KUCHING, July 7: Day two of the Rainforest Fringe Festival 2019 (RFF2019) programme yesterday started with Asas Melayu Trilogy Talks which is a series of talks by experts and researchers focusing on Malay history, culture and rediscovery of stories relating to the Malay communities of Sarawak.
It was moderated by Jiman Casablancas. The panelists included Dr Zainal Abd Latif, historian Datu Dr Sanib Said and Dr Azhar Ibrahim from the National University of Singapore.
In a statement, RFF2019 organisers said that the audience was treated to passionate and enlightening talks titled ‘Datu Patinggi Abang Ghafor: The Untold Story’, ‘In Search of the Lost Kingdom of Sarawak’ and ‘Hikayat Panglima Nikosa’ by the panelists respectively who have dedicated their life’s work to these important findings and research.
Also taking place was The Market at Borneo 744, Bintawa Industrial Estate approximately ten minutes car ride from the city centre.
The Market is a two-day programme featuring creative art and design brands and activities, both traditional and modern from Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Taiwan, Penang, Singapore and Thailand.
Officiated at by Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and supported by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) represented by its Cultural Director, Peggy Chou, The Market is an excellent programme to be held at Borneo 744 that is positioned to be a hub for creative enthusiasts and
entrepreneurs to learn, (net)work and play, fostering a vibrant entrpreneurship ecosystem by promoting creativity and innovation in Kuching. It is powered by 2 MED / Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MED/MaGIC) who is instrumental in making the project a success.
Also back by popular demand is the popular book fair Big Bad Wolf which is also part of The Market, bringing to Kuching a serious collection of books covering essentially every genre you can think of such as fiction, cooking, biographies and more.
For the kids and kids at heart, RFF2019 presents the Amazing Drumming Monkeys puppet show from Australia that has toured the world and wowed audiences everywhere.
A form of art that is no stranger to the people of Sarawak is the tattoo. Set up in a dark enclosure of Borneo 744 is Ink Kuching, where visitors are welcomed to get themselves inked by modern, traditional and indigenous artists from Sarawak and the region.
Ending the night with a bang is PRIMATES, which was commissioned by RFF2019. PRIMATES reinterprets the identity and movements of primate mammals.
Listed as one of the festival’s main highlights, the show featured UK-born Iranian Ghaffar Pourazar, the first foreigner to play the role of the Monkey King in the famous Beijing Opera, award-winning Thai choreographer Jitti Chompee, Korean-based Penang dancer Liu Yong Sean, Lee Pei Ern from Sabah and locally cast dancers.
“The show was performed on a specially constructed bamboo and wooden structure designed by Wendy Teo, architect of Wendy Teo Atelier and curator of Borneo Art Collective. PRIMATES was also performed to live music by the critically acclaimed Orang-Orang Drum Theatre,” said RFF2019.
RFF2019 is on from July 5-12 2019. For more information, visit www.rainforestfringe.com. — DayakDaily
