Rainforest world music festival 2019

My wife and I visited the Rainforest World Music Festival last year and I promised to be back again to enjoy the music. Well, we were back in Kuching again this year to attend the #RWMF, this time with my daughter since our original companions last year did not find the occasion interesting enough for them. Obviously, they don't like music as much as me!

Since we've been here before, we knew better than to turn up at 10 o'clock in the morning. So it was way past one o'clock when we arrived. Lunch was at the 88 Buntal Seafood Centre in Kampung Buntal, about 15 minutes away from the Sarawak cultural Village in Santubong.

The merchandise office of the RWMF. I had hoped to pick up their official T-shirt but the design was not as nice as last year's. So, no T-shirt for me!

Even the dustbins can be decorated for a reason!

I forgot the name of the stall but the grilled catfish was delicious. We ordered two.

Duplessy & The Violins Of The World. Mathias Duplessy (France), Naraa Puredorj (Mongolia), Guo Gan (China) and Aliocha Regnard (France) came together to create a dazzling and emotive display of stories and landscapes spanning the East and West.

The Druk Folk Musicians from Bhutan

These two main stages will be at the centre of all performances after the sun sets

While waiting for evening to fall, we wandered into the handicraft centre

As night began to fall, the open space in front of the Jungle and Tree stages began to fill up. The ang mor and the pek mor mingling with the boh mor.

The moon began peeking out from behind the tree tops, followed by a very bright Jupiter

KEMADA, from Sibu in central Sarawak, were the opening act. They are dedicated to preserving the traditional Iban music, games, culture and especially the Gendang Pampat – the old drums usually played during rituals and Gawai Dayak celebrations.

Six voices, two tom drums, 12 hands and a tambourine made up SAN SALVADOR, a band that combined Occitan poetry with hypnotic vocal harmonies propelled by surging percussion. The band flew into Kuching in the morning, stayed one night after their performance and then flew out the day after. What a waste not spending more time in Kuching to savour the occasion, in my opinion.

The Ballet Folclorico de Chile, Bafochi, emerged as an independent artistic company in 1987 where its creator, Professor Pedro Gajardo Escobar, was inspired to showcase the origins of different cultures that made up the Chilean people. The dances of Rapa Nui are a mix of Polynesian origins with ancestral legends dedicated to the gods, nature or warriors. Undulating hips, expressive hand movements and spectacular costumes all contribute to the mystique and the harmony of the dancers and their artistry.

Next up was DARMAS  a band made up of six young musicians. They are driven by the rhythms derived from traditional Malay classics like the Joget, Zapin and the Canggung. The central focus of their colour comes from the kulintangan, an ancient series of gongs from the Sabah tribes, presenting a kaleidoscope mix of Malaysian eclectic sounds. They were World Champions of at the Performing Arts (WCOPA) 2019 in Los Angeles, winning five golds and three silver medals.

According to the stage announcement to this act by MACKA B, this would be the first time that a reggae band was being featured at the Rainforest World Music Festival. MACKA B, a Rastafarian with political consciousness and songs devoted to spiritual and social messages, was an instant hit with the crowd. He has been called the UK’s most influential dance hall toaster. His brand of humour and laid back charm worked with devastating effects on the crowd. His set included an encore during which he extolled the virtues of ganja. Medical ganja, that is. But ganja, all the same.

By the time MACKA B ended, it was way past ten thirty. Faced with a long day ahead of us on the next day, we decided to forego the remaining two acts and leave the festival grounds. We headed back to our airbnb commode, arriving almost at midnight. Do you think we'll be back again? Can't commit but let's see.....