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By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, June 23: ‘Sik sah sik ada Kantoi malam tok’, quipped Sarawakian singer-songwriter Zee Avi.
During a press conference at Casuarina Hall, Damai Beach Resort Hotel today, she shared a light-hearted moment, joking that her performance tonight at the 26th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2023 won’t be ‘valid’ if she doesn’t sing ‘Kantoi’, which is one of her most popular songs.
‘Kantoi’ is a Malay slang for ‘caught red-handed’, and the lyrics of the song switch between Malay and English.
Commenting on her name being added to this year’s lineup, Zee Avi said she was glad to be back since her last appearance in 2012.
“It is nice to be back in Sarawak, as I feel that it has been a while even though I was here (in Sarawak) two years ago.
“The first thing I did was a food tour—‘laksa’, ‘roti kahwin’ (toasted bread with butter and coconut jam), and ‘mee kolok’ all in one day,” she said.
She shared that while she did not expect to be invited back, she described that the RWMF is always magical and special to the people of Sarawak.
During the press conference, she also shared some advice with young and aspiring artistes.
“If you are a young aspiring musician, music is a personal thing. It does not matter what language you choose to sing in, but please just remind yourself to create in the language you dream, feel, and think in.
“Write for yourself, create for yourself, because we all want to hear stories so we don’t feel alone. We never know who is out there who wants to hear our story so that they can have somebody they can relate to, and with that, no matter what you do, remember to have fun,” she said.
The 26th RWMF 2023 will be held from June 23 to June 25 at Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching and features 199 musicians from 12 countries across three continents performing a diverse range of music. — DayakDaily
