Borneo Swings! – The Rainforest World Music Festival

The head hunters have long gone but Sarawak, “where adventure lives”, still has wonderful beaches, remote tribal villages, rare primates, exotic hornbills, amazing plant life & of course the rainforest to house them all.

I was on a Malaysian Airlines flight to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak recollecting my first trip to Borneo over 25 years ago. I remember clearly the blackened skulls hanging above us in the longhouse; being taught to hunt with a blow pipe by a heavily tattooed Iban & watching thousands of bats leaving their cave in Mulu national park. What a great holiday that was!

This time round I was scheduled to attend the inaugural Borneo World Music Expo in Kuching & the 16th Rainforest World Music Festival hosted at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong. But first I would get in some walking & explore Kuching.

Kuching – Cat City

  Kuching is popularly referred to as “cat city” after the Malay word kucing which means cat & sure enough the first point of interest after stepping out of my hotel was a statue of cats with a group of tourists posing by it.

  A few minutes later I reached the Waterfront a 1 km pedestrian area along the Sarawak River which is the place to stroll, meet people or simply hang out. There are pleasant views over the water to DUN (State Asseembly Building) & the Istana and the traditional trambang boats act as river taxis. 

Slightly away from the river the old Court House complex, white square tower & the ornately decorated Tua Pek Kong Temple are attractive historical buildings. I treated myself to dinner at the lovely James Brooke Café where another cat statue dominates the garden & period furniture, books & ornaments adorn the dining area.

The next morning I explored the old back streets of Kuching. There were two or three good antique galleries to browse in with tribal iron wood and bone carvings dominating the selections, various craftsmen at work & an assortment of souvenir shops, travel agents & eating places but I preferred the waterfront. 

Taking a 50 cent ferry across the river on a trambang I wandered through friendly kampongs stopping to snack on roti canai & spicy gravy & chat with the fish mongers. 

The Kuching skyline & a small fishing fleet caught my attention on the opposite bank as I returned to lunch at the Court House Restaurant. The Sarawak Museum was well worth a brief visit & has a fascinating collection of wooden figurines.

Borneo World Music Expo

  At the Pullman Hotel I registered for the Borneo World Music Expo which, under the guidance of consultant music industry guru Gerald Seligman, brought in 20 international concert and festival programmers to network, participate in workshops & share ideas with local & Asian artists. Opening the expo Datuk Rashid Khan CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board explained that “holding the event in conjunction with the Rainforest World Music Festival would help Sarawak climb the value chain from leisure based events to that of business tourism events”

  The intimate nature of the expo ensured great access to the musicians who showcased their works onstage & chatted about their dreams over meals. A few of the groups were heading to the Rainforest to perform later in the week but others were here just for the expo. Highlights included impressive sets by Oikyotaan from India, a Contemporary Folk ensemble, Malaysia’s own AkashA with their dynamic blend of fusion music with a Malay twist & Talago Buni bringing the music of the Minangkabu people from Indonesia to Sarawak.

The Beach Beckons

 After an enjoyable 4days in Kuching it was time to head for the beach.

But before that I would be a good citizen & plant a tree to try & reduce my carbon footprint for the trip. I dedicated my tree to daughter Sarah. Thanks to Sarawak Tourism for initiating the idea, it was a pity that only a few people participated.I checked into the Damai Beach Resort, only a stone’s throw away from the Sarawak Cultural Village the setting for the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF). The Sarawak Cultural Village is a living museum offering an introduction to local culture & lifestyles including full scale replica buildings of the various ethnic groups.

My room was in a chalet a few meters from the beach. Taking an afternoon paddle in the warm sea water I disturbed a 1.5 meter Malay water monitor lizard which scuttled into the rocks for shelter. I’m not sure who was more startled!

The RWMF is unique in that festival attendees can get up really close to the musicians at workshops & jamming sessions during the afternoon, in traditional longhouses, before the main performances on stage at night. As many of the performers stayed at the resort there were also opportunities to interact during meals, over drinks & by the pool. Everyone was there for a good time & with a total of 21 bands from Asia, Australia, Europe, North & South America & South Africa it was a truly global line up. A taste of things to come began on Friday afternoon when 9 assorted workshops took place. These included learning songs & dances of Iran with Mohsen Sharifian & the Lian Band, a percussion demonstration & a jamming session on stringed instruments such as banjo, pipa, sape & mandolin. Great fun, entertaining & educational!

Let the Music Begin!

On a warm sultry Friday night surrounded by rainforest the Rainforest World Music Festival began to the haunting sounds of tribal chants to bless the festival followed by traditional Sarawak welcoming music played by Juk Wan Emang on nose flute & Lan E Tuyang playing the iconic instrument of the RWMF, the sape ( Sarawak’s version of the guitar). Rhythm in Bronze a band playing traditional Malay gongs & gamelans with contemporary compositions increased the tempo but the crowd really got into the groove when French group Chet Nuneta’s performed. Nunukul Yuggera a traditional Aborigine song and dance troupe enthralled the audience as they explained their unique lifestyle, religion & legends with a 15 year old youth outstanding on the didgeridoo. Kila finished the first night on a very high note & had the revellers dancing non stop as they performed Irish melodies with Dee Armstrong on electric violin & Ronan O Snodaigh playing bodhran leading from the front with style & verve.

A Nose Flute!

I had the pleasure of having breakfast with 71 year old Juk Wan Emang the next morning. He has seven children but none of them has shown any interest in the nose flute & with only two remaining players in his village he fears the future of the instrument is bleak. He willingly posed for photos by the sea & I was honoured to be given one of his bamboo flutes.

A happier story was told by Matthew Ngau Jau of Lan E Tuyang who said that the RWMF had made the sape popular & it was now played widely again. A grant for RM 50,000 from Petronas to continue promoting the instrument & Sarawak culture will help secure its future.

Workshops again attracted good crowds with Irish, Australian & African dance & music lessons being very popular. Wandering the festival grounds I bought souvenirs at the craft fair which had a good selection of ceramics, beads, batiks & clothing from small cottage industries. I skipped the tattoo stations but did grab a plate of satay & an ice cold beer (I lied – I got more than 1 beer!).

New Friends

Taking a rest before the evening performances I enjoyed wine & whisky watching the sun set over the sea with new media friends David, Errol & Helen & Jon Bertrand of the Pine Leaf Boys who told us of his life as a cowboy before getting into Cajun & Creole music & being nominated for Grammy awards. He was keen to get a new tattoo but couldn’t face the long journey back to the USA with tender skin! Young beautiful girls on the beach kindly agreed to model for us too. What friendly people.

It’s Time to Rock

 The Saturday evening performers played to a full house & Dizu Plaatjoes & the Ibuyambo Ensemble got the crowd rocking when they took to the stage with their unusual hand made string & percussion instruments. The painted warriors & beautiful dancers from South Africa owned the stage & boy could those ladies shake their bodies! Move over Shakira! The Pine Leaf Boys kept things going & the Craoation band Kries brought the evening to a climax with their powerful, mesmerizing rock music. A wonderful evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by fans in front of the stage, those sitting on the grass & the many watching on TV screens in the beer tent. Thanks to Heineken for sponsoring!

Sunday continued with more action including the dramatic music & theatre of Palsande:Korean Performing Arts group. The acrobatics & dance were unbelievable. Full of energy & incredible timing I got tired just watching them! The audience loved them & it was a tough act to follow but Habadekuk from Denmark succeeded with powerful horns, fiddles & songs that kept the crowd on their feet, clapping along to the music and shouting for more.

Finally the fans departed the scene – happy, some a little worse for wear & soaked in sweat. Many continued partying late into the night, others tumbled into bed. The weather had been kind but some complained they missed the mud & rain of previous years. A successful 16th festival organised by the approachable Dato Rashid Khan & his team had come to an end.

 I’m no longer a Rainforest World Music Festival newbie & hope to return soon. I loved the location, music & new friends. Kuching is a very nice, small city with enough to keep one occupied for a few days & is a good gateway to explore Sarawak’s treasured nature parks.

Hotels:

Kuching:    The Pullman - www.pullmankuching.com

Damai:       Damai Beach Resort  - damaibeachresort.com

Airline:       Malaysia Airlines flies from Singapore to Kuching on a regular basis

Coordinator – Sarawak Tourism Board

Posted 11th July 2013 by asiaphotostock