Songwriters' Round #8

Date: 22th June, 2007,
Time: 9.00pm
Venue: MOJO
Fee: RM20 with complimentary beer or wine

KUCHING: Songwriters' Round is taking place at 9pm this Friday at MOJO, located at Denise the Wine Shop, Ground Floor, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Now in its eight round, MOJO's Songwriters' Round is one of Kuching's best kept secrets, showcasing local and visiting singer-songwriters in a casual, "living room" style performance.

Friday's set will feature Gina Sim, MonkeyKat and Evenstarr.

Jazz singer Gina Sim is currently a music major student (composition and arranging) at LaSalle University of the Arts, Singapore. She is currently studying under Australian Saxophone player and Composer, Tim O’Dwyer.

An active singer in local music cafes and clubs, her voice coaches includes Dr. Wong Su Sun (Phd. (Operatic Theatre)), Adrian Poon (B(Mus) voice major and Kenwy Ho (M(Mus), Central Conservatory). She now serves as the 1st Alto in various choirs.

MonkeyKat took home the award as Winners of Rexona Bandkuest 2006 with their brand of Japanese-pop.

Lead vocalist Xiao Ing is described with having Anime vocals and sweet looks, is especially built for singing pop, pop/rock and acoustic tunes.

Guitarist Chubby Nick is an ex-member of Dream Machine and an active sessionist for bands like Tribus and CR-25. He is currently a Guitar and Bass instructor in Kenwy Ho Music House.

Kenzo Ho, originally a Chinese traditional percussion specialist, discovered his love for playing the standard kit upon joining local Chinese band Dream Machine as a session percussionist. He is currently a drum instructor of Kenwy Ho Music School and a percussion coach for the ‘Dong Fang’ Chinese Orchestra.

Expect nothing less from a band with such diverse experience as they will face up the challenge to perform an acoustic gig.

Evenstarr is a familiar group that will deliver an energetic style of modern rock blending sparkling riffs spiked by catchy guitar hooks that carry deeply insightful concept lyrics.

The band's songs address such complex issues as spirituality, the insecurity and ego of youth, solitude, reminiscence and regret but always, always wrapped in a sense of direction, optimism and hope. While mostly referring to the reality of problems that the youth of today face, their songs acknowledge a higher power and reflect on the moral values that have taken a back seat in contemporary society.

As a result, Evenstarr's music has been acclaimed as being structurally and conceptually inventive and unique, and refreshing for the Malaysian music scene.

Their highly infectious and memorable compositions have been described by rock critics as on par with the innovation of Indonesian rock icons like Dewa and Sheila On 7, with their lyrics inspired by the poetic depth of Padi and U2.

Past rounds have included bands like The Times, Tempered Mental, SingleTrackMind and One Buck Short, and solo acts like Owen Nicholas and Reynold Ahvit. The more obscure songwriters consistently surprise with the level of their writing skill.

The selection criteria of the producer will not be based on reputation or genre, but only that the music performed should be good original compositions, and that people would have a good time listening to them.

Songwriters' Round welcome new, old, or otherwise non-professional songwriters, and will open the floor to those who wish to play after the featured acts are done. Due to logistic limitations, the open mike is for acoustic solo performers only and we are not able to accept bands.

For further information, please contact Gerald at 016-8888905.