The Understanding of Music
I have been attending the Rainforest World Music Festival for the past two years and every time I wonder what kind of music this festival will bring me. Most of the time I have thought it was all about traditional music, and it was not a wrong guess, but there was more to that. Let me explain you.
Rainforest World Music Festival banner
The Rainforest World Music Festival is not exactly confined to traditional music, it is also to do with music that connects human beings with nature and people. Music that was introduced or inspired since long time ago. Heritage music, a combination of culture, ethnic and forest. Let me give you an example:
Lan E Tuyang, a popular performer from Sarawak, plays the Sape, a traditional guitar which has a calm and natural sound. Epi the Mongolian sing through his throat in order to communicate with nature and especially with animals. Kapela Malisz play their music to get Polish people in a dancing mood. You can see it is all connected to something, and that something is always people and forest and nature.
Happiness in the performers eyes
Try to imagine a Sape, made of wood, a special wood. Wood, we can get that from a tree which is found in a forest. No complicate concept about the ‘hidden’ scope of the Rainforest World Music Festival: it is not only jazz or rock and roll music, it is original music produced long time ago to communicate with people and nature, a music that was upgraded from time to time, and that is what makes it very interesting.
If I had to describe the Rainforest World Music Festival in simple words, I would say it is an organised, very indigenous, harmonious, humorous, beautiful, full of smile, natural, multicultural, energetic, very family oriented chant.
Performers at the event talk:
Polish music Malisz family
Kapela Maliszow – Poland
Overall, we think this is a good mix of all cultures of the world. It feels real for us, it involves various groups, it is balanced and amazing, something for everyone. It is a fun and advanced festival where nothing seems to be missed. I understand that Asia is a continent full of several cultures which have incredibly exotic music, but music from Europe and Australia and elsewhere is also good, so, well done for the festival organizers for managing to mix us all.
Ukandanz team
Ukandanz – France/Ethiopia
We think the Rainforest World Music Festival is spectacular because the people are very friendly and open-minded, and Malaysia is a very great place to play in, very open. Sarawak is so far from France, we needed 26 hour to arrive here, so for us it is a very nice opportunity and we are very thankful to those who invited us here to share. What I find particularly interesting is to see so many people wishing to defend their kind of music. This is what I think makes this festival special. Each group and team bring their own music, and makes the festival alive.
Scottish band Shooglenifty
Shooglenifty – Scotland
We feel very lucky to be we here, this is our first time and we already feel the Rainforest World Music Festival is a progressing festival, it develops and it is therefore very important to local people. It encourages their local culture and it strengthens it to the point that tribes are more confident to bring their culture forward and not to destroy it in this 21st century. The festival is also a great platform to share music, dance and joy.
I would say that I find it a bit critical that only Sarawak Tourism Board and Malaysia Airlines mainly sponsored this festival. There should be more corporate sponsors to understand the importance of this exotic festival, mixing people form all over the world and putting them in contact with this environment, the jungle. May I also suggest to the organizers to perhaps put more emphasize on the environment and how to preserve it, perhaps through workshops or discussion boards on how to conserve the rainforest, as this is the Rainforest World Music Festival and this is why people are here.
Check out dates for the 2016 Rainforest World Music Festival at www.rwmf.net
Asianitinerary stayed at the Damai Beach Resort – https://asianitinerary.com/damai-beach-resort/
