Celebrating six sold-out concerts in early May, the Samui Summer Jazz Festival 2023 donated a significant portion of its takings to bringing music to Samui’s local schools through its charity partner, SOS (Sisters on Samui). www.sistersonsamui.com
Samui’s six-night Samui Summer Jazz Festival 2023 organized by SKÅL International Koh Samui, came to a successful close on May 7 at the stunning 5-star Centara Reserve on Chaweng Beach. Nightly concerts showcased some of the island’s top 5-star resorts and beach clubs, and featured over 20 leading jazz musicians and vocalists from Europe and Thailand in an outstanding collaboration of world-class musical talent.
This year’s festival also featured a special jam session with Samui’s ‘Jazz Up Music School’ with many young fans joining the international jazz artists Rolf Delfos, Alexander Beets, Ellister Margreet van der Molen and Baer Traa on stage for a fun and informal showcase.
Last year’s festival enabled SKAL Koh Samui to donate THB100,000 to the Sisters on Samui ‘Children’s Education Fund’ to support underprivileged children on the island, and a significant proportion of this year’s takings will similarly support the fund.
Commenting on its decision to allocate these funds to music for schools, the head of the SOS Children’s Education Program, said: “We at Sisters on Samui have decided to use funds raised by the Samui Summer Jazz Festival to develop music in local schools. Working with other sponsors, we are purchasing instruments to allow them to form a band which we are presenting to our first school – Wat Phru Khao Tong in Maenam. We thank all those who contributed, this is a dream come true for this group of children.”
The festival was organized by SKÅL International Koh Samui, its charity partner Sisters on Samui [SOS], and main sponsors Conrad Properties International Ltd, Brother, Bangkok Hospital Samui, Bangkok Airways and others.
Samui’s six-night Summer Jazz Festival 2023 came to a successful close Sunday afternoon at the stunning Salt Society restaurant at the 5-star Centara Reserve on Chaweng Beach.
Celebrating six sell-out concerts which showcased some of the island’s top 5-star resorts and beach clubs, the festival featured over 20 leading jazz musicians and vocalists from Europe and Thailand in an outstanding collaboration of world-class musical talent.
At the Centara Reserve, afternoon temperatures soared and the jazz was just as hot as Thailand’s very own Koh Mr. Saxman and his Takeshi band kicked off the show with their high-energy brand of jazz fusion.
The Round Midnight Orchestra led by festival director, Alexander Beets followed, as the Dutch tenor sax supremo was joined by his fellow jazz artists on a stage overlooking the island’s most famous beach, Chaweng.
The show delivered some sensational sax solos from Alexander Beets, Rolf Delfos, Bas Toscani and Susanne Alt, as well as Ellister Margreet van der Molen on trumpet, Sven Rozier on drums,, Marius Beets on bass guitar and Sebastiaan van Bavel on keyboards. On vocals were Baer Traa, Lizzy Ossevoort and Zosja El Rhazisinging their own jazz renditions of popular favourites.
Ticket sales offered the choice of a dinner show or club style cocktail with many fans buying tickets for all 6 nights.
“Samui Sunner Jazz Festival 2023 was an absolutely amazing event.
We attended all events and were not disappointed by any of them.
There were world class jazz music performed by many international and local musicians.
The venues were spectacular and the hosts and staff worked tirelessly to make sure each event went of so professionally.
We are delighted that Samui can host this event and look forward to the next festival next year.”
Jason, The Property Centre, Koh Samui
Meanwhile, one of the main sponsors Conrad Properties Ltd said: “We at Conrad Properties were delighted to sponsor the event in aid of the SOS Children’s Education Fund and also to enjoy a few memorable evenings of fantastic jazz and great company.”
Meanwhile, on plans for next year, organizer Alexander Beets said, “The Samui Summer Jazz Festival team is already thinking about a 2024 edition. The artists found the whole festival a musician’s paradise. A beautiful location, welcoming hospitality, an appreciative audience and an inspiring location for a real artistic performance.”
The Samui Summer Jazz Festival 2023 was organized by SKÅL International Koh Samui, its charity partner Sisters on Samui [SOS], and main sponsors Conrad Properties International Ltd, Bangkok Hospital Samui, Bangkok Airways, is also supported by Oceana Boat Charter and Golden Moon Travel in presenting the Samui Summer Jazz Festival 2023.
About SKAL International Koh Samui [https://kohsamui.skal.org/]
SKAL Koh Samui is the Samui chapter of the global travel and tourism organization SKAL International – the world’s largest international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. It currently has over 13,000 members worldwide. There are currently six SKAL International Clubs operating throughout Thailand in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Krabi and Samui. www.skal.org
About Sisters on Samui [ www.sistersonsamui.org] The ‘Sisters on Samui Foundation’ (SOS) is a non-profit NGO with Charitable Foundation (Thai Reg. 2/2564) status, which is currently celebrating 25 years supporting the island community, through fundraising, community outreach programmes and regular social events. The ‘Samui Summer Jazz Festival’ contributes funds to the organisation’s Children’s Educational Programme