Experience high energy beats at Rainforest World Music Festival 2017

KUCHING: Those going to the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) at Sarawak Cultural Village here this weekend are in for an energetic and heart-thumping treat.

The three-day event, which enters its 20th edition this year, gathers an impressive line of performers in the likes of Achanak (India-UK), Huw Williams (Wales), O Tahiti E (Tahiti), Spiro (UK), Saing Waing Orchestra (Myanmar), Dom Flemons (USA), The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band (Thailand) and Cimarron (Columbia).

Representing Malaysia at the festival are the 1511 O Maliao Maliao and At Adau from Sarawak.

The 1511 O Maliao Maliao, which was established in 2014, is a performing troupe with 21 members consisting of dancers and musicians. They are all passionate in preserving the dancing heritage of the Portuguese community in Malacca including the ‘branyo’ – a product derived from the marriage of the arts and music between the Portuguese and Malaysians.

On the other hand, Sarawak’s own At Adau is bringing the instrumental world of the Bidayuh and Orang Ulu communities to the RWMF 2017 visitors.

According to band member Meldrick Andrew, they are going to feature several numbers from their albums ‘Journey’ and ‘Oba’ (‘Love’ in Kenyah language).

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Rainforest World Music Festival Book covers festival’s 20 years of song and rhythm

KUCHING: ‘Rainforest World Music Festival – 20 Years of Song and Rhythm in Sarawak’ covers Sarawak’s internationally acclaimed music festival over the last two decades.

It contains spreads of colour photographs along with information on the logistics and machinery of the festival that few think about.

It would be impossible to capture the true atmosphere and music of the festival between the pages of a book, and the authors did not bother trying.

Instead, they looked into the evolution of the venue, Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), the complementary events and bazaars, and how other aspects of indigenous culture – crafts, food, tattoos – are being brought forward.

It’s easy to think that the book is about the festival but it is really about the people – those who pushed for it to begin, those who guided its baby steps, those who came as volunteers and stayed as part of the backbone, and those who got word out to the world.

It’s about those who went to earlier festivals, and left dreaming that one day they would be the ones on stage.

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Sabah to go on air in China

KOTA KINABALU: Over 500 million viewers in China are expected to tune in on their television sets to watch the uniqueness of Sabah when the ‘Youth of China 3-Nanyang Classroom’ goes on air in December.

The children’s reality television show involving 32 kids from different parts of China are coming to Sabah for the location shooting, said Dato’ Seri Winston Liaw.

Liaw who is the Sabah Association of Tour & Travel Agents chairman said this is the third season of the series which consists of eight episodes.

“And four of the episodes will be filmed in Sabah. The places involved are Kota Kinabalu, Kudat, Kundasang, Tenom, Ranau and Keningau,” said Liaw during a courtesy call on Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai at his office yesterday.

Yeo has also been invited to write a script on Kota Kinabalu where he will highlight City Hall concept of providing free bicycle rides.

The Mayor will also teach the children the aspect of safety-ride around the city.

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American photographer with local roots capturing Sabah images

KOTA KINABALU: A special exhibition entitled “Faces of Sabah” by Latana will be launched by Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun on Saturday (July 15).

Latana Schachenmann, an American with roots in Sabah, specializes in fine arts and is an accomplished photographer.

“I want to show the images of Sabah people the first time I came here 30 years ago,” she said.

Latana also said that the exhibition is her very first project as a photographer after starting her career in arts.

Sabah Museum director Sintiong Gelet said that there are 25 pictures from Latana’s collection.

“All the 25 black and white photographs of Sabah people are chosen by Latana as her best portrait photos about Sabah taken in Penampang and Kudat during 80’s.

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Travel Wire Asia: Is Brunei the most misunderstood destination in Southeast Asia?

BRUNEI, a tiny country tucked in a corner of Borneo, may well be one of the most misunderstood places in Southeast Asia.

It starts with its full title, which is actually the “Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace”, but a misunderstood moniker is the least of this country’s PR problems.

Statistics regarding tourist arrivals in Brunei, particularly recent ones, differ widely, although those that exist place it as the least visited country in Southeast Asia.

Figures show around 250,000 visitors to Brunei per year, which is dwarfed by Malaysia, which borders the country and sees a whopping 27 million visitors annually.

It’s strange therefore while millions of tourists make it as far as Malaysia, this doesn’t translate to a brief detour into Brunei, which also has some of the most relaxed tourist visa regulations in Southeast Asia, with many nationalities qualifying for a fee visa on arrival.

One of the first hurdles in selling Brunei to visitors is that it is often thought of as being comparatively expensive.

With that in mind, many travelers to Southeast Asia go for the cheapest picks that offer more bang for their buck, usually Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.

A quick search on the merits of travelling to Brunei will come up with myriad sites calling Brunei, among other things, a “budget buster”, which is undoubtedly a tourism turn-off for many.

This is, however, both true and untrue, as although some years ago, backpacker accommodation was thin on the ground, more and more budget choices are springing up that allow visitors to stay in Brunei for around US$35 a night.

Local food is also cheap, as is public transport, and many attractions like museums and mosques are either free or cheap to visit.

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