Sarawak attracts music lovers

22 May 2014  2048 | World Travel News

Sarawak’s state capital, Kuching, will host the 17th Rainforest World Music Festival, 20 to 23 June.
Organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board, the three-day celebration of music includes workshops and action-packed stage shows.
The sape, a boat-shaped lute, has become the symbol of the Rainforest World Music Festival and reflects how indigenous music remains at the core of the three-days of concerts that attracts a colourful mix of local and international performers.
Music from the lutongs, jatong utangs and the haunting nose flute, traditional and highly valued gongs from the Bisayah community who come from the North of Sarawak will be featured at this remarkable music festival.
Complementing these will be old folk tunes from the different indigenous communities in Sarawak, which have been improvised with a contemporary element, but without losing the simple beauty of the way of life in Borneo.
There are also bands from peninsula Malaysia performing at the festival and from neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia. More than 20 bands will perform some of them from as far afield as New Zealand, France, Spain, Cuba and the Ukraine.
Every year, thousands and thousands of music lovers travel across the globe for that annual pilgrimage to Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
The event is hosted in Santubong, a 45 minute drive from Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. It has once again been voted among the top 25 international festivals for the 5th consecutive year by Songlines, a renowned world music magazine. Nearer home, the festival has been awarded the BrandLaureate Country Branding Award 2012 to 2013 by the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation for its efforts in bringing the country to the international stage.
The Rainforest World Music Festival brings together renowned world musicians from all continents and indigenous musicians from Borne, attracting more thn 20,000 music lovers from around the region.
This year, concurrent with workshops, there will be shows in the afternoon at 1400 on the theatre stage.
For festival-goers who wish to interact with the musicians and experience the music and dance of the different cultures up close, the workshops will continue at the same time at various longhouses’ at the cultural village venue. In the evenings there are five-hour concerts that take place on a main stage and smaller “Tree Stage” that carries on past midnight.
2014 lineup has been confirmed. On the Theatre stage in the afternoon, will be Talago Buni from Indonesia, Horomona Horo from New Zealand, Ding Yi Music Company from Singapore, Stephan Micus from Germany, Lan E Tuyang from Sarawak, and Ryuz from Japan.
On the main Jungle stage and Tree stage for the night performance will be Bisaya Gong Orchestra from Sarawak, Kalakan (Spain), Son Yambu (UK/Cuba), Karinthalakoottam (India), Blackbeard’s Tea Party (England), Dakha Brakha (Ukraine), Yayasan Warisan Johore Zapin Group (Malaysia), Jamie Smith’s Mabon (Wales), Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Italy), Nading Rhapsody (Sarawak), Debademba (Burkina Faso/Ivory Coast/France), Geng Wak Long (Malaysia), La Cor De La Plana (France), Bedok Ensemble (Sarawak), Gordie Mackeeman & his Rhythm Boys (Canada), and Jagwa Music (Tanzania).
The Borneo World Music Expo (BWME) will be again to integrate with the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF). After the inauguration last year, the event had shown potential resulting in some of the bands showcased being brought for tours in Europe and the United States.
This event will bring together professionals from the international music scene who will converge in Sarawak just before the festival to share ideas.
This music expo will integrate a trade fair, musical showcases, conferences, exhibitions and networking sessions which would promote culture and music. It is specifically designed to expose Asian and ethnic musicians to the international music scene.
The 2nd Borneo World Music Expo will be held from 16 to 18 June 2014.
PRE-SALE promo tickets available until 19 June at www.rwmf.net . After the promo, regular-priced tickets will be sold at RM130 adult p/day and RM340 3-day pass (above 12 years). Children tickets (3 to 12 years old) are RM60 p/day and RM160 for a 3-day pass.

Sourced: ttrweekly

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