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Singapore – the beating heart of the East-meets-West cosmopolitan crowd, with its breathtaking sophistication, masses of discerning consumers with spendthrift tastes and a reputation for attraction only the best of the best. One needs only to look beyond its outwardly prim and proper façade, with its fanatical urban neatness and love of order, to discover a cultural kaleidoscope of colour, music and artistry that draws in people from all walks of life.

The Lion City’s burgeoning reputation as an East Asian hub of the arts and culture is propped up by a series of festivals and events eager to capitalize on its status as an ethnic melting pot. The Mosaic Music Festival is one such key entertainment event that holds a special place among the roster of Singapore’s yearly festivities.

This musical extravaganza, which currently spans over a duration of 10 days, was first launched in 2005 by Singapore’s internationally-acclaimed performance venue, the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. Arguably the epicentre of modern Singapore’s fine arts scene, the Esplanade is a landmark venue in the city, known fondly among locals as the “Big Durian” due to its imposing dome structure. The festival was launched as a platform for bringing together local and international artists in the genres of soul and jazz music. Since opening to rave reviews region-wide, the festival has grown to include a variety of other musical genres, from R&B and hip hop to indie, folk rock and a range of experimental styles.

The growing prestige and appeal of the music festival has so far drawn a number of international stars; past headlining performers include the jazz star Harry Connick Jr. and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, rock musicians Yo La Tengo and blues band Buddy Guy. Featured acts include a range of eclectic performers, from the Grammy Award winner hip-hop group The Roots to African maestro Dhafer Youssef and even vaudeville musicians from Canada. The crowds have also grown steadily by the tens of thousands, with ticket enquiries beginning almost a year in advance.

The brains behind the music extravaganza hope not only to provide the audience with a true immersion and introduction to all possible music genres but also to give artists an opportunity to really connect with their audience.

Today, the Mosaic Music Festival lists over a hundred acts in their yearly schedule of events, over 50 percent of which are free of charge. These performances are staged in acoustically state-of-the-art venues both inside and around the Esplanade Music Station, with local and regional bands serenading the strolling crowds outside. The new programme of events also encourages music fans to stay out past bedtime with their innovative “11^th hour” segment, featuring performances of well-loved international favourites such as Sweden’s Jose Gonzalez and Rickie Lee Jones beginning an hour before midnight, just to spice things up. With all this and more on the roster of festivities, the Mosaic Music Festival may be safely lauded as the most anticipated musical extravaganza in Singapore’s calendar of events.

Music fans flocking to the Lion City in the hope of catching their favourite music stars would do well to find accommodation at a centralized hotel in Singapore that affords immediate access to all the prime sightseeing venues of the city. The Studio M Hotel is a chic and stylish Clarke Quay hotel placed ideally in Singapore’s premier entertainment district, offering easy access to the shopping artery of Orchard Road and the Central Business District. The location is augmented by the hotel’s reputation for personalized service and warm hospitality.

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