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Published on September 4, 2014

Harbor Bay, on the island of Batam in the Riau Islands Province, will be sparkling with the groove of Jazz when the ASEAN Jazz Festival hits its shores on 5th to 6th September 2014.

Just as in previous years, the Festival features some of the best and most popular international Jazz stars as well as Indonesia’s finest Jazz musicians. Not only will the festival showcase each performer’s fascinating musical expressions but will also create special collaborations between two or more artists. During the festival, the audience will have the chance to enjoy unique fusions between jazz grooves using modern musical instruments with some of the distinct sounds of traditional musical instruments from across the Indonesian archipelago.

The ASEAN Jazz Festival is held on the holiday island of Batam, – just half an hour by ferry from Singapore and Malaysia, – to allow easy access for jazz enthusiasts from all ASEAN countries to join in this great ASEAN musical gathering.

Among the lineups are some of the most renowned musicians in the region. They include: Dwiki Dharmawan, Indra Lesmana, Gilang Ramadhan, Tri Utami, Kamal Mousa from Dubai, Brian Beaty from the USA, German Dmitriev from Rusia, and also other local, national, and international musicians. The festival will also see the reunion of Indonesia’s legendary jazz band, Krakatau.

Head of Batam’s Office of Tourism and Culture, Yusfa Hendri commented  that the ASEAN Jazz Festival is expected to boost international tourist visits to the region since the  Krakatau band – who will be performing at the Wonderful Ocean main stage-, has a great many fans in Singapore and Malaysia.

Hailed as an event that presents jazz not only as entertainment but also as a media for education and appreciation, the Asean Jazz Festival is an annual event initiated since 2008 by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia.

The Asean Jazz Festival also acts as an invitation for visitors from all over South East Asia to further explore the wonders of Indonesia.