Rainforest World Music Festival
Encyclopedia
The Rainforest World Music Festival is an annual 3-day music festival celebrating the diversity of world music
, held in Kuching
, Sarawak
, Malaysia, with daytime music workshops, cultural displays, craft displays, food stalls, and main-stage evening concerts. It is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia with a total weekend audience approaching 30,000.
The festival features a wide range of performances from traditional music, to world fusion and contemporary world music. The festival emphasizes the use of traditional acoustic world instruments, although electric accompaniment instruments are common. Invited performers are prominent artists from Sarawak, other provinces of Malaysia, surrounding countries, and from around the world. Groups that have performed at the festival in the past include: Joey Ayala
(Philippines
- 1998), Shooglenifty
(Scotland
- 1999), Inka Marka (South America
- 2000), Rajery (Madagascar
- 2001), Black Umfolosi (Zimbabwe
- 2002), Huun Huur Tu (Tuva
), Cynthia Alexander
(Philippines
) - 2003), Te Vaka
(Samoa
/New Zealand
- 2004), Namgar
(Mongolia
- 2005), Peatbog Faeries
(Scotland
- 2006), Tarika Be (Madagascar
- 2007), and Ross Daly
(Greece
- 2008), Shannon ( Poland - 2005, 2007).
, a world music instrumentalist from Canada
,Robert Basiuk (the Marketing head of the Sarawak Tourism Board at the time), Edric Ong, President of the Society Atelier of Sarawak, (an organization supporting the traditional arts) and Edgar Ong a film producer (Southeast Asia Film Locations Services) at the Ongs' residence in Kuching in 1997.
The Society Atelier undertook the initial planning, financing and laid the future groundwork. When approached to assist, The Sarawak Tourism Board later took over and greatly enlarged the idea.
In the early years, both Randy and Edgar Ong as well as Yeoh Jun Lin were instrumental in over-seeing the successful selection of the international musicians who took part; and they nurtured the future direction of the Festival.
During the 4th year, there was a bid from WOMAD to take over the Festival and rename it WOMAD Borneo.
The Sarawak Tourism Board has since taken the festival to a larger audience, hence also a more commercial level. During it first and second year, only about 400 people attended the festival.
The dates of the festival held since 2005:
, about 35 km. north of Kuching. The festival runs workshops (mini concerts) in the afternoon followed by evening performances held on the two main stages in the village. The festival usually features from 18 to 20 bands through the weekend.
The atmosphere is very relaxed. Although there are timetables for the workshops and evening performances, visitors are free to enter and leave any event at will. The daytime workshops are held inside various traditional houses in the village, where the performers and leaders of the events are often on the same floor-level as the audience, allowing them to get up close to the performers. There are also no restrictions in communicating with the performers, and the musicians themselves sometimes encourage conversation, especially if it is regarding the topic of the workshop they are running or about the traditional instruments they use. Artists are also not hidden behind barriers at the festival and can seen walking through the site throughout the duration, allowing the audience axis to them at any time.
The book "Music without Borders" written by Heidi Munan, was commissioned by the Tourism Board to commemorate the 10th anniversary. With a limited publication of 5000 copies, this lavish publication featured many interviews and colour photos of the event. It however received criticism for its lack of a balanced view of the entire Festival. Some thought that it was more of a propaganda piece, and only contained subtle references to the festival short-comings and no comments on what could be done better or differently.
Many contrary views and opinions from people within and outside the music industry were "censored" with a heavy hand. Historical facts, anecdotes of the early years of the festival were also not reported on. Many names of the earlier pioneers who volunteered their services throughout the problematic stages were not given their due recognition.
. Although alcohol was available for many years in a number of venues, the festival is taking steps to control its availability due to some official complaints. This has been met with mixed reviews from the public.
Metal detector
s are also used to scan each visitor and backpacks and bags must be presented to the staff at the front gate to be searched. New to the additional security were guard dogs around the cultural village used to discourage the smuggling of drugs and narcotics into the festival.
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, held in Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, Malaysia, with daytime music workshops, cultural displays, craft displays, food stalls, and main-stage evening concerts. It is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia with a total weekend audience approaching 30,000.
The festival features a wide range of performances from traditional music, to world fusion and contemporary world music. The festival emphasizes the use of traditional acoustic world instruments, although electric accompaniment instruments are common. Invited performers are prominent artists from Sarawak, other provinces of Malaysia, surrounding countries, and from around the world. Groups that have performed at the festival in the past include: Joey Ayala
Joey Ayala
Joey Ayala is a contemporary pop music artist in the Philippines. He is well known for his style of music that combines the sounds of Filipino ethnic instruments with modern pop music. His professional music career started when he released an album recorded in a makeshift-studio in 1982...
(Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
- 1998), Shooglenifty
Shooglenifty
Shooglenifty are an Edinburgh-based six-piece Celtic fusion band that tours internationally. The band blends Scottish traditional music with influences ranging from electronica to alternative rock...
(Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- 1999), Inka Marka (South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
- 2000), Rajery (Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
- 2001), Black Umfolosi (Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
- 2002), Huun Huur Tu (Tuva
Tuva
The Tyva Republic , or Tuva , is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders with the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and with Mongolia to the...
), Cynthia Alexander
Cynthia Alexander
Cynthia Alexander is a highly respected singer-songwriter and musician in the Philippines. Her music infuses prose-poetry and haunting melodies with indigenous Philippine and Asian rhythms...
(Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) - 2003), Te Vaka
Te Vaka
Te Vaka is an Oceanic music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by Opetaia Foa'i in New Zealand...
(Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
/New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- 2004), Namgar
Namgar
Namgar is a 4-piece music group that performs traditional Buryat and Mongolian music.Its leader Namgar Lhasaranova comes from the east borderland where three countries, Russia, Mongolia, and China meet. She inherited a rich singing tradition of the Buryat people who reside in Russian regions of...
(Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
- 2005), Peatbog Faeries
Peatbog Faeries
The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Their music embodies many styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz, - but their main influence is traditional celtic music...
(Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- 2006), Tarika Be (Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
- 2007), and Ross Daly
Ross Daly
Ross Daly is a world musician who specializes in music of the Cretan lyra. Although of Irish descent, he has been living on the island of Crete for over 35 years.-Biography:...
(Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
- 2008), Shannon ( Poland - 2005, 2007).
History
The Festival was founded by Randy Raine-ReuschRandy Raine-Reusch
Randy Raine-Reusch is a Canadian composer, performer, improviser, and multi-instrumentalist specializing in wind and string instruments from around the world, particularly those from East and Southeast Asia....
, a world music instrumentalist from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,Robert Basiuk (the Marketing head of the Sarawak Tourism Board at the time), Edric Ong, President of the Society Atelier of Sarawak, (an organization supporting the traditional arts) and Edgar Ong a film producer (Southeast Asia Film Locations Services) at the Ongs' residence in Kuching in 1997.
The Society Atelier undertook the initial planning, financing and laid the future groundwork. When approached to assist, The Sarawak Tourism Board later took over and greatly enlarged the idea.
In the early years, both Randy and Edgar Ong as well as Yeoh Jun Lin were instrumental in over-seeing the successful selection of the international musicians who took part; and they nurtured the future direction of the Festival.
During the 4th year, there was a bid from WOMAD to take over the Festival and rename it WOMAD Borneo.
The Sarawak Tourism Board has since taken the festival to a larger audience, hence also a more commercial level. During it first and second year, only about 400 people attended the festival.
The dates of the festival held since 2005:
| Year | Date | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8-10 July 2005 | N/A |
| 2006 | 7-9 July 2006 | 20,000 |
| 2007 | 13-15 July 2007 | N/A |
| 2008 | 11-13 July 2008 | 22,000 |
| 2009 | 10-12 July 2009 | 22,000 |
| 2010 | 9-11 July 2010 | 22,000 |
| 2011 | 8-10 July 2011 | N/A |
Features
The festival is held on the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village nestled against the base of Mount SantubongMount Santubong
Mount Santubong is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is located about 35 km north of the state capital Kuching.On a clear day, it can be seen from Kuching. The mountain and its surrounding area is a popular tourist attraction....
, about 35 km. north of Kuching. The festival runs workshops (mini concerts) in the afternoon followed by evening performances held on the two main stages in the village. The festival usually features from 18 to 20 bands through the weekend.
The atmosphere is very relaxed. Although there are timetables for the workshops and evening performances, visitors are free to enter and leave any event at will. The daytime workshops are held inside various traditional houses in the village, where the performers and leaders of the events are often on the same floor-level as the audience, allowing them to get up close to the performers. There are also no restrictions in communicating with the performers, and the musicians themselves sometimes encourage conversation, especially if it is regarding the topic of the workshop they are running or about the traditional instruments they use. Artists are also not hidden behind barriers at the festival and can seen walking through the site throughout the duration, allowing the audience axis to them at any time.
The book "Music without Borders" written by Heidi Munan, was commissioned by the Tourism Board to commemorate the 10th anniversary. With a limited publication of 5000 copies, this lavish publication featured many interviews and colour photos of the event. It however received criticism for its lack of a balanced view of the entire Festival. Some thought that it was more of a propaganda piece, and only contained subtle references to the festival short-comings and no comments on what could be done better or differently.
Many contrary views and opinions from people within and outside the music industry were "censored" with a heavy hand. Historical facts, anecdotes of the early years of the festival were also not reported on. Many names of the earlier pioneers who volunteered their services throughout the problematic stages were not given their due recognition.
Awards & Recognition
- Winner of the Heritage & Culture PATA Gold Award 2006
- Top 25 Best International Festivals by the magazine SonglinesSonglines (magazine)Songlines is the name of a British based magazine launched in 1999 that covers music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion, featuring artists from around the globe....
(2011)
Food & Drinks
A variety of food stalls throughout the site feature a variety of local and regional Malaysian cuisine and other Asian cuisineAsian cuisine
Asian cuisine styles can be broken down into several tiny regional styles that have roots in the peoples and cultures of those regions. The major types can be roughly defined as East Asian with its origins in Imperial China and now encompassing modern Japan and the Korean peninsula; Southeast Asian...
. Although alcohol was available for many years in a number of venues, the festival is taking steps to control its availability due to some official complaints. This has been met with mixed reviews from the public.
Security
During the 2007 festival there was a notable increase in security in and around the festival to prevent people from entering with false tickets or causing trouble. At the entrance visitors must present their tickets and then be given an official wrist band which has a security UV strip.Metal detector
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
s are also used to scan each visitor and backpacks and bags must be presented to the staff at the front gate to be searched. New to the additional security were guard dogs around the cultural village used to discourage the smuggling of drugs and narcotics into the festival.