Trust) and Pirimida dan Perahu Hayat (Pyramid and a Soul Ship) by local artist Salleh Japar at Esplanade's Concourse. Mosaic Music Festival 2008 will not be possible without the generous support of Esplanade Partners Visa International and Nokia Pte Ltd, Supporting Sponsors ClubMed and Häagen-Dazs - both first time festival sponsors - as well as Harry's Bar and Pioneer Electronics Asiacentre Pte Ltd. It is also supported by Heineken Music, the venue naming sponsor for the Heineken Music Club. Tickets for Mosaic Music Festival 2008 are available from: Esplanade's Box Office at Mezzanine level (Tel: +65 6828 8377) SISTIC Hotline (Tel: +65 6348 5555) Festival's website: www.mosaicmusicfestival.com << Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next > End >>

 

< Prev		Next >