First Yalong Bay Beach Jazz Festival

Chinese and international jazz bands will perform at the first Yalong Bay Beach Jazz Festival April 27 and 28 in Sanya, Hainan Island. Guests of the Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton will be admitted free, writes Xu Wei.

Jazz goes with sun, moonlight, sand, surf and the Hainan Island tropics. Three five-star resorts in Sanya - the Hilton Resort and Spa, the Marriott Resort and Spa and the Sheraton Resort - will present the first Yalong Bay Beach Jazz Festival April 27 and 28.

All guests at the three resorts will have free admission to concerts by six famous jazz bands, both international and Chinese. They include the Jungle Cats, Liuyuan Jazz Band, Rhythm Dogs, JR Jazz Band, Koh Mr Saxman and Latin Project.

The festival, blending tourism with jazz, is a perfect beginning for the golden holiday week, beginning May 1. The jazz festival is meant to give tourists a different and elegant holiday experience. Some proceeds will be donated to the Bright Connection Center for Brain-Damaged Children.

The resorts hope the festival will attract international visitors to the Forever Tropical Paradise - Sanya.

Many of the jazz artists, who combine classic and new styles, have been honored at important music galas and performed worldwide.

Koh Mr Saxman, a jazz vocalist and saxophonist from Thailand, has made several albums and has performed with his band at international Jazz Festivals such as the Hua Hin Jazz Festival and the Penang Jazz Festival.

JR Jazz Band has performed at the France Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Asian Music Art Season and Denmark North Europe Music Festival.

Latin Project from Cuba presents an alluring flavor of South America, mixing Cuban jazz and Latin jazz, with 10 percent purity, 30 percent melody and 60 percent passion.

In the past decade, jazz in China has undergone big changes and is increasingly popular.