Juwita Suwito and her band to feature at Music@Curtin

Miri – 30 April 2012 – Well-known singer, songwriter and vocal arranger Juwita Suwito and her band, Flippin’ Pages, will feature at Music@Curtin, a music workshop being organised by the Curtin Music Club at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) on 19 and 20 May 2012.

It will be an exclusive treat for local music lovers, being is the first music workshop of its kind to be held in Miri. Ideal for both beginners and seasoned amateur vocalists and musicians, it will feature group sessions focused on essential skills for vocals, guitar, keyboards and drums, as well as a mini concert by Juwita and Flippin’ Pages at the end of the first day.

The workshop will be held at Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business and is open to students and staff of the university as well as the public. At the end of the workshop, all participants will receive certificates of participation signed by Juwita. Light refreshments will also be provided on both days.

The participation fees are RM25 for Curtin Music Club members, RM35 for students and staff of Curtin Sarawak, and RM50 for members of the public.

According to Sean Lee, president of the Curtin Music Club, the aim of the workshop is to promote a love of music, help local music enthusiasts develop their musical skills, and contribute to the vibrant campus life at Curtin Sarawak, as well as the music scene in Miri.

Larry Asu, advisor to the Curtin Music Club, said up to 200 students and staff of Curtin Sarawak, and 150 external participants, are expected to participate in the workshop. He added that it would be a good opportunity for participants to learn from professionals like Juwita and her band members, who have had considerable experience in the music industry.

“We are very honoured that Juwita and her band have agreed to come for the workshop and support the efforts of the Curtin Music Club to promote music locally,” said Larry.

Juwita’s debut solo album ‘Brand New World’ was awarded ‘Best Local English Album’ at the prestigious Music Industry Awards (AIM) in 2005. She was also nominated for ‘Best Female Vocal Performance in an Album’ that same year. Her second album ‘Juwita Suwito – For Real’ contained the song featured in the popular Malay TV drama ‘Gol Dan Gincu’ and was nominated for ‘Best Local English Album’ at AIM-14 in 2007. Her third album was ‘Take Five with Juwita Suwito at Avanti’.

Juwita’s journey in the professional music scene began in her late teens as backing vocalist for leading Malaysian artistes at gigs, mega concerts and award shows. She soon developed her versatility and was often called upon to record song demos for East Asian publishing houses. Some of those demos were regionally released and caught the attention of many a curious listener. One example is her rendition of ‘Breathe Again’ published by Warner Music Taiwan in the original soundtrack for Mandarin TV drama series ‘The Outsiders’.

In June 2004, Juwita was invited to perform at the Yamaha Endorsee Showcase in Dewan Perdana, Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur where she shared the stage with Akira Jimbo & Minoru Mukaiya, Roger Wang, Hillary Ang, Jose Thomas, David Yee, Arthur Kam, John Thomas, Jerry Lewis, Aubrey Suwito and Mia Palencia.

In December the same year, she took the main stage at the Penang Island Jazz Festival. In 2006, she was commissioned to record ‘One Golden Celebration’, the theme song for Visit Malaysia 2007 commemorating the country’s 50 Years of Nationhood.

As a vocalist, performer and songwriter, the former Malaysian Idol vocal coach continues to make headway in the global arena. In 2008, an Indonesian edition of ‘Brand New World’ was released in partnership with Insight Unlimited Indonesia. Tracks from the studio albums have also been released in Hong Kong in Universal Music’s compilation albums featuring renowned international female artistes like Eva Cassidy and A-Mei.

The Flippin’ Pages performs alongside Juwita at workshops and local concerts. Members of the band who will train participants of the Music@Curtin workshop are Mervin Garawat, Melvin Goh, Andrew Lau, Tony Leo and Wagner Daniel.

To purchase tickets for Music@Curtin, call the Curtin Music Club at 012-853 2093, Curtin Music Club president Sean Lee at 017-863 3268, or advisor Larry Asu at 016-818 5411. Alternatively, one can e-mail the Curtin Music Club at [email protected].

For more information on Curtin Sarawak, visit its website at www.curtin.edu.my, call +60 85 443 939, or e-mail [email protected]. Curtin Sarawak can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CurtinUniversitySarawakMalaysia.