TO ALL SARAWAK INDUSTRY MEMBERS

10th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
By Rainforest World Music Festival 2007 Committee

Time has a way of slipping by so fast.

When the Rainforest World Music Festival started in 1998, there was a huge committee consisting of people from the Kuching music and performances scene, the Sarawak Tourism Board, and various governmental departments, set up to brainstorm for the event.

Even though the working committee of the festival now is just a handful of people, the festival has grown so fast and so big that the festival venue as well as hotels, not just in the Santubong area, but also in Kuching city itself, are bursting at the seams.

It has been nine years, 150 acts and over 1000 musicians who have come and been a part of the magic of the Rainforest.

So to celebrate the 10th Anniversary this year, we are bringing back some of the much loved bands who have been with us in the last nine years.

Top of the list is the man who first planted the seed of a music festival in Borneo and who helped set up the first few steps of getting the organization of the festival going. This is Randy Raine-Reusch from Canada who is a multi-instrumentalist and forever on the lookout to add to his instrument collection.

Randy, who performed at the first 3 festivals (first with his band Asza, then with his wife Mei Han, and then solo) will be with Sarawakian percussionists of TABUH PAK AINAL who is Johari and his son Ainal who played at the festival in 2005 as well as under the umbrella of Tuku Kame who, as the resident band of the Sarawak Cultural Village, has performed in 6 festivals.

The festival will still keep its promise to deliver something for everyone and to have bands who will come from as different a corner as possible from all over the world.

The majestic throat singers of Tuva, HUUN HUUR TU will team up with the Russian musicians of MALERIJA like they did in 2003. The Tuvans are most likely to do an unplugged set at a workshop as a contrast to what they will do on main stage.

INKA MARKA with their songs from Peru and Chile was very popular when they were in Sarawak in 2000 and 2002, and the boys are looking forward to performing at the Sarawak Cultural Village again.

In 2003 when the global issues of Afghanistan were at an intense point, we brought in ENSEMBLE KABOUL - a class act of master musicians who are now all living away from their home country. Their spirituality and passion in the traditional music that they play will certainly be one of the things not to be missed at this year's event.

And to underline that music is what that binds everyone together, we are also having the FOGHORN STRINGBAND from the United States of America for traditional bluegrass and mountain music.

Celtic music will certainly be a highlight for this year. Not one band, but two! First - the boys from Scotland who were with the festival in its second and fourth years - SHOOGLENIFTY with fiddle, mandolin, banjo and music that has been described as acid-croft. And because of the great impact they had at the festival in 2005, despite of being Polish blokes in kilts - SHANNON returns with aggressive bagpipes, fiery bodhrans and a new fiddler.

Men are going to dominate the stage by their numbers this year, like they do every year, but the frontline ladies that come to the Rainforest World Music Festival are always strong, charismatic and beautiful. TARIKA BE from Madagascar will be headed by the gorgeous Hanitra while KHAC CHI from Vietnam will be the charming Bic and her husband on endless variety of traditional instruments.

BLACK UMFOLOSI from Zimbabwe was in Sarawak for 2002 and 2004. They come again with their capella harmonies, gumboots and warrior loincloths.

Without costumes but armed with huge Italian tambourines is TAMMORRA, who were here in 2004. This group had originally split up since they were at the Rainforest, but re-banded again and we are delighted that they are able to come over for this year.

The irrepressible drummers of the ASEANA PERCUSSION UNIT from Kuala Lumpur will bring an array of Malay, Chinese and Indian drums and just about anything that can be hit to make a sound. They performed in 2002 and some of their members have been back to the festival almost every year since then doing unofficial jamming while in the crowd.

Sarawak musicians will be the majority at the festival. ANAK ADI' RURUM KELABIT  and the BAMBOO BAND from the highlands will have about 40 musicians between them. And of course, the icon of the festival - the Sarawakian boat-shaped sape will appear in the hands of JERRY KAMIT.

MAH MERI of the Orang Asli tribe in West Malaysia were spectacular in their masks and costumes when they played at the RWMF 5 years ago. They will come to Sarawak courtesy of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

Two British bands will also be at the festival- both trios, both all men, both dynamic, yet both playing very different music. MAS Y MAS and the DOGHOUSE SKIFFLE GROUP will have their fans waiting for them eagerly.

The festival is organized by the Sarawak Tourism Board and it will be held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong on the 13th, 14th and 15th of July. Tickets are already on sale and can be bought online at http://www.ticketcharge.com.my  as well as at all Visitor Information Centres in Kuching, Miri and Sibu.

Tickets are priced at RM80 for a one day Adult Pass, and RM200 for a 3-day Adult Pass. Children aged 3 - 12 years of age can purchase half priced tickets.

Bona fide agents will be granted 5% commission from ticket sales.

There will be coach shuttle from the city to the Sarawak Cultural Village and vice versa everyday throughout the festival. The shuttle ticket price is RM10.00 perway for adult and RM5.00 perway for child age 3 – 12 years old. Shuttle tickets are available now and can be purchased at the ASIA (Association of Sarawak Inbound Agencies) Office,

ASSOCIATION OF SARAWAK INBOUND AGENCIES
Sublot 125, 2nd Floor, Section 33, KTLD Jalan Tabuan 93100 Kuching
Tel : 082 – 375042    Fax : 082 – 415127
Email : asia2@streamyx.com

The schedule of the shuttle is as below :

More information on the festival can also be found on the website www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com

The formula of evening shows and afternoon workshops remains the same.

We expect the usual intensity found at the festival to up several notches this year, since it is going to be a home-coming of sorts with this collage of bands playing almost back to back with each other. 

It will be another 10 years before the next reunion festival. Don't
miss this one…!

Issued by :
RWMF 2007 Committee