Wow! What an amazing day.
The heat was on. The competition was fierce, but eventually Gordon Chin emerged as the winner for the International Open Category, Raja A/L Kamachi was the winner for National Category 1 and Jeremy Loh was the winner for National Category 2. However, in our books, all the contestants are already winners in their own right. Here are the results...
International Open Category
- Champion - Gordon Chin
- 1st runner up - Mark Polawat
- 2nd runner up - Hsu Shi Chen
- Consolation prize winners - Joyie Lai and Marzuki Khalid
National Category 1
- Champion - Raja A/L Kamachi
- 1st runner up - Bennie Chuah
- 2nd runner up - Ang Ting
- Consolation prize winners - Jayden Chei, Wong Chun Hao, Kevin Tan and Lin Ming Chuan
National Category 2
- Champion - Jeremy Loh
- 1st runner up - Godfrey Chai
- 2nd runner up - James Ooi
Gordon Chin (Winner of International Open Category)
Raja A/L Kamachi (Winner of Category 1)
Jeremy Loh (Winner of Category 2)
A group photo session with all the competitors and organizers
The afternoon's concert started off with local guitar maestro Hady Afro performing his own arrangement of popular tunes. This was followed by Japanese experimental guitarist extraordinaire Hikaru Tanimoto taking to the stage with his huge sounds that he pulled out from the guitar. Hikaru had earlier in the afternoon given a workshop on fingerstyle guitar. He touched on performance as a solo acoustic guitarist and also spoke extensively on the technical aspects of his guitar pick-up system, effects and sounds and specific mention on feedback avoidance on the amplified acoustic guitar.
Hikaru Tanimoto delivering his workshop
Hikaru Tanimoto and Hady Afro during the concert
A word of thanks to the judges of the Qualifying Round i.e. Roger Wang, Edwin Ch'ng, William Kok, Agustin Amigo, Tomi Paldanius and Yowech Yong and to the Grand Finals judges Hikaru Tanimoto, Hady Afro, Victor Ng. Andy Ngew, Farid Othman, Lee Ooi, Brian Gan, Marc Warman and Brent Chong.
Last but not least, we would also like to thank YB Teh Yee Cheu and JKKK Jalan Gajah for sponsoring and supporting the event. Not forgetting Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, The Guitar Lair, LBS Music World, The Guitar Store, Kim Haus, Timbertone Music, Zen Art Music Studio, Spectrum Music, Skor Edu Music and Carolyn Khor's Music Studio as well.
Come catch local fingerstyle guitarists Jack Lin and Kelvin Lee as they put on their maiden solo fingerstyle guitar performance in Penang.
The BOSS Xperience is back!!
Edwin Ch'ng was born and raised in Penang and is a virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist that incorporates a multitude of musical influences and styles, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk and rock – which forms the core of his technique. He received his first guitar in 1992 at age of 11, and while Edwin has never had formal musical training, does not read nor write music, his natural musical ability and intrinsic sense of rhythm has gained him fans around the world. He is currently residing in Perth, Australia and recently topped the instrumental Perth charts in ReverbNation and currently has 3 solo albums under his belt. Some of you may remember him when he recently opened for the Roger Wang concert here back in 2015. Edwin makes his way back to Penang this coming August and this would be a "homecoming concert" of sorts, so let's band together and render him the support as our local Penang-kia.
