We are very close to Taiwan........

Wow...... I couldn't imagine that not more than 1 week, next tuesday we will go to Taiwan for the 6th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival and Competitions.... I have been very busy on preparing all the things that need to bring before I leave here..... That's why I didn't update my blog very frequence......

I heard that, this coming festival got a lot of people take part in competitions as well as visitor.... last time in Hong Kong 2004 is around 1300 to 1500 people all together. But this time, the organizer guess that will have 2000 to 2500 people coming for this festival..... is so many people.......

I have 3 video file that took in the 6th National Harmonica competitons in YMCA. That is the open ceremory performance..... Thanks to Penang harmonica friends that provide me this video file...... and I can share to everybody who don't have chance to come to the event....

The first video is I am playing Chromatic harmonica...... I will explain more in the future about all type of harmonica.... and now just let you have some idea about Chromatic harmonica..... The song that i played was composed by George Gerhswin. He was a great piano player and he composed a lot of great work such as "Rhapsody in Blue" , "I got Rhythm" , "Summer Time" and so on...... The song that I played is his greatest work as well, call "An American In Paris" it is an orchestra work and I re - arrange it into Jazz band work to play it...... I love this song very very much.... I hope you enjoy it also.....




The second song that I play is a country pop song. "Cotton Eye Joe" this is also a very nice piece that can show harmonica can play a lot of variety song.I use diatonic harmonica to play this song.... The new suzuki diatonic harmonica Pure Harp and Fire harp is so excellent and airtight.I counldn't imagine a wood harp can be so powerfull and the tone is amazing..... When you play it, you can easily doing any technicque on it and you alwasy have your full control on this Suzuki diatonic harp... I have re - arrange the song into disco dance style, very energytic and powerfull.....



The last video is my partner and I playing "Two Guitars" this is a very nice pieces and it played by the world greatest trio in Israel.... Their group name is Adler Trio.... You can see it there is 3 differnt harmonica together. There is a Bass harmonica, Chord harmonica and myslef is a chromatic harmonica. The one who play Bass harmonica is Mr. Oscar Tan, very talented harmonica player, the one who play chord harmonica also very good player, Mr. Patrick Koh.... We use to perform around Malaysia and evnet oversea like China and Singapore.....Last time they went to Japan also, unfortunetely I can not go with them......but this time they can not go to Taiwan.... hai...... all is because of "Working" hhahahaha..... hope you enjoy it....

2002 Japan 4th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival Last Day

Nothing to do when we go to the airport..... When we pack our luggage, we really feel don't want to come back to Malaysia at that time......... One week we stay in Japan, but I didn't feel enough at all.... Don't know why..... everytime when the festival come to the end, I always feel that I want to stay longer or spend more times on that place....

One week, you can say it is long and also can say it is short.... but for me... I hope it can be 1 month.... at least I can have more time to go others place for sight seeing...... I think in the future, I will go to Japan again.... just for travel..... then maybe I will feel enough...... Because I didn't go to Tokyo, Disneyland, and others famous attractive place....

Because of harmonica..... I really have a lot of exciting journey in my life..... Although this small little instrument is not so popular in the market..... but for sure, this little harmonica have given me a lot of colors.... not only in my life but also in music...... I hope that in the future, I can fully utilise this instrument to travel around the world.... make friends...... sight seeing... concert..... of course I also hope that I can have my own CD album....... I also wish that I can use this little instrument to help more people in this world......

The up coming journey is very close to me.... 1st of August..... we will go to Taiwan for the 6th Asia Pacific Harmonica festival and competitions event...... I think this time I will bring more information back from Taiwan....... But before that.... in 2004, The 5th Asia Pacific Harmonica festival is in Hong Kong.... I took a lot of photos in Hong Kong also..... I will post that event also...... Hope you can enjoy what I have write in my blog...... Thank you for you time.....

As you can see the Aeroplane wing Jal.... we are coming back from Japan........

This is the food that provided in the plane.... not bad also.... hehehehe......

2002 Japan 4th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 7th Day

After the firework, then we our tour in Japan almost come to the end already...... and today is closing ceremory. That means the harmonica festival is come to the end already. We will received the prizes today......

We won in the small ensemble open category.... I am so happy that we could won gold metal in this catergory.... and all the effort and hardwork that we have put in is return back to us.....

This video was taken after the award ceremory, they having a short performance to close this harmonica festival..... I am so upset that why the time going so fast.... I hope can stay longer and have fun with all the people around others country.....

Singapore Mr.Yew Hong Jen concert

On 30th on June, I went to Singapore to watched Mr. Yew Hong Jen harmonica concert... why I do so??? is because when I started playing harmonica, I listen to his album and what he recorded is so wonderful and fantanstic. I love his playing very well... He is not just master the harmonica technique but also his musical playing style... No matter what song he played, it is so touching and perfectly express with his golden harmonica... One of the famous pieces is Butterfly Lover, originaly written for violin. I never think of harmonica can play this song and sounds so nice..... I was so excited and hope to watch his live performance, and finally I have a chance to watch his live concert...

That is his solo concert, without any others guess performer.... he played a lot of master pieces such as L.V. Beethoven, Pablo de Sarasate, George Enesco and some of the chinese folk song.... I love the Jota Navarra by Pablo de Sarasate very much. Although song originaly written for violin, but when I heard he played this song, it's sounds like specially written for harmonica.... He played so well in double notes and this song almost 80% is double notes. It is a waltz dance song.... When I heard it, you really will feel like dancing..... I hope he can have more and more concert coming in the future... and can let more people know that harmonica is a very fantastic instrumnet......

I have took photos with him after his concert, he is very nice and honest person... I hope that in the future stil can listen to his Butterfly Lover in live concert......

That is Mr Yew, he is so nice and kindest.......

That is his daugther, Miss Yew Jia Ling. His daugther use to accompany him in all his album as well as live performance.... Her playing also very nice.... very musical.....

2002 Japan 4th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 6th Day

Come back to Japan trip again, I think I stop for fews week already.... now continue back to the 6th day of my Japan trip......

Today is a very special day, because at Atsugi, every year in August they will have a fireworks day.It is sponser by all the Japan company. It is 2 hours long nonstop. All the fireworks is so beautiful. Some of the fireworks have smilly face, star, love, mickey mouse, flower and so on..... you will never forget once you saw it there...... I have upload some of the photo and short video. You can have a look on it.



This is the hotel that I stay, "Park Royal" 5 star hotel, damn expensive.... because all the budget hotel and 3 star already fully book... then we have no choice.... On that day, there are a group of people playing that instrument infront of our hotel.. I don't know the instrument name, but it's look very cool and beautiful........



There is some painting on the instrument, all are not same... looks very beautiful.....



The we continue our trip walking towards the bridge......




A lot of Japanese girl wearing Yukata and there were a lot of people walking towards the bridge to watch the fireworks.....



This is the bridge that I mension just now.... as you can see in the photo, there were a lot of people going there......







Along the road, you can see there is a lot of different food and drinks selling......






A lot of people sitting beside or under the bridge..... I think nearly over 10 thousand people.....




This is the others side, when we reach there, already full of people......








This were some of the photos taking, hahaha..... so nice and beautiful....... and I have upload some video you can see it and hear it also.......




you can heard there is a children shouting there.... hehehe....




This one is just nice, all the big fireworks just came out on that moment....




This is the last part of the fireworks, you can see there is a line there and the fireworks falling from the line, is just like a fireworks rain...... so beautiful and you can heard there is a harmonica music going on also.....

1 Month Later........ We are going to Here... Taiwan..... The 6th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival and Competitions......

Start count down from now.One month later, we will go to Taiwan for this coming Asia Pacific Harminica Festival...... Congratualations to 16 Yu Hua student that will take part on this coming festival. Because they have successful get sponser from public to help them to go over there to participate in this competitions.... Thank you very much for those who sponser them and I think all the student will do their best in this competitions.....

This is the official website from Taiwan http://www.2006aphf.org.tw:8080/ anyone who intrested can have a look on it......

6th Malaysia-Singapore Harmonica Competition second day

Jit Sin from Penang, they was playing solo on the stage....



Aik Hong, playing harmonica concerto in solo category... well playing.....



Jit Sin school, playing duet during the 1st round....



Jit Sin school were playing trio in the 1st round......




The others 2 Jit Sin team, also playing in Trio 1st round.....



During the rest time, some of the school were having meeting and try to do their very best on the next categorys.....

Yu Hua school, were taking Trio category as well....

The others Yu Hua team, the one who stand in the middle is Soon Hock Chuan. He just show up in NTV7 show and get help from NTV7 to get the sponser ship to Taiwan....

Seem like only Jit Sin school have sent me some of the photo, the others penang school didn't sent to my email. the event is not just Jit Sin and Yu Hua school take part. There actually got a fews more school took part in this competitions and there is one trio team from Singapore took part in this competitions as well.......

I am not sure which team is this..... but as can see it in the photo, there are a lot of girl playing harmonica as well. Compare with last time.....

Fews Yu Hua team taking part in Quatet ensemble category.... all of them are playing very well.... Wish they can continue to keep their hard work and improve themself more before they go to Taiwan.....

All the audience are so concentrate on the stage while all the contestent were playing on the stage..... On the final round that day, from morning 9am to 7pm I just sat on the chair with all the judge to give them mark.... I think that is the only day I have listen to harmonica music for so many hours..... hahahaha.......

Before the organizer annouced the result, 3 of us were playing on the stage and everybody is so happy and enjoy until come up on the stage dancing with us....

Soon Hock Chuan, won gold prizes in the Blues Harp Diatonic category.....

Yu Hua school were won gold metal in the Quatet open catogory.....

All the Yu Hua school player were so excited when the organizer announced the got champion.... The others Penang school also have won several champion... congratualations to all of them....

Some of the Yu Hua student were crying on the spot when they know that they won in the competitions.....

Jit Sin and Yu Hua school band were taking photo together.......

This Trio team is from Singapore..... 3 of them driving all the way long from Singapore to KL....

All the players and supporter from Singapore....

All the judge taking photo on the stage.... Except Mr Chong Ah Kow, left number 5, 10 of us were doing judge on this 6th Malaysia-Singapore Harmonica Competition...

We were taking photo with all the worker and volunteer. Without theyor helping this event is not going to be runing smoothly...... Thanks to the organizer and all the student and people who coming to this festival.... we hope that next year will have more harmonica event and lets public can have chances to know more about harmonica.......