The Ubud Village Jazz Festival was held on the 16-17th August at the Arma Museum garden and was hailed as a great success.
Bringing another host of exciting acts to Ubud and celebrating the huge range of styles and sub-genres that jazz music and the art of improvisation encompass, the 2019 edition was well attended by both locals and tourists from across Bali.
“The attendees were divided into 60 percent of expatriates and international tourists, as well as 40 percent of domestic tourists and local residents of Bali,” said I Gusti Ngurah Putra, the Ministry of Tourism’s Expert Secretary of the Tourism Crisis Management Sector during the opening of the Ubud Village Jazz Festival on Friday 16th August.
CERTAINLY! INDONESIA was the tagline of UVJF this year, which aligned with the 74th celebration of Indonesia’s Independence Day, bringing in the spirit of optimism of a better Indonesia ahead.
Without the volunteer community from Ubud and beyond, the even would not have been possible. The firm support of the Ubud Royal Family was also warmly welcomed and the organisers have expressed their gratitude. The patronage of The Dinas Pariwisata Provinsi Bali, Dinas Pariwisata Gianyar , Ministry of Tourism of The Republic of Indonesia, Ministry of Forestry and Environment, the Republic Of Indonesia, and Bali Airport were also warmly thanked by those in charge of facilitating the fesitval.
Involving more than 8 countries, the UVJF featured an eclectic array of performers across varied styles and generations from jazz legends, new artists to the scene, and those at the height of their careers, once again creating a one-of-a-kind lineup not seen anywhere else. With musicians from Indonesia, Germany, Russia, The Netherlands, Poland, Australia, Austria, France, and South Korea, UVJF has grown to become one of Bali’s most important cultural and community events, gaining a serious reputation across the globe and with the jazz ecosystem.
Ubud Village Jazz Festival also received tremendous encouragement and assistance from various international organisations such as the Embassy of Austria, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Institut Français d’Indonésie and the Goethe-Institute, enabling UVJF 2019 to produce a major, universal jazz celebration.
The event introduced the best in jazz—from traditional to contemporary and fusion, funk, smooth jazz, Latin jazz, plus rhythm and blues—genres for every jazz lover. To name a few from Indonesia’s Jazz scene, distinguished talents like the award-winning Sri Hanuraga Trio feat. Dira Sugandi, the funky-swing duo Yance Manusama and Otti Jamalus, saxophonist Anggi Harahap, the 18-piece HajarBleh Big Band from Jakarta, the voice of Surabaya native Nancy Ponto, were in attendance and gave outstanding performances.
Returnees to the festival included; the Eurasian Quartet featuring Dian Pratiwi; the festival’s co-founder and mentor, Yuri Mahatma with his project “Straight and Stretch”; Canadian Drummer who has resided in Bali for long time, Yvon Thieabault “Perpectives”; and Kopi Jazz Kediri, a Jazz community from Kediri, East Java. Representing the young generation, there was Jacob Jayasena, a 13-year old pianist along with young female pianist, Nadine.
The international jazz also saw performances from; critically acclaimed Aaron Goldberg Trio (with Matt Penman and Leon Parker) from the USA; South Korean Pete Jung Quartet; Michaela Rabitsch & R. Pawlik Quartet supported by the Austrian Embassy; Harry Mitchell Trio; Arcing Wires; and Caleb Fortuin with the Bali Mates (Future Leaders Jazz Award Winner) from Australia. From there was Russian Ilugdin Trio and New Centropezn Quartet, and, with the support of the Institut Francais d’Indonesie, Voyager 4.
“The jazz tradition in Bali is iconic and is getting to be known worldwide. Today, it’s a vibrant scene that is constantly evolving and growing and our festival continues to nurture and support it,” said Anom Darsana. “With these wonderful musicians from all over the world, we are taking the jazz music to a new level in Ubud.”
For more information about Ubud Village Jazz Festival:
Website www.ubudvillagejazzfestival.com
Follow Ubud Village Jazz on:
www.facebook.com/UbudVillageJazzFestival