SANDAKAN: Sepilok Jazz 2026 gave Shila Amzah the chance to realise a long-held ambition of exploring jazz on stage, with the singer-songwriter saying the festival provided the space to show a different side of herself after 25 years in music.
Shila headlined the two-day international jazz festival at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) here on Saturday (Sept 5), with the event featuring 18 bands and more than 100 musicians from Friday.
“To be honest, I have always looked forward to an opportunity and space like Sepilok Jazz because I have always liked exploring and I also like jazz music,” she said after her performance.
She said the setting allowed her to experiment with her songs and bring to the stage something she had long imagined doing privately.
“It felt new on this stage, but it did not feel new to me because even at home, in front of the mirror, I would imagine myself singing jazz or being in a jazz bar,” she said.
Shila said performing in a genre different from what audiences normally associate her with was both a challenge and an opportunity to reveal another side of her ability.
“It is truly a challenge for someone who probably has never sung jazz before to get this opportunity to showcase hidden talents, especially when people usually know us through other genres,” she said.
She said platforms such as Sepilok Jazz could also encourage more listeners to explore music beyond the genres they usually follow.
“Jazz may not be the genre most Malaysians choose, but a stage like this allows more people to explore jazz, discover other genres and open their minds to something new,” she said.
Fresh from the stage, Shila also praised the audience, saying it had been some time since she last performed a public show in Sabah.
“I have always known that the Borneo crowd is simply amazing, and tonight they gave so much energy that I felt I had to give everything back,” she said.
Shila said taking part in an event associated with conservation also carried a sense of responsibility for her as a public figure, adding that performing was one way she could contribute.
“I only know how to sing, so this is my way of giving back to society, and I hope it can help not only this cause but other causes that I may support in the future,” she said.
Looking ahead, she said she hoped Sepilok Jazz could grow into a larger festival featuring more collaborations between Borneo and peninsula artistes, adding that the energy she felt backstage made her believe Saturday’s appearance would not be her last.
