The 6th Ubud Village Jazz Festival – Celebrating Jazz on the Island of Bali
The 6th Ubud Village Jazz Festival – Celebrating Jazz on the Island of Bali
A jazz festival in Ubud? Well, the Ubud Village Jazz Festival is coming and it’s one of the must-see events happening on the island of Bali. When you think of the top Jazz destination, Bali is not the first one that comes to mind. Unknown to most people, Bali IS one of the top jazz destinations for jazz lovers in the Southeast Asia region and the genre is thriving on the island. This year, the 6th Ubud Village Jazz Festival is once again celebrating Jazz on the island of Bali.
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- Jimmy Rougerie – DJ Sax Singer Producer in Ubud
The sweet sound of Jazz is in the air this August with another session of Ubud Village Jazz Festival. Considered as one of the best jazz festivals in the world, the festival has become a big draw not only for jazz aficionados as it plays host to seasoned jazz players and up-and-coming fresh talents but also to tourists and the general public who are looking for an alternative point of interest as they travel to Ubud.
This year, the Ubud Village Jazz Festival (UVJF) will be held at the 16th and 17th of August (to coincide with Indonesia’s Independence Day) this time at a new spot, the beautiful Arma Museum garden. So what’s new this year? Per usual, a wonderfully eclectic mix of jazz performers will compete for your attention at the 6th UVJF 2019 edition involving more than eight countries from Germany, Russia, The Netherlands, Poland, Australia, Austria, France, South Korea, too—of course—Indonesia.
The stellar lineup promises the best in jazz—from traditional to contemporary and fusion, funk, smooth jazz, Latin jazz plus rhythm & blues—genres for every jazz lover. From the Indonesian front, they’ll shine a spotlight on the award-winning Sri Hanuraga Trio feat. Dira Sugandi; the funky-swing duo Yance Manusama & Otti Jamalus, saxophonist Anggi Harahap; the 18-piece HajarBleh Big Band from Jakarta; and the voice of Surabaya native, Nancy Ponto; while returning talents include the Eurasian Quartet featuring Dian Pratiwi; the festival’s co-founder and mentor, Yuri Mahatma with his project “Straight and Stretch”; Bali-based Canadian drummer, Yvon Thieabault, who’ll be bringing his “Perspectives”; and the Jazz community from Kediri, East Java, Kopi Jazz Kediri. From the young generation, they’ll be introducing to the stage, Jacob Jayasena, a 13-year-old pianist along with a young female pianist, Nadine.
International jazz will be represented by critically acclaimed Aaron Goldberg Trio (with Matt Penman and Leon Parker) from the USA; Pete Jung Quartet from South Korea; Michaela Rabitsch & R. Pawlik Quartet who are supported by the Austrian Embassy; and Harry Mitchell Trio, Arcing Wires, and Caleb Fortuin with the Bali Mates (Future Leaders Jazz Award Winner) from Australia; Ilugdin Trio and New Centropezn Quartet from Russia; and Voyager 4 who are supported by the Institut Francais d’Indonesie.
This is one jazz festival you certainly don’t want to miss as you spend your holiday in Ubud (perhaps you can insert map location of Purist to the festival here), a perfect introduction to the genre that’ll piqued your interest even more with its great vibe and energy (a jazz performance is indeed very lively and spontaneous). To get you warmed up, one week before UVJF catch a series of pre-events at several venues all around Bali, such as Movenpick Resort, Rumah Luwih, Tanjung Sari, Vincent’s Candi Dasa, Sthala Tribute Port Folio Hotel, Plataran Ubud, Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK Bali), Bridges, Aryaduta Bali, Bale Tudor, Wu Wei Resorts, and a workshop by some of the performers at the Art Institute of Indonesia (ISI) in Denpasar on August 15th.
“The jazz tradition in Bali is iconic and get to be known worldwide,” said co-founder Anom Darsana at UVJF 2019’s press conference. “Today, it’s a vibrant scene that is constantly evolving and growing and our Festival continues to nurture and support it. With these wonderful musicians from all over the world, we are taking Jazz music to a new level in Ubud. And, once again, we hope the Festival transcends the music itself and gets people up here to see and experience Ubud’s distinct flavour. We look forward to adding to Bali’s jazz history and an Independence Day weekend to remember.”
