Monday, July 12, 2010

Rainforest World Music Fest exposes Sarawak’s diverse cultures

THE Rainforest World Music Festival never fails to entertain.

After four days and three nights of performances, there’s little to fault organisers.

Sure, there were reports in the local media of poor promotion and slow ticket sales during the run-up to this year’s event, but last minute sales and discounts proved rather successful.

In the end, what really became a problem was transportation, due to the capacity crowds, especially on Saturday.

Queues for shuttle vans back to Santubong Resort, about 3km away, the only place where public parking was allowed, were long.

Some attendants waited more than an hour for the service. Outside of minor issues like this, the festival has been growing from strength to strength.

Allround praises should go to former Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Gracie Geikie for her feat, while the present CEO Datuk Rashid Khan’s efforts and ideas for future events are encouraging.

The annual Rainforest weekend at the Sarawak Cultural Village incorporates not just music but also an arts and craft bazaar. It provides revellers another venue to learn about Sarawak’s many indigenous cultures.

Already there are plans for a food festival to be held at Kuching next year, which could last up to one week, taking place immediately after the music fest.

But the musical event will continue to be promoted as the main draw.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Rainforest World Music Fest exposes Sarawak’s diverse cultures
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