By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 27: Malaysian music icon Dato M. Nasir brought the opening night of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2026 to a memorable close, drawing thousands of festivalgoers to the main stage at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong on Friday (June 26).
Taking the stage at about 10.45pm as the night’s final performer, the 69-year-old singer-songwriter was greeted with loud cheers from the crowd, many of whom had stayed on for his much-anticipated appearance.
Throughout his hour-long set, M. Nasir performed a string of his best-known hits, namely Hati Emas, Gerhana, Tanya Hud Hud, Sahabat Gua, Apokalips, Mantera Semerah Padi, Raikan Cinta and Ada.
His performance quickly turned into a massive singalong, with festivalgoers joining in on the lyrics while others recorded the moment on their mobile phones as the atmosphere built with each song.
The performance capped off a diverse opening-night line-up featuring artistes from Malaysia and abroad, including Straw Lim from Sabah, Drum Up from the Philippines, Korrontzi from Spain’s Basque Country, Insun Park & Generals from South Korea, Ta’Dan from Sarawak, and Benin International Musical from Benin and France.
Widely regarded as one of Malaysia’s most influential musicians, M. Nasir’s appearance added a distinctly local flavour to the internationally renowned festival, underscoring RWMF’s tradition of blending global music with celebrated Malaysian acts. — DayakDaily
