Three's Company: Junji Delfino, WinnieHO, Kirana Kay

Three’s Company brings together three of Malaysia’s greatest jazz vocalists – Junji Delfino, WinnieHO and Kirana Kay – in a fiercely swinging, all-female powerhouse concert. Singing traditional and contemporary standards, Chinese and Malay songs, and originals from all genres of music, their individual and collective style is innovative and super-charged by boundless musical joy, all rooted in a distinctly Malaysian jazz sound. Expect soaring vocals and a finger-clicking vibe carried by the rhythms of swing, rock ’n’ roll and soul, and accompanied by the award-winning WVC Jazz ensemble.

About the Artists

Junji Delfino is a name deeply etched in Malaysian jazz and performing arts circles. Born into a family whose name is synonymous with music in the Philippines, she has become a vocalist of critical and popular renown, developing a sound and a style all her own. A gifted songwriter, lyricist and composer, Junji has released two albums to great popular acclaim: Here I Am (2010) and It’s Christmas Time Again (with David Gomes, 2014). She has appeared at several jazz festivals, including the first edition of KL International Jazz Festival in 2012, with performances in Southeast Asia and the United States. While she is primarily known in the music circuit as a jazz vocalist, Junji’s name has also appeared in credits for a number of theatre, television and film productions, including the worldwide runaway hit Crazy Rich Asians. There couldn’t have been a more organic transition from singer to thespian. After all, for Junji singing is storytelling set to music and she has told a few thousand stories by now.

With over two decades of professional experience, WinnieHO is a prolific, award-winning singer, producer, music educator and arranger in the audiophile and Chinese jazz scene. Some of her accolades include winner of the Astro Talent Quest and International Chinese Singing Competition, organised by Hong Kong TVB (2000), and Best Vocal Performance Artist PWH Music Award (2018). Her recording portfolio spans eight concept albums, including 2v1g Vol. 1 (2008) and The Jazzy Sounds of Teresa Teng (2012). She has released two self-produced solo albums: Chapter 01. Finally and Chapter 02. He Yun Ni. Winnie’s other primary role is as a lead vocalist with The Shang Sisters, for whom she is responsible for repertoire curation, vocal arrangements and album production.

Kirana Kay is a well-regarded vocalist who performs songs across a spectrum of styles: jazz, pop rock, traditional Malay, RnB and soul – a gifted singer with a wide repertoire. Her major influences include Zainal Abidin, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Kurt Elling, Mel Torme, Miles Davis and Tom Jobim – each has inspired her to become a versatile vocalist with her own twist of improvisation. Kirana’s recent live appearances include the Malaysian Piano Jazz Festival, Simply Jazz by Tinbox in Singapore, and the Bono Jazz Festival in Indonesia.

Formed in 2006, WVC Jazz are one of Southeast Asia’s leading contemporary jazz bands. The group has toured extensively in the region, recalling the spirit of being on the road – the lifestyle of touring jazz bands of old. The present incarnation of WVC consists of band leader/composer/arranger/music director/pianist Tay Cher Siang, bassist AJ Popshuvit and drummer Adriel Wong, and they’re joined by saxophonist Farid Izwan Muhibbuddin and trumpeter Isaac Marvin. WVC have released six instrumental albums of original music: WVC TRiO (2008), Eleven (2009), In the Dark, I See Her (2011), Waiting for That Day (2014), Do Not Go Gently (2016) and Give Thy Ear (2018). Their most recent album, Purnama (2021), revisits songs from the era of Malaysian independence and presents them in fresh contemporary arrangements. WVC won three awards at the prestigious BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2016 and a further two awards in 2020. The band also appeared briefly in the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians.