Popular Indonesian crooner Afgansyah Reza, better known as Afgan, serenaded the 2,000 fans on the final night of the Kuching Jazz Festival 2022 at Grand Margherita Hotel.
Afgan, hugely popular amongst Malaysians, began his performance with Say, I’m Sorry, followed by his popular hit ‘Terima Kasih Cinta’.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told Borneo Post that the two-day festival had a very encouraging response from jazz enthusiasts.
He added that the festival had reached its targeted ticket sales, and the overwhelming audience response indicates many are keen to visit Sarawak
Thai singer-songwriter Phum Viphurit, who achieved international fame in 2018 for his single ‘Lover Boy’, opened the 2022 Kuching Jazz Festival.
The first day of the two-day festival also saw Malaysian jazz singer Noryn Aziz serenading the audience.
Those fortunate to attend were also treated to an auditory feast by performer Freyja Garbett Quartet from New South Wales, Australia.
Organiser Hemisphere Corporation said that the performers and musicians chosen for the two-night festival are “the best gift” to music lovers after the two-year entertainment vacuum.
The festival finally resumed after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic but was back in full swing as the nation eased most of its restrictions and transitioned into the endemic phase.
The Kuching Jazz Festival was first created by the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) in 2017 to provide a platform to inspire and nurture local music talent and has since gone on to join a line-up of successful and adored state-based music festivals.