The colourful and cosmopolitan island of Penang was the perfect setting for the recent world music event. Held in the beautiful Botanical Gardens at Quarry Park, the Penang World Music Festival 2013 featured a diverse line-up of great bands from Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, Philippines, Iran, Japan, Bulgaria, and more, plus homegrown Malaysian talent.

The crowd that came to enjoy two afternoons of musical workshops and two nights of superb live music was equally diverse and included plenty of locals, expats and holidaymakers of all ages. There was a very friendly vibe and it’s a superb festival for the whole family to enjoy.

I really enjoy photographing live music but haven’t had the opportunity for a while so it was good to get out of Bangkok and head down to Penang, get into some cool sounds, indulge myself with fabulous food that the island is renowned for, and snaps some shots of the bands. 

Highlights for me included Kalayo from the Philippines, Kimi Djabaté from Guinea-Bissau, and trumpeter Rio Sidik from Bali but to be honest there wasn’t a bad band on this year’s line-up.

Good live music is hard to come by in Southeast Asia but with a host of top quality festivals throughout the year, Malaysia is miles ahead of neighbouring Thailand.Hopefully the Penang World Music Festival will be back in 2014. I’ll certainly be there.

If you are in the region, watch out for the Borneo Jazz Festival in mid-May, and the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak at the end of June.

Music lovers in South East Asia, mark your calendar. The Penang World Music Festival 2013 has just been confirmed for March 30 and 31. Once again, the colourful event will be held at Quarry Park in the Penang Botanic Gardens. Organised by Penang Tourism, this year 12 bands will perform including Mu from Portugal, Kimi Djabate from Guinea-Bissau, Nasout from Iran, the Alp Bora Quartet from Turkey, Saharadja  from Indonesia, Inka Marka from South America, Kalayo from the Philippines, and a few as yet unannounced Malaysian bands.

In addition to evening performances at the concert all bands will take part in daily workshop sessions from 2 pm. The workshops give the public the chance to participate and learn the unique music making processes of the international artists. Evening shows will start at 7 pm ‘til late. The open-air festival will also include a bazaar offering food and drink, souvenir, crafts and performers’ CDs.

It’s true to say that for many years Malaysia has lead the way in the region when it comes to showcasing a diverse range of non-mainstream music. They should be loudly applauded and supported so get your tickets for the Penang World Music Festival now.  See you there!

PWMF 2013 tickets can be purchased at RM80 per adult and RM40 per child for the one-day pass, and RM140.00 per adult and RM70.00 per child for the two-day pass. Click here for more information.

In addition to the great music, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the lovely island of Penang.

The official hotel sponsor for the festival is Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

Here’s a bit of good news for lovers of quality live music. If you are anywhere in Southeast Asia at the end of March it’ll be well worth making a detour and heading over to Penang in Malaysia.

The Penang World Music Festival returns after a hiatus of three years. It will be held from 30^th March to 1^st April 2012 at the Quarry Garden within the beautiful Botanic Gardens, not far from the heart Georgetown.

When it comes to life music, Malaysia is way ahead of its neighbours, and the return of the Penang World Music Festival is a another welcome addition to the annual events calendar that includes Borneo Jazz in May, the fabulous Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak during July, and the Penang Island Jazz Festival in late November/December.

Huun Huur Tu performing at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak a few years ago.

The 3^rd Penang World Music Festival will feature renowned musicians from Malaysia as well as a great line-up of international artists. They’ll be 18 bands in all, performing and conducting workshops, including Maite Hontele from Colombia, Beoga from Ireland, the Tori Ensemble from South Korea, Phong Nguyen Ensemble from Vietnam, Loyko from Russia, and the band I am really looking forward to seeing most of all, Altan Urag from Mongolia. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several Mongolian and Tuvan bands and am always enthralled by them. I actually discovered the sound years ago through my love of the music of Frank Zappa after seeing a film of him at home having a ‘musicial soiree’ with members of Huun Huur Tu, a band I was lucky enough to interview and see perform a few years back at Rainforest World Music Festival.

You can find out more about the line-up at the 3^rd Penang World Music Festival website. The event is organized by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism & Culture and the official sponsoring hotel for the event is Hard Rock Hotel.

I really enjoy the challenge of photographing live music and am looking forward to capturing images of the performers. And of course there’ll also be the chance to explore the delightful UNESCO World Heritage town of Georgetown and other attractions in Penang. For flights to Penang from Bangkok and other regional destinations, check-out the no-frills, no service, and plenty of bad attitude, Air Asia or for a little extra enjoy the service and quality of Malaysia Airlines.