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Miri brass band poised to go international
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Monday, 08 February 2010 11:57 |
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MIRI: Mitsuo Nonami has never heard music that is comparable to "what I found in Sarawak”.
His enthusiasm for the Miri Chung Hua Middle School brass band did not end there. Now the music composer and international brass band conductor wants to “adopt” the band and promote it to the world.
“There is untapped musical talent in Sarawak,” he said, referring to the teenaged members of the school band, which has won two world championships.
Veteran
Nonami (third from left) and Ting posing for a picture together with VIPs during the brass band concert on Sunday. - Starpic
Nonami, 66, who has vast experience with concerts in South America, Asia and Europe, said Sarawak music was a unique blend of ethnic sounds and Western music.
Yesterday, Nonami, together with business tycoon Ting Pek Khiing and other local VIPs, attended a three-hour concert by the school band.
Nonami had coached the band on an ad hoc basis over the past five years at the invitation of Ting, who is the board president of the school.
All set for more exposure
Nonami said he hoped to lead the school band to more international concerts and promote its music to a global audience.
The band won the World Brass Band Championship in Italy in 2007 and repeated the feat in Spain last year.
“I hope to lead the band to South Korea and Thailand for concerts this year,” said Nonami.
Ting said he would provide financial aid to the band and help build up the talents of the students.
“If we can give global publicity to the musical talents of our people in Sarawak, we may be able to turn this into a tourism product,” he said in The Star report.
On a related note, Ting reminded individuals who were trying to pull members of the Chung Hua band to join them to stop doing so immediately.
No poaching, please
Those planning to have their own brass band should train their members from the grassroots and not poach from other bands.
According to Bernama, he expressed confidence that their tactics would not work as Chung Hua band members would not jump ship.
“Don't take talents from other bands as this is not fair to us who have made tremendous efforts to train our members,” he said.
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Last Updated on Monday, 08 February 2010 18:25 |
