@TourismSarawak

RWMF2014 | Mystical Sound, Storyteller and Drum Circle

NTGravity Zone was invited to attend and experience the famous [top 25 best International Festivals tau!] world music festival held in Sarawak Cultural Village [a.k.a. SCV], Santubong, Kuching. This 3 days festival is called the Rainforest World Music Festival.

This is my experience during the first day…

After getting my wristband and meal coupons for today, I hang a bit in Media Centre while waiting for the rest of the Sarawak Bloggers members to come. I saw a few familiar faces of programmers and media from last year, so I took this opportunity to say ‘hi’ personally.

Around 1pm, heading for lunch at Sarawak Cultural Village. I kinda love the idea of setting up a dining canopy inside the SCV itself compare to last year. It’s really made our [the media especially] life so much easier. From the media tent to each venue are so near, so we can have our time. Even after done from one location to another, we still can go back to the canopy to get some air or drink before the next activity. Kudos to the organizer!

My agenda today… I would love to catch Talago Buni and Horomona Horo performance both at the Theatre stage which is the SCV auditorium. I saw Talago Buni’s performed last year at Borneo World Music Expo but still craved for more!

Stunning performance... seriously didn't expecting to see the ending.. When she smashed that two small plates together with that expression...
*(￣▼￣|||) ~kowai...*

Their music and the chanting sound mystical... There are generally 3 types of musical traditions in Minangkabau (West Sumatera) - the highlands tend to be melancholic and even mystic. Music from the west coast is more vivid and open to influences. another type of music connected to the religious culture of Islam, so all of this music contribute to the richness and the strength of the music of Talago Buni.

I didnt take any photo during the performance.. so caught up with their performances! This is from Borneo World Music Expo last year... same line-up but slightly different songs / performances.

Next performance...

HoromonaHoro from New Zealand with the traditional instrument of the Maori clan.

A composer, practitioner and cross-genre collaborator, he has fused traditional instruments, taongapuoro (singing treasure), within a diverse range of cultural and musical forms. Each instrument has a specific use within rites of passage, storytelling and daily life of the Maori peoples.

You can feel it in his song (even in native language) that these tribe is very soft at heart and loving or passionate just like their songs... but when come to chant - you also will feel their need to protect their tribe because there is a strong and powerful tone of their chanting...

Ready to attack...

Whoa... deep gorgeous eyes...

The Theatre stage is a new venue for two performances each day. Previously SCV auditorium will be one of the workshops venues but for this year, some workshops will be located at Malay house. I strongly agreed with this new additional stage because it’s suitable for acoustic, chamber and formal concerts. It won’t turn the party people off because of the music and it gives more options to people to choose from during the daytime.

Around 4.15pm, I have to leave the theatre and head back to Media Centre to get the limited edition of the photographer pass for the night concert. Without that pass, I’ll be shooting a photo from afar!
[ F.Y.I. I’m using Canon DSLR 1100D with 18-55mm kit lens, so with this at least I can shoot as close as I permitted.]

Walk-around lens... It's all i needed... [ Photo From DSLR Lenses]

[pssttt… psstt…. Canon… want to be my sponsor…? I promise to be faithful… ]

Anyway…

Ophelia and I, both manage to come back to SCV before the Drum Circle starts. I love percussion instruments so I took part in this interactive session. It doesn't need any experience, just feel the beat.. [ or if you a tone-deaf, just beat ‘em! Hahaha…]

This is during the first day... [ Credit to Pin Paradise ]

You can choose any instruments [mostly it already on the chairs and not really just drum], I was given by the crew a ‘kompang’. It is a small hand-held and is in gendang or rebana’s family.

Thank you Ophelia for this photo!!

The first five minutes, I feel so awkward – I don't know if I do it right.. but after that, none that matters because all we need to do is beat it and enjoy it. [Of course, beat it with considerably.] It is so much fun…!! I mean REALLY fun!!

After done with the Drum Circle session, we took a break at Dewan Lagenda for a while before head back to the dining canopy for our dinner…

Update you all more about the night concert in my next entry…

Later…

Oh yeah... If you want to read from a different perspective about the Rainforest World Music Festival 2014... Stalk them at the links below:

( ^‐^)_且~~ Lindy Sim [ www.lindysim.com ]
( ^‐^)_且~~ Ophelia John [ http://ophephotography.blogspot.com/ ]
( ^‐^)_且~~ Ana Jonessy [ www.helloanajonessy.com ]
( ^‐^)_且~~ Alyssa Jaren [ alyssajaren.wordpress.com ]
( ^‐^)_且~~ Khairool Adzelan [http://www.qwertyreflect.blogspot.com/ ]
( ^‐^)_且~~ Garner Wyne Guanbee [ http://preciousmadphoto.wordpress.com/ ]
( ^‐^)_且~~ Veronica Law [ http://veyroniqa.com/ ]

NTGravity: So much fun...!!
Haiit~!!