Malaysia To Host First World Youth Jazz Festival

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will host the first World Youth Jazz Festival, to be held in Putrajaya from May 23 to 27. Youth and Sports Minister of Malaysia Ahmad Shabery Cheek said it would be held in conjunction with the Gathering of a Million Youths as an effort to attract more international participants to the event. He said 227 Jazz musicians from nine countries, comprising the United States of America, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, India, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, would participate in the festival. "This festival is important as it will help to internationalise the Gathering of the One Million Youths," he told reporters after opening the World Youth Jazz Studio in Sri Petaling, here Friday. He said the selection of Malaysia as the first country to host the festival was made by the Asian Jazz Festival Organization and the World Jazz Society. On the World Youth Jazz Studio, Ahmad Shabery said it would be another venue for youths to show off their talents and to share their knowledge with jazz music lovers from all over the world. This, he said, would indirectly help in efforts to expand the jazz community, comprising people from various background and age, in the country. -- BERNAMA