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Gipsy Kings, Big Mountain and Zee Avi among the line-up at the event
THE most awaited music event in Malaysia and Sarawak’s iconic musical “ambassador” – the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) – is back.
Musicians from all over the globe are gearing up to deliver non-stop rhythmic sounds for the ears and hearts of music lovers at the festival.
RWMF 2023 is themed “Reflections” and will take place from June 23 to 25 at the Sarawak Cultural Village – marking the festival’s return to its fully physical format since 2019.
Lose yourself in a fusion of traditional and contemporary music at The Rainforest World Music Festival 2023 that will feature more than 20 musical acts from four continents.
There will be more than 20 musical acts from 12 countries across four continents lined up.
From France, Grammy winner Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Baliardo with their traditional flamenco and rumba sound.
Festival-goers can look forward to:
> From France, Grammy winner Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Baliardo with their traditional flamenco and rumba sounds whose hits include Djobi Djoba and Bamboleo.
American reggae band Big Mountain whose remake of Baby I Love Your Way became a top hit single in the US and UK.
> American reggae band Big Mountain whose remake of Baby I Love Your Way became a top hit single in the US and UK.
Other notable international acts include:
> Safi Theatre: A nine-member group from Tanzania that combines traditional ngoma music (drumming and dance) with acrobatics.
> Rastak from Iran showcasing Iranian folk music with contemporary rhythms.
> Fasylive from the Maldives whose music is inspired by the waves of the Maldivian seas.
> Afriquoi from the United Kingdom that fuses African rhythms with live electronic beats, creating an incomparable sound that is energetic and mesmerising.
The list of international acts continues with Chatusram (from India), Rizal Hadi and Folk (Indonesia), Ethno Thai Fusion Sound Band (Thailand), Kumi Masunaga (Japan) and Syed Ibrahim (Singapore).
While the international performers are undoubtedly the highlight of the event, exceptional local acts and bands have performed at RWMF over the years, and are a testament to the transformative power of music and culture in creating positive impacts on local communities.
Homecoming performance by Miri-born and one of Malaysia’s best known singer-songwriters, Zee Avi.
Festival-goers will get to savour the artistry of Sarawak musical talents, among them:
> Zee Avi: Homecoming performance by Miri-born and one of Malaysia’s best known singer-songwriters.
At Adau from Sarawak is an experimental world music band driven by the spirit of traditional tunes and old Borneo sounds of the sape and the perutong, blending them with a contemporary rhythm section and tribal drums.
> At Adau: Award-winning band whose forte is fusing traditional music with modern and contemporary elements.
> Sada Borneo: This traditional instrumental music band reached the semi-final stage of AXN’s Asia’s Got Talent in 2015.
> Tuku’ Kame’: Made up musicians from the Sarawak Cultural Village, the band has championed traditional and contemporary music for more than 25 years.
Other Sarawakian acts include:
> Meruked: This band focuses on traditional sounds but with a modern twist that saturates a more euphoric sound with big choruses along with catchy hooks.
> Nading Rhapsody: Renowned for their distinctive adaptations of ritual chanting, old lullabies, folk songs, myths, and stories of various ethnic communities in Sarawak.
> Suk Binie: Their music emphasises on revitalising the Bidayuh cultural heritage.
> Buluh Bekocak: This band was formed with the purpose of promoting bamboo-based music, incorporating both traditional and popular songs that are enhanced with the use of bamboo instruments.
Acts from Peninsular Malaysia include:
> Steve Thornton and Afroasia: A renowned percussionist and composer who has been creating ground-breaking combination of African rhythms, jazz, funk and Latin music for over three decades.
> Orang Orang Drum Theatre: This troupe of drummers explores the intersection of music, dance, and theatre as means to express their drum theatre performances.
> Nadir: Ethno-fusion band with a fluid line-up of musicians playing a wide variety of instruments such as the sitar, violin, gambus, bagpipes, erhu, yangqin and many more.
> Edwin Nathaniel and the Aseana Percussion Unit: A percussion ensemble that uses prominent local Chinese, Indian and Malay instruments creating a distinctive Malaysian sound.
> Geng Wak Long: Plays Kelantanese traditional orchestra music that also features elements of Wayang Kulit, Dikir Barat, Kelantanese silat, Mak Yong, Tari Inai, Asyik, Rebana Ubi, Kertuk, Tarik Selampik and Main Peteri.
> Shameer: Leader of four-member 1Dream drum circle that enthralls audiences with their drum percussion.
From its humble beginnings of only 300 spectators in its first ever concert in 1998 to becoming Sarawak’s “star festival” as well as being recognised as one of the 25 best international festivals by Songlines (songlines.net.au), RWMF has grown over the years and has now also become a strong advocate of responsible tourism – in its quest to become one of the world’s most sustainable, eco-friendly festivals.
For information on tickets and performers line-up, go to rwmf.net
