Beishan Jazz Fest promises to be better than ever

The 8th Beishan International Jazz Festival will be held at the newly constructed Beishanli Square in Beishan Village of Nanping Town from Oct 4 to 5, bringing together nearly 30 jazz musicians from 10 countries and regions.

The seven-year-old festival is a first-of-its-kind mega-event in China integrating live music, light, and electronic DJ shows. This year's session coincides with the Chinese traditional Mid-Autumn Festival on Oct 4.   

With a theme of "Amour," the festival will join with the Guangdong Audio Video Lighting Sci-tech Promotion Society to introduce top-notch technology for a precision blend of high-end acousto-optic arts of music.

Formerly held at the outdoor square of Beishan Hall, this year's event will put on shows on a huge tent-shaped indoor stage in Beishanli Square. 

World-renowned pianist David Braid is a billboard performer. The Canadian artist has won several Juno Awards. Dubbed "a jazz genius to call our own" by local media, he has reaped many top awards for the score for Born to Be Blue. Starring Ethan Hawke, the film retraces the lifetime of jazz genius Chet Baker.

Canadian pianist David Braid

Artists scheduled for the festival include Cannonball, the winner of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival; Mathias Heise Quadrillion from Denmark; HANG EM HIGH, a group that combines the punk style of western rock and jazz with live electronic music; and Maxime Bender's "UNIVERSAL SKY" with musicians from Luxembourg, France, and Denmark.

Festival organizers will also partner with several famed cultural and creative organizations such as Goodone to throw a vintage party. Retro clothes, vintage leatherware, furniture, accessories, and antiques will travel forward through time and space to be part of the festival.

Beishanli is to witness an extravaganza rich in content and dimensions offered at various sites on multiple stages: an integration of auditory, visual, and gourmet experiences.  

Lineup of the 8th Beishan International Jazz Festival [Photos courtesy Southern Metropolis Daily]