3,000 attend Highland Folk Music and Dance Festival

MIRI: Long Bedian was humming with lively activities last weekend as over 3,000 visitors from various longhouses and ethnic groups flocked there for the 3rd Highland Folk Music and Dance Festival from Dec 9-11.

All nine Orang Ulu ethnic groups under the Federation of Orang Ulu Malaysia (Forum) took part in various dance and folk music performances which were held over two nights.

Meanwhile, various traditional games were held during the daytime which many visitors also participated in. Apart from the performances, many stalls were also set up by Penans from nearby longhouses who brought handicrafts such as mats, baskets, bags and purses made from rattan to sell to visitors.

Over 10 government agencies including the Fire and Rescue Department, army personnel from the 9th Infantry Brigade, Welfare Department and Agriculture Department were also present to give talks and cultivate public awareness on various subjects for the communities there.  

The army provided dental and health check services which over 100 people went for during the festival.

This year’s festival was also held to commemorate the first anniversary of Telang Usan’s elevation into a district and of Long Bedian into a sub-district.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: 3,000 attend Highland Folk Music and Dance Festival

.
.

Over 2,000 expected at Highland Folk Music Festival

MIRI: An over 2,000-strong crowd is expected to attend this year’s Highland Folk Music Festival in Long Bedian on Nov 25-26.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, who is organising chairman, said the festival will showcase and promote local music and culture, especially among the younger generation in a rural setting.

“It is promoted through social media, Internet and newspapers for visitors and tourists to come while the multi-ethnic Orang Ulu community will display their cultural dances and etc,” he said during a recent press conference.

It is jointly organised by the Telang Usan Community Service Centre, Miri Resident and District Office, Long Bedian village security and development committee and Federation of Orang Ulu Associations of Sarawak (Forum).

Dennis said the Kayan, Penan, Kelabit, Saban, Bisaya, Lun Bawang, Berawan, Kiput and Kenyah communities are expected to participate in the festival, which also celebrates Long Bedian being elevated to a sub-district under the Telang Usan District.

“The uniqueness of this cultural festival is it’s held far deep in the hinterland of Sarawak in Kampung Long Bedian and nearer to the Orang Ulu community’s lifestyle,” he said.

Continue reading at: Over 2,000 expected at Highland Folk Music Festival

.
.

Organiser expects 3,000-turnout for Highland Folk Music, Dance Fest 2016

KUCHING: The Orang Ulus in Baram will once again host the ‘Highland Folk Music and Dance Festival 2016’ as an effort to help boost the state’s tourism sector.

According to Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, the two-day event will be held in November next year.

“We held similar events in the past — the last one was in 2012 — and we are bringing it back because we aim to revive the dying performing arts of Orang Ulu sub-ethnic groups.

“As such through this festival, we hope to showcase the interesting music and dances of the various ethnic groups under this community in Baram,” he said during a press conference held on the sidelines of the State Legislative Assembly sitting on Tuesday.

Dennis also highlighted that the timing of the festival would coincide with the first anniversary of Telang Usan’s elevation into a district. Adding on, he said the hosting venue would be Long Bedian, which had just become a sub-district recently.

“We hope that the next festival would be able to attract a bigger crowd than the turnouts in previous editions — the last eventmanaged to attract 2,000 visitors including those from Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Organiser expects 3,000-turnout for Highland Folk Music, Dance Fest 2016

.
.

Sarawak Highland Folk Music Festival expects a big crowd

MIRI: The second Sarawak Highland Folk Music Festival which will be held from Nov 9 to 11 this year in Long Bedian, Tutoh Apoh, is expected to draw thousands and also foreign media coverage.

The organiser’s president Dennis Ngau said the festival, held first in 2003, would be a grand event that would not only attract tourists to Long Bedian and other villages in Tutoh Apoh, but would also be used

as a platform to introduce traditional music to the younger generation.

“Apart from that, this festival will also be used as a medium to promote unity among the people and also the use of traditional music instruments, especially among the young,” Dennis, who is also Telang Usan assemblyman, said after the organiser’s meeting at the Resident Office here yesterday.

This years’ festival will see various traditional music instruments such as Sape, Satung, Tung But, Sanang, Tawak, Jatung Lutang, Atui and Oreng being used in performances.

“So far, we have about 12 ethnic groups that have confirmed their participation,” Dennis said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sarawak Highland Folk Music Festival expects a big crowd

.
.