Umar Zakaria Trio Feat. Syafiqah Adha & Riduan Zalani

New Zealand’s Best Jazz Artist of 2018 comes to Aliwal Arts Centre for a musical exploration of his Malay roots, teaming up with Singapore’s own Syafiqah Adha on accordion and Riduan Zalani on rebana. The trio plays a mixture of traditional Malay tunes and fresh original compositions, including selections from Umar’s award-winning album, Fearless Music.

“If you are even vaguely curious about the state of New Zealand jazz then this is the album you need to hear.” -Graham Reid, Elsewhere.

“It will be fascinating to see where his career takes him – both here in New Zealand and overseas. I feel like he’s just getting started.” -Damian Vaughan, Recorded Music New Zealand.