REFLECTIONS By John Kelman

Posted on by

By John Kelman, Managing Editor – allaboutjazz.com

After taking a few days to get over traveling nearly half-way around the world and dealing with a 13-hour time zone difference, it’s finally a good time to reflect on my recent whirlwind trip to Malaysia for the 2011 Penang Island Jazz Festival (PIJF). It was an unforgettable first encounter with Asia, and will hopefully not be the last. Having spent considerable time at European and North American festivals over the past few years, it was immediately evident that festivals in this neck of the woods face an entirely different set of challenges.

Read more after the jump… Continue reading →

Festival Collaboration & Exchange Programme

Posted on by

The Penang Island Jazz Festival has steadily gained international awareness in the worldwide jazz and music industry over the years through its image and unique
programing style for this part of the world.

Musicians, festival programmers and music marketing industry personnel have come to acknowledge the potential of the festival as a platform for the creative music marketing
industry with its willingness to introduce and experiment on musical styles, forms and projects normally not readily associated with a jazz festival in this part of the world.

Last year, 2011, festival directors from PIJF were invited to attend :

  • And participate in pitch and roundtable sessions by the Creative New Zealand programme as part of the international delegation personnel
  • jazzahead in Bremen, Germany as an international guest
  • Norway Jazz in A Nutshell annual programme as an international guest
  • And deliver a presentation on the festival at the Bangkok City of Jazz Conference
  • And be part of a panel for the Hong Kong International Jazz Festival “In Dialogue With Jazz” session

MILESTONE Signing of “MOU”
In October 2011, The Penang Island Jazz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with one of the biggest jazz festivals in Asia – The Jarasum International Jazz Festival in Korea.

The MOU was to officially seal an understanding that has been in existence since the time when both festivals began in 2004 and also to establish a further collaboration between both Festivals in terms of promoting tourism, sharing of culture and exchanging information and technology for the further development of both festivals.