By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 29: Sarawak’s inaugural Rock in The Jungle (RITJ) music festival may have started small, but it has the potential to grow into an event as big as the iconic Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF).
Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, highlighted that even the RWMF, now a globally recognised event, began 28 years ago with just 300 attendees.
“I see RITJ as a fantastic platform for rock music to thrive.
“With so many rock fans here, I believe it can grow year by year and become a must-attend event for music lovers,” he said after the festival at Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) last night (Dec 28).
He also mentioned that the ministry encourages more concerts like RITJ in the future to attract music lovers from Sarawak and neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, and West Malaysia.
The first night of RITJ (Dec 28) saw Sweet Charity take the stage for their first-ever performance in Sarawak, featuring the band’s legendary vocalist, Datuk Ramli Sarip, affectionately known as “Papa Rock.”
This performance followed their recent reunion concert, “Ribut The Concert,” in Singapore on October 14, 2023, after a decade-long hiatus.
The lineup also included influential rock bands XPDC, along with rising stars Jemson, Criss X, and JS Boys.
Tonight (Dec 29) promises another night of thrilling performances, with Malaysia’s legendary rock titans, Wings, headlining the event and proving that rock music is alive and thriving.
Also performing tonight are Indonesian rock band Edane, Sarawak’s all-girls rock band Candy, and two more Sarawakian rock bands, Senseless and BNB Band. – DayakDaily
