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By Wilfred Pilo and Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 26: The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2023 concluded with great success, captivating thousands of festival-goers over the course of three days that celebrated music, culture, tradition and Sarawak’s warm spirit of hospitality.
Since its inaugural edition in 1998, the international festival has experienced remarkable growth. It began with a modest crowd of 300 and has now evolved into a full-house extravaganza at Sarawak Cultural Village, a sprawling 17-acre living museum.
Although organiser Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) has yet to announce exact attendance figures, it is worth noting that the 26th edition of RWMF this year has set yet another record with ticket sales surpassing last year’s figures in just two days.
This year’s RWMF secured another remarkable achievement by being inducted into the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) for the most number of percussionists playing at one time at a music festival, with a total of 2,763 participants contributing to this record-setting feat.
Based on observations by DayakDaily journalists, the first day of RWMF (June 23) mirrored the previous year’s pattern, with the night concert drawing the fewest attendees among the three days.
Despite drizzling rain, the crowd’s spirits remained unextinguished as they matched the enthusiastic energy of the splendid performers. The lineup included international Sarawakian singer-songwriter Zee Avi, local bands Buluh Bekocak and At Adau, Iran’s Rastak, West Malaysia’s Orang Orang Drum Theatre, Aseana Percussion Unit, and Nadir.
On the second night of RWMF 2023, the concert stage was graced by legendary Grammy Award-winning band Gipsy Kings, featuring Tonino Baliardo. They shared the spotlight with other performers such as Olena Uutai from Russia, Nading Rhapsody (East Malaysia), Sada Borneo (East Malaysia), Steve Thornton and Afrosia (USA and Malaysia), Chatusram (India), Fasylive (Maldives), and Ethno Thai Fusions Sound Band (Thailand).
The festival reached its pinnacle on the third day with the highly anticipated reggae band Big Mountain (USA and Jamaica) taking the stage. The final day’s lineup also included local bands Suk Binie, Tuku Kame, and Meruked, Kelantan’s Geng Wak Long, Afriquoi from the United Kingdom, Safi Theatre from Tanzania, as well as Rizal Hadi and Folk from Indonesia.
In total, RWMF 2023 showcased 199 musicians from 12 countries across three continents, delivering a diverse range of music to the enthusiastic audience.
Beyond the musical performances, festival visitors had the opportunity to explore various traditional ethnic houses in Sarawak Cultural Village.
Each venue offered different activities to engage and entertain attendees, such as bamboo-weaving and bead-making classes, the popular Melanau game Tibau Swing, Giant Jenga, archery and blowpipe activities, glamping, sape jamming sessions, and art exhibitions.
These immersive experiences ensured that visitors felt welcomed and involved while creating beautiful memories.
Another highlight of RWMF was the launch of the ‘Market@RWMF 2023’ which showcased products by over 200 local vendors including crafts, fashion items, and lifestyle and wellness related services, drawing the bulk of the RWMF crowd.
In addition, food and beverage stalls were available throughout the RWMF grounds. The dishes offered were reasonably priced, although locals may have differing opinions on affordability.
The RWMF plays an important role as a tourism product for Sarawak, putting the State as a tourist destination on the world map and subsequently providing more exposure for local bands.
However, we believe that RWMF could have promoted more icons from Sarawak such as sape master Mathew Ngau Jau.
As RWMF continues to gain international acclaim, it has faced the challenge of accommodating larger crowds, indicating the need for an expansion of the venue to cater to growing numbers of attendees.
Furthermore, this necessitates the possibility of giving the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) a facelift to enhance its facilities and capacity.
The RWMF’s mission to uphold ‘Responsible Tourism’ is also worthy of commendation as it goes to prove that the festival is not just a mere entertainment avenue but is implemented with huge commitment and responsibility to protecting the environment and preserving the cultural heritage of Sarawak ethnic communities.
This commitment was demonstrated through various initiatives, such as the ongoing ban on single-use plastics, the provision of on-site water refill stations, and the implementation of a free shuttle bus service to encourage greener means of transportation.
Additionally, the introduction of seed paper for festival tags, a biodegradable material embedded with seeds that sprout when planted in soil, underscores the festival’s profound connection with nature. — DayakDaily
