Asia Music Festivals: March 2012
Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival
Jakarta, Indonesia — March 2-4, 2012
Boasting an impressive line-up of international and Indonesian artists, this jazz festival is one of the largest south of the equator. Based in the capital of Indonesia, Java Jazz will bring American stars like Herbie Hancock, Erykah Badu, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and Mayer Hawthorne for its 8th annual festival. Additionally, local musicians including vocalist Monita Tahalea, jazz trio Notturno, and bassist-led group Indro Hardjodikoro And The Fingers will represent the home country.
Day passes cost 260,000 Indonesian rupiah in advance and 600,000 rupiah day of show ($30-66). Three-day festival tickets cost between 760,000-1,600,000 Indonesian rupiah ($84-177). web.javajazzfestival.com
Mosaic Music Festival
Esplanade, Singapore — March 9-18, 2012
Singapore’s Mosaic Music Festival will revolve around the theme of “Celebrating Life – The best of the Human Spirit through the Arts.” Offering both ticketed and free shows, this fest is bringing in big international bands like the United Kingdom’s revered rock band Elbow, Australia’s indie pop outfit Architecture in Helsinki and American folk darlings Blind Pilot. Ticket costs vary for each performance. mosaicmusicfestival.com
Musix—Okinawa International Asia Music Festival
Okinawa, Japan — March 16-18, 2012
Although last year’s Okinawa International Asia Music Festival was cancelled at the last minute because of the devastating Japanese earthquake, this year’s festival promises a triumphant return. Highlighting Japanese rock, pop, folk and jazz artists, as well as traditional music from Okinawa, the festival also holds a music conference for journalists and demo sessions for aspiring musicians. While the full line-up has not yet been confirmed, bands can still apply to perform by filling out a form on the Musix website. musix-okinawa.com
Future Music Festival, Asia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — March 17, 2012
This Australian music festival started in 2006 and plans to bring its international legacy to the Asian frontier for the first time this year. The Asian branch of the established event will coincide with the Aussie and New Zealand dates and share much of the same line-up of globally recognized musicians. futuremusicfestival.asia
