Photos from the Rainforest World Music Festival 2009

I had promised that day, as soon as i arrived home from Kuching, that i would--before i ever get busy again and then forget--write and upload some pictures of the Rainforest World Music Festival on to my personal 'online' photo and data storage that's on a few domain here on www.

Somehow, that never got actioned. *sigh*

But today,...well, i wanted to write and tell you a lot about the festival, but as i am lacking in time, i thought perhaps just showing you pictures (and some little details) of the festival might be best. Here are some that were taken on Saturday, Day 2 of the festival. Enjoy.

Unless you're a VIP or an official or one of the committee members for this event or a guest at the resort next to SCV, you're not allowed to drive straight to the festival grounds. You have to park your car at the junction of Santubong Resort and hop on the official shuttle to SCV for RM5.00 (per way). That was just what we did.

Official ticket counter--located at the junction of Santubong Resort just 3 minutes drive away from SCV--for the shuttle (a mini van, really) to SCV.

Upon arrival at the entrance of SCV, this sign immediately caught my eyes because i really thought they look very familiar. I remember seeing this sign in the making a few months back at this guy's little hut where he spends most of his time making the traditional Orang Ulu instrument called 'Sape' (pronounced sa-pe' - a kind of lute instrument carved from a single bole of wood). I was introduced to him--his name is Matthew Ngau-- by my fiance who takes weekly Sape lessons from him. Later, i got to know that Matthew is a well-sought after person by the Sarawak Tourism Board and the Malaysia Tourism and he's been on many of the country's tourism roadshows around the world displaying and performing tunes on the Sape. You'll see some of his pictures here later.

At the entrance, prior to stepping into the festival grounds, we had to go through a few health, safety and security procedures.

Bag check.

Thermal and and body scan. And then we're in.

Once we were cleared at the entrance, we made our way to our first stop--the Iban Longhouse.

This is at the Iban Longhouse, one of the three venues for the music workshops held in the afternoon--the other two being at Dewan Legenda and Theartre Hall. Only managed to attend the first workshop held at this longhouse.

'Instruments that Struck' was the title of this first music workshop at the Iban Longhouse. Commenced at 2:45pm, musicians from different performing groups shared their know-how on their music instruments. There was a troupe of musicians from Bali at this workshop who performed a music ensemble called 'gamelan'. And i found myself later grooving to their chants called 'Kecak'.

Inside the Iban longhouse - the 'ruai' (public hallway where gatherings are normally held)

Outside the longhouse - the 'tanju' (verandah or open porch)

And guess who i bumped into walking about the 'tanju' of the longhouse?

Cheryl Samad. Do you know her?
After the longhouse-- which we left before the first workshop finished--we walked around a bit.

Concert ground and Stage 1 (main stage). The 'X' indicates areas that people are not supposed to occupy and stand on. It serves as a pathway for the medic team should emergency situations (e.g. people fainting, etc) occur, also for other still 'sober and sane' people to tread on when they feel like they've had enough or simply need to make a doodie. But, no one really paid attention to this mark on concert time. So, it wasn't really that effective.

Stage 2 --used when performers' instruments on Stage 1 need to be cleared for the next group's instruments set-up.

The Orang Ulu house. Also available for a homestay experience during the festival, of course for a fee.
As we were walking, almost making one big round, we came by to a small desk where a lady was meticulously and skilfully applying henna designs on her customer's palms. I wanted so badly to be 'henna-ed' too but the line was too long to wait so i moved on.

There were others who found their own excitement while workshops in the three venues were going on.

At c. 5:30pm, we started to head up the slope close to Dewan Legenda to pick our sitting spot for the concert that evening. But there were others who were already there much earlier to 'book' their spots. More 'kiasu' that we were. Nevertheless, we still managed to spread our orange polytarp sheet on a good spot that's just a few meters left of the main stage (Stage 1).

The lady in green shirt is Audrey, a former colleague of mine, and that was our spot for the evening.

This is one of the best spots to sit if you don't fancy going to the center 'field' to shake your bomboms and go wild with the rest of them party people.

The concert started with a performance by a group from Malaysia called Asika.

Didn't take too many pictures of the evening concert as--just like my fiance and Audrey--my battery was running really low. But here are some that i managed to capture.

Moana and the Tribe from New Zealand. My favorite for the night.

The wild crowd

And more of them at the center field (where the 'X' is)

Sarawak's own folklore music representative - The Lan E' Tuyang - headed by Matthew Ngau Jau.

Matthew Ngau Jau of the Lan E' Tuyang group. (Stage 2)

Next year's RWMF dates have been set. 9-11 July 2010.

Attending Rainforest World Music Festival 2009

I will be in Kuching exactly a week from today, joining the tens of thousands of people from Malaysia and around the globe throng into the sprawling 17-acre living museum of Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) in Kuching Sarawak to celebrate yet another year of live and amazing concert festival of diverse ethnic music, that is, the Rainforest World Music Festival or known by its acronym, the RWMF.

The RWMF, organized by the Sarawak Tourism Board, is a 3-day open-air musical event held annually amidst the world's oldest living rainforests at SCV. Held most of the time on the second weekend of July--this year being 10-12 July--RWMF is a much anticipated event of the year for music lovers, concertgoers, partygoers, and simply those who love all things nature and indigenous. It is an event you simply have to go and experience.

Music performances in this festival range from traditional music, to world fusion or new age and contemporary world music. The use of traditional acoustic world instruments is highly emphasized, however, electric accompaniment instruments are also used.

Performers are recruited and invited from around the globe, most of the time they are done through the respective tourism ministries of the performing countries.

My first attendance at the RWMF concert was back in 2003 (i've since attended three RWMF concerts). Back then, the daily ticket entrance was a steady RM60.00. Security wasn't tight, and if at all, almost non-existent. The first day, being the cheap charlie that we were (still are and will always be), my fiance (my boyfriend then) and I managed to sneak in FOC after much cajoling with one of the RELA volunteers guarding one of the entrances that was meant only for performers/musicians, crews, media and vendors. The second and third days, we did the same thing, accessing into the event FOC. Nowadays, security is soooo tight that everyone (including the musicians, crews, media and vendors) goes through thorough checking and scanning procedures. Tickets and passes are carefully examined, bags are scanned and unless you are one of the event officials or you're just one of those lucky ones given a complimentary entrance ticket or pass, you can no longer bribe or cajol any security personnel to allow you to enter the festival grounds. Ticket price has soared up as well. This year, the adult ticket per day costs RM90.00 (or RM100.00 per day at the entrance on festival day). Quite pricey for locals, but i think if you're a music lover--a diehard--and you're into ethno music and you love being out in nature whilst meeting with other strangers and forging acquaintances with them, then paying RM90.00 is worth it. I plan to attend only one day of the concert, that is, on Saturday, and spend the rest of my weekend in Kuching with my fiance and his family.