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I want to be less busy, says Jeremy Monteiro

SINGAPORE — Jeremy Monteiro has had an incredible 2014.

SINGAPORE — Jeremy Monteiro has had an incredible 2014.

Some of the Cultural Medallion winner’s highlights this year include a China tour with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra as well as a gig at the EFG London Jazz Festival 2014. Monteiro also played judge on MediaCorp’s songwriting competition, Gift Of Song and has just released his first Christmas album in more than 20 years, Christmas In Our Hearts.

“This year has been my most productive and most prolific year,” Monteiro said, over cups of hot chocolate and coffee at the Singapore Art Museum. “I have not achieved this before. It’s almost two-and-a-half years’ worth of work. I don’t know why I set out so many projects for myself!”

And we haven’t even started on his coming Jazzy Christmas concert, which will be held at the Esplanade Concert Hall this Saturday. This year, the 54-year-old will be performing with two renowned jazz vocalists, American Kenny Washington and Singapore’s own Rani Singam. Even though he’s done 10 editions of Christmas concerts, Monteiro said he won’t be on auto-pilot and is working hard to surprise his audience.

“The first time we (held the Jazzy Christmas concert), we knew that it was something we wanted to keep doing,” Monteiro said. “The first few times we played at the Esplanade were very daunting, because the hall is such an august hall, a grand hall. But after playing there four or five times, it becomes an old friend. When you start to not fear the hall anymore, you understand the acoustics, then it becomes easier.”

Nevertheless, while Monteiro will be celebrating the season with his musical friends and fans onstage, when it comes to Christmas, he said, nothing beats the moments he had as a child.

“In my adult life, I haven’t really enjoyed Christmas as much as when I was a kid. I was always working — even before my Jazzy Christmas concerts — I was always playing at some club or some private function. I guess my best Christmas memories are my childhood memories. Childhood and teenage years, when my whole family was together.” (Monteiro’s mother passed away earlier this year.)

Yet, Monteiro doesn’t intend to slow down too much in the near future. With less than two weeks left until year’s end, Monteiro is already all geared up for another busy year ahead. The 54-year-old has a whole series of projects and performances lined up for at least the first half of next year, including a Chinese New Year jazz album, a slot at the Singapore International Jazz Festival and a book called Random Thoughts, a collection of his essays and anecdotes about his life and work.

However, he’s looking to slow down after that. “I don’t want to be so busy. I want to look for more value projects, because I gave myself too much to do this year. I had hardly any rest, so when it comes to Christmas, all I want to do is just sleep for two days,” he said, laughing. “That’s my Christmas wish. I’ll have breakfast and then go back to sleep.”

Jeremy Monteiro’s A Jazzy Christmas: Let’s Keep Christmas In Our Hearts will be held on Dec 20, 7.30pm, at the Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets from S$30 to S$70 from SISTIC.

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