Sounds from the global stage

THE ESPLANADE’S Mosaic Music Festival turns 10 this year and it’s celebrating in true Mosaic tradition by presenting an eclectic range of musical genres performed by internationally acclaimed musicians and young budding artists. The 10-day festival, which kicks off on March 7, will showcase artists from 11 countries and a range of sounds covering everything from jazz, soul and pop to electronic and rock.
One of the highlights is “10 years of Mosaic Moments”, an interactive exhibition in which the best moments of the festival will be brought alive in the form of videos, audio clips, photographs, and autographed posters. As always, Mosiac will include free concerts as well as talks and master classes to help deepen audience appreciation of the music.
The festival, which debuted in 2005, was the first to present such a wide variety of musical genres and performers. It began with a focus on jazz and world music and progressively added alternative and indie music to the line-up. Mosaic has also catalysed new music audiences, generating a buzz and anticipation each year.
“Our 10th edition gives us a great opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of music we traditionally bring to audiences each year,” says Clarence Yap, assistant director of programming for The Esplanade.
“Through the years, the Mosaic Music Festival and the Mosaic Series have helped grow audiences, cultivating interest in a variety of musical genres. We’ve also introduced many artists who have subsequently been commercially presented by a growing music industry. Singapore’s music scene today is rich and vibrant.”
“We’re happy to be celebrating our 10th festival on a high note, gratified that we have played a part in developing a diverse, discerning audience and helped create more commercial opportunities for promoters and festival organisers.
Now that audiences are well served by a wide variety of concerts and festivals, it is timely for us to take stock and to explore charting a new direction to contribute to the music scene not currently served by commercial interests. With this in mind, Mosaic Music Festival 2014 will be the final edition in its current form,” Yap continues.
The festival’s 2014 line-up includes Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Neko Case from the USA; soulful vocalist Buick from Spain; Cuban pianist and composer Omar Sosa together with Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu; pop from Norway’s Young Dreams; Icelandic composer Olafur Arnalds’s neo-classical style; British band The Big Pink’s pop-classicism; and Australia’s The Cat Empire’s genre-busting funk fusion.
Mosaic 2014 will also feature jazz legends and rising stars. These include world-renowned jazz and fusion guitarist, John McLaughlin and his band The 4th Dimension; jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, and modern jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel – known for his brilliant guitar skills and improvisation.
Jazz mentorship programme Bright Young Things, now in its fifth year, will see up to 10 young talents working with instructor-mentors over 10 weeks. This will include a rigorous two-day boot camp after which the young musicians will perform at the festival.

Mosaic Music Festival 2014 runs from March 7 to 16 at The Esplanade, Singapore.
For more, check out www.MosaicMusicFestival.com.