Wednesday 31 October 2012

JEJAK BUNYI...FESTIVAL MUZIK DUNIA, SARAWAK (TRACING THE SOUND...SARAWAK RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL)

2000, 2nd. Rainforest World Music Festival, Santubong, Sarawak. Drums and gongs section for Dr. Wan Zawawi's group.
1999 1st. Rainforest World Music Festival, Santubong Sarawak. With Afeez and Hafiz, waiting to rehearse with EAG


Performing at the seminal Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival (the inaugural/1st. and the 2nd. edition), was surreal, spiritually humbling yet musically uplifting. It will be forever etched and hardwired in neural pathways. I was then, extremely lucky to be involved. I was in the main organizing committee for the inaugural or the 1st. edition, lead by Sarawak Tourism Board. The festival was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village. I represented the Dean of the Faculty of Applied & Creative Arts (which was roped in to provide mostly technical and human resource support). I remember working with this imported consultant/expert in World Music, a mat Saleh, Randy, from Canada if I'm not mistaken.

Electro-acoustic Group UNIMAS was invited to perform for in the 1st. edition, after the selection selection committee saw our performance at the Kuching Waterfront and video recording of our concert at UNIMAS. I was also invited to joint day workshop session with other string-based musicians from the other invited groups (from all over the world). That was another blast for me. To experience an improvised jamming session with some of the best and seasoned world music 'otai' was beyond words for me. EAG performed on the first day of the the days open concert. Performing on stage in an open space, surrounded by all the traditional houses, under the gaze of the majestic Mount Santubong, with clear night sky and stars, was very spiritual. I was also mesmerized by other talented world music performers from all over the world.

For the 2nd. edition, I was invited by Dr. Wan Zawawi to joint his small group to play the drums (gendang) and gongs section, as well as to provide the 'qasidah' prelude. 

My current Kebun Bunyi, was mostly prompted by this special encounter with World Music.

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