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SINGAPORE: Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B, Funk, Indie, Folk, Soul, World, Electronica – you name it, they have it.
The fourth run of Esplanade's Mosaic Music Festival is jigging to a full swing with an impressive line-up of musicians from all over the world.
Since its inception in 2005, Singapore's very own music festival has grown from strength to strength, drawing an audience attendance of 90,000 to its ticketed and free shows last year.
Inlayed with a broad variety of music styles, this annual event has seen a string of lauded performances from luminaries like the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Rachael Yamagata, Carleen Anderson, Kings of Convenience and Bob James.
Besides attracting a good mix of young and older music enthusiasts in Singapore, foreigners make up about 10 percent of the crowd. In fact, according to the marketing manager of Mosaic, Ms Tay Pui Lin, some regular patrons from overseas have been extending their stay so as to attend all ten days of the festival.
Its diversity and vibrancy have also attracted prominent sponsors and partners like Heineken, Nokia and Club Med.
From Esplanade's crown jewel – the 1,600-seat concert hall – to The Living Room at the concourse and the outdoor facility at the other end of the waterfront, participating artistes and bands such as Harry Connick Jr, Salle Gaveau and Imago will be thrilling fans with their brand of music from 7 to 16 March.
Prodded to highlight some of their favourites, Ms Amy Ho – the producer of the festival – and Ms Tay list six performances that audiences should not miss.
1. George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic
George Clinton, the legendary 'godfather of funk', founded the influential funk bands, Funkadelic and Parliament, in the 1960s. These groups merged to become Parliament Funkadelic in the 1980s. Described as "3-hour non-stop partying on stage", their performance is set to bring the house down.
2. Sondre Lerche and The Faces Down
Hailing from Norway, 25-year-old Sondre Lerche's pop-rock melodies bring to mind the music of the 1980s new romantics. His first album, Faces Down, was listed as one of the top 50 albums of 2002 in the Rolling Stone magazine. He and his band will be presenting some of their latest hits during the festival.
3. ModernDog
Power band ModernDog is one of Thailand's biggest indie and rock acts today. Formed in 1992 after winning the Coke Music Contest, this former college band has released top-selling albums and performed in Tokyo and New York. Fans can look forward to a more acoustic performance from the group at the cosy Mosaic Studio.
4. Raul Midón
Raul Midón's strongly percussive and soulful style shows vast musical influences of folk-rock, blues pop, samba, doo-wop, funk, jazz and more. Blinded after spending time in an incubator without adequate eye protection as a premature baby, this New York-based musician delivers songs of humanism and beauty with perfect clarity.
5. Vusi Mahlasela
Vusi Mahlasela, a musician and poet from South Africa, has dedicated his life to using music and words to inspire change. His gentle guitar melodies, which display the mastery of South Africa's diverse musical traditions, had been an inspiration to many in the anti-apartheid movement.
6. Kurt Elling
Touted as one of the pre-eminent jazz vocalists of today, Kurt Elling has won the Down Beat and JazzTimes critics' polls three years in a row in the Best Male Singer category, and has garnered seven Grammy nominations. He will present a mixture of ballads and swingers from his albums at the festival.
Performances held at the Esplanade's concourse, outdoor venue and the Singapore Art Café are free, while tickets to the other concerts are available at SISTIC and the Esplanade Box Office.
Besides music, those interested in visual arts can also view neoteric artwork and art installation, which have been specially chosen to complement the festival, within the art centre.
- CNA
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