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By Karen Bong
KUCHING, June 8: Fifteen participants representing various races from Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia will come together to cultivate their musical interest during a four-day Sape Camp, starting on June 19.
The camp, organised by Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak (YPS), adopts the theme ‘Unity Without Borders’.
The camp will kick off at Lime Tree Hotel on June 19 to 20, followed by Lan E Tuyang homestay on June 21. The camp will conclude with a closing ceremony at Borneo Cultures Museum, followed by a mini unity concert at the Amphitheatre of Kuching Waterfront on June 22.
Leading the Sape Camp will be renowned Sarawak sape legend Matthew Ngau, sape maestro Jerry Kamit, composer Narawi Rashidi, and a senior lecturer in the Music Programme at the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts of University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Dr Connie Lim.
YPS chief executive Datu Aloysius J Dris expressed that this camp aims to unite young musicians by focusing on Sarawak’s legendary native instrument, the sape, which is commonly associated with the Orang Ulu community.
The sape gained international recognition through the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) and serves as a unifying element among the participants.
“The main objectives of the camp are to bring together youths from all races to learn in-depth knowledge about sape playing, including its origin and history, musical composition, appreciation within the music industry, as well as exposure to sape-making and design selection.
“Sape is today being played by professional musicians and enthusiasts of all races, and its popularity has brought fame to this indigenous musical instrument at both national and international levels,” he told a press conference held at the Borneo Culture Musuem here today.
Upon completion of the camp, the participants will become YPS Sape Ambassadors, collectively dedicated to pursuing the sape as their musical instrument of choice and sharing their musical journey with others.
The closing ceremony on June 22 is expected to be attended by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who also serves as the YPS Board of Trustees chairman, at the Borneo Cultures Museum.
Members of the public are invited to enjoy the hour-long mini concert, which will feature the sape ambassadors dressed in their respective traditional costume.
“We aspire for this camp to become an annual event and potentially expand to include other instruments in the future.
“Our hope is for musicians worldwide to discover and learn the sape, fostering the spirit of unity through music, sustaining interest and keep entertaining the world,” he added. — DayakDaily
