It happens every March. Musicians from around the world hop onto intercontinental planes, gather at the city's performance hotspots that are the Esplanade theaters and music halls and drum up a mish-mash of music genres spanning from jazz to folk-rock. It's all enough to shake Singaporeans out of their bottled pop-induced stupor and listen to some real music.

This, ladies and gentlemen is the essence of the Mosaic Music Festival.

It was conceived in 2005 as a spin-off from the Esplanade’s ongoing Mosaic Series. The inaugural Mosaic Music Festival followed the blueprint laid down by its predecessor which was a series of mini concerts that featured jazz, funk, soul, and world music. Sadly the performances were not well received by early concertgoers.

Since then, they’ve included other genres such as indie-folk, folk rock, Afrobeat, ska, pop, and R&B acts. But it has always featured non-commercial musicians. You know, the ones without the words "lady" or "gaga" in the names or cash cows for concert organizers. Tay Pui Lin, media liaison for Esplanade, told CNNGo that "these acts add to the array of music presentations in Singapore to build a more vibrant concert-attending scene here."

And it shows in the years to follow. 

In the annals of Mosaic Music Festival history, the organizers have brought in Jason Mraz for his country-rock sensibilities, while indie rock group Yo La Tengo headlined next to singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Reggae put in an appearance alongside Múm, an Icelandic experimental music group in 2008, and in 2009, Battles banged out their brand of progressive rock, Indigo Girls wowed with acoustic folk songs, and Mélanie Pain mesmerized the audience with her coy, breathy vocals.

One pattern does pop out though -- Western artistes headline most of the ticketed acts. It’s the same for this year's Mosaic Music Festival 2010 where ticketed acts include crooner Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, indie-folk duo Kings of Convenience, and vintage lounge musicians Pink Martini.

Perhaps it’s harder to get Asian acts that are as eclectic as their western counterparts. Or maybe regional acts just aren’t as big as a draw as "Babyface". Regardless, regional music acts do get their time in the spotlight, but it’s just in a different place -- out along the riverside, or on the concourse within the building.

These shows are free of charge and they reach out to the non-paying public by showcasing local and regional talent in a series of themed performances such as jazz, blues, soul, retro, or electronic music. On any one day during the festival, you might get jazz outfit Omniform who jams at Blu Jaz café, or experimental musicians Signal to Noise from Hong Kong, or hip hop sounds, courtesy of Young of the .XS collective, or reggae from an unlikely source, Windy City from Korea. We think that these acts are as eclectic and as interesting as the ticketed acts.

Apart from concert hall and free shows, the Mosaic Music Festival also includes performances in more intimate settings, like the Heineken Music Club which recreates a club setting for the acts featured such as Breakestra, The GO! Team, and Club M.I.A. featuring Ras Muhamad, Kou Chou Ching & DVJ Azz and Apartmentkhunpa to get up close and personal with the audience.

getting there

Mosaic Music Festival 2010
Ticket prices and venues vary, available via Sistic
1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore
tel +65 6828 8377
www.mosaicmusicfestival.com