VietNamNet Bridge – The Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Festival will be held on Saturday this week at Cargo Bar in District 4, HCMC to raise funds for manufacturing wheelchairs for the disabled in Vietnam.


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Roger Ferrell, president of Kids First Enterprise charity, speaks at a news briefing in HCMC on May 19 on the Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Festival – Photo: Minh Nga

 

 

The fourth annual event, organized by Kids First Enterprise (KFE) charity and HCMC-based Saigon Sound System, will be directed by famous Vietnamese saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan and attended by local and foreign artists.

The music night will feature French jazz band PALM, funk and jazz band Tastes Like Chicken whose members are from the U.S., Belgium, France and the Philippines, and Nola Blues Club with multi-national members who love blues music.

The festival will also have young performers, including the British International School Big Band and Jazz Sextet comprising students aged from 11 to 18 at the British International School, 12-year-old saxophonist An Tran, the daughter of Tran Manh Tuan, and 14-year-old pianist Marvin Kociszewsky, together with other jazz and fusion bands established by Tran Manh Tuan, and local singer Mai Khoi.

Roger Ferrell, the president of KFE, said all proceeds from ticket sales in the music festival would be used to fund the manufacture of wheelchairs at a factory operated by the organization in Dong Ha in the central province of Quang Tri.

In the previous three music festivals, KFE raised funds to produce over 300 wheelchairs for needy people from the factory, which is staffed by disadvantaged people in Vietnam, he told a news briefing in HCMC on Thursday (May 19) on the music show.

Rod Quinton, CEO of Saigon Sound System and founder of Cargo Bar, said that with Cargo Bar scheduled to be shut down only two days after the music festival as the property has been acquired by a local firm, the event would make the closure meaningful as it could help people in need.

Music director of the festival Tuan said the staff behind the event would make efforts to continue the charitable music program in the coming years despite the upcoming closing of Cargo Bar.

Tickets for the “Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Festival” are now available on the website ticketbox.vn at VND500,000 (US$22.4) per person, including a voucher for food and drinks.

Cargo Bar is located at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 4.

Minh Nga

    

SGT