I got news from a blog I visited that there is going to be a music festival called Sunburst 2008 in KL this March. Check out their website here.

According to the website, the international acts confirmed are band Incubus, soul star John Legend, jazz greats Incognito, the real hip hop kings The Roots, and Indonesia’s jazz man Tompi and band Gigi.
From the local music scene are Pop Shuvit, Joe Flizzoq, Gerhana Ska Cinta, Atilia, Estranged, Tempered Mental, Hujan, Meet Uncle Hussain, Y2K, One Buck Short, Reza Salleh, Search, Bittersweet and Najwa.
It is also said that the re-formed Smashing Pumpkins might make an appearance. But I am also hoping for a talented guitarist/singer Raul Midon to confirm his attendance to this festival. The combination of his soulful voice and guitar playing skills are nuts.

Price is not too bad with the early bird discount, and I am quite keen on going. G*d*amn, I have been deprived of some good live music ever since I was thrown to the East, and that’s one small but sweet lineup international musicians that they’ve got. Acts I am looking forward to seeing the most are John Legend and The Roots. I haven’t been listening to Incubus or stuff like that for some time now, but it would be good to finally see them live. On the local front, I would like to see the much talked about Reza Salleh and Meet Uncle Hussain.

Personally, I think it is great that this festival is organized. There is definitely a dearth in terms of live acts performing in Malaysia, when compared with other Asian countries like Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. You may argue that there were many artistes who came in conjunction with our 50th year celebrations e.g Gwen Stefani, Muse, MCR but I was veering more towards the non-pop side of things, say jazz festivals and rock festivals. In the UK during the summer, the whole country becomes a musical playground with summer fests like the infamous Glastonbury, T in the Park, Party in the Park and Download Fest take place. These festivals last for a few days, and it is akin to a non-stop concert with tonnes of bands playing back to back. Nevertheless, this festival is definitely one step closer to making Kuala Lumpur “a “must go” destination in the South East Asian region by utilising a globally attractive commodity: MUSIC”, as quoted by the event organisers.

Right now, I can’t help but compare the Sunburst festival to another festival happening at about the same time in Singapore- The Mosaic Music Festival. Call it a Malaysian inferiority complex, but I guess it’s deeply ingrained in every Malaysian to see who is better- the bigger cousin or the richer cousin. But for first impressions, try visiting ‘their’ website and compare it with ‘ours’. I am not trying to draw any conclusions, because ‘our’ festival is still a baby compared to ‘theirs’- a toddler. And to be fair the Malaysian organisers must have put in a lot of effort in getting those guys to even step foot in our beloved capital.
Next, try checking out their line-up. For 2008, it’s a TEN-day festival with 70 artistes including Earth Wind & Fire, Soil and Pimp Sessions, Mum, Fujiya&Miyagi, Harry Connick Jr. In addition are Singaporean, Malaysian (including Reza Salleh, Ferns) AND Thai musicians. Covers nine genres.
Previous years have had Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jose Gonzalez, Yo La Tengo, Kings of Convenience, Montreux Jazz. The names I dropped here are those that are more commonly recognized internationally.

At present, the Sunburst festival is a 12-hour musical assault, featuring easily recognizable and commercially viable musicians from the country and overseas. I ponder, though, if the day would come when KL would play host to a 7-day music festival that features every type of musician: the commercial headliners, the alternative superstars, the indie scenesters from whatever the country, and the local and regional heroes. That’s because that is what it takes to make KL “a “must go” destination in the South East Asian region by utilising a globally attractive commodity: MUSIC”.

Music is like any other cultural element that makes up a great city. A city like New York has an exceptional live music and underground music scene from which countless talents are discovered. Tokyo is internationally recognized as one of the world’s shopping mecca. While some districts like Ginza thrive on their architectural megastructures housing various luxury brands, there is also a copious amount of street fashion subcultures fuelled by countless smaller brands. It is probably this healthy mix of the recognisable and the unique that synergize Tokyo into becoming the shopping paradise it is now.

That said, I am looking forward to the best outcome from this event and am very thankful that it’s going to happen. Whatever it is, I hope I can make it, and if I do, I hope it would be good. And lastly may the event have the staying power and not suffer the same fate as Rentak Asia.