IO, Jakarta – Blues music is not that popular in Indonesia. There is however a core of diehard fans, and they are ready to kick up their heels! The Jakarta Blues International Festival is coming on 7-8 December 2019, in the Senayan Sports Arena. The show will be divided into three stages: The Iconic Stage and Crossroad Stage in the parking area, and the Vintage Stage in Senayan’s Indoor Tennis arena.
A number of popular international blues artists have confirmed that they will perform at the Jakarta Blues International Festival 2019: Paul Gilbert, Bumblefoot, and The Calling from America, Ken Hensley from Britain, Miguel Balaguer from Spain, and Shun Kikuta from Japan, among others. Established and new local bands in the Indonesian music scene will also appear: The Rollies, Gugun Blues Shelter, Adrian Adieoetomo, Blues Libre, Edwin Marshall Project, Voxa, and others.
The Festival will start on 14.00 WIB with a show of blues bands, with touches of classic-rock, pop-jazz, and soul-blues. There will be good food, coffee, and Official Merchandise booths, as well as a special booth that offers phonograph records and CD collections.
A special feature is a Blues Coaching and Master Class headed by international musicians. The Crossroad Stage is set with themes that are familiar to the audience, so that these musicians can interact directly with the audience. Two other large stages will have full big sound system in order to allow the musicians to showcase their music perfectly.
The Jakarta Blues International Festival is presented by Boart Indonesia, with tiket.com as official ticket management. Ticket pre-sale is available online starting from 30 August 2019 at tiket.com.
Febrico, tiket.com’s Activity Manager, stated that all music lovers, especially blues fans in Indonesia, have been enthusiastically waiting for this festival. They are eager to meet their favorite musicians, both local and international, live. “We believe that the festival can provide the best entertainment value and make blues more recognizable in the homeland,” he said.
As an added expression of appreciation, the organizers of Jakarta Blues International Festival will be holding an Online Competition: The One-Minute Blues Challenge. This is an online blues competition open for everyone, held from September to the end of November 2019. Other than cash prizes, winners will have the opportunity to Meet and Greet international blues legends Paul Gilbert, Bumblefoot, The Calling, and Ken Hensley.