It was perhaps one of the arts festival that was least publicised but the 9th Johor Baru Arts Festival 2012 or JB Arts Fest took place with a lot of hype and buzz. There were all types of activities running around the festival village that included the likes of music, performances, visual arts exhibitions and many others.
Jason’s Boys were entertaining the crowd through their guitar strumming and plucking while there were also musical performances from the likes of Guitarman and Friends as well as the D’Arte Ensemble. Then there was also the ‘3 Faces’ traditional dance performance by Joseph Gonzales’ Aswara while Moscowfish, a Canadian duo team enteretained people at Bar Lazio in Danga Bay.
The JB Arts Fest was organized by the Tan Sri Shahir Abdul Samad team that included the Johor Society of the Performing Arts and Iskandar Malaysia against the rich heritage of the state and it was to push Johor Baru as a modern city with a vibrant soul, so said Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, the CEO of the Iskandard Regional Development Authority. The JB Arts Fest was to ensure that the tradition and culture of the state is preserved and continue to be practiced amidst the fast moving modernisation efforts in the southern state and most prominently in Iskandar Malaysia.
The JB Arts Fest was essentially one of the best places for aspiring artists from all genres to showcase their talent and art work where apart from the performances, there were also exhibitions by college students and just about something for everyone who loves art to enjoy. After all, JB Arts Fest is one of the longest running arts fest in the country which encompasses all the disciplines of the performing arts and it was ideal to showcase Malaysia’s talents and artistic culture against the backdrop of a modern and rapidly developing region.
