THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL- A HOME-COMING FOR RANDY RAINE-REUSCH
By Corporate Affairs, Sarawak Tourism Board

The upcoming 10th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) will be a home-coming event for Canadian multi-instrumentalist Randy Raine Reusch.

This is because Reusch was one of the few who were instrumental in charting the path of the festival in its early days. Emotion is expected to run high as Reusch will be reunited with the musicians who had heat-up the RWMF stage all the years when he was actively involved in the running of the festival.

And, his presence at the July 13 - 15 RWMF will be his first after a six-year absence from the festival that saw many changes over the years since its inception in 1998.

His involvement in the RWMF began when he came to Sarawak in his quest to look for ethnic musical instruments to be added to his collection. One thing led to another and very soon Reusch found himself in the thick of action in organizing the festival.

He was also the performers at the first RWMF in 1998, then performing with his band Asza and the following year he returned to the RWMF stage with his wife Han Mei. Reusch was also the artistic consultant of the festival from 1998 to 2000.

Having dabbled his hands as performer and artistic consultant, Reusch’s home-coming performance at the coming RWMF will be extra sweet affair as he had been scheduled to perform with two local percussionists who carved their names in the music world through the festival. Festival goers will also have the chance to see Reusch performing solo.

Besides Reusch, other performers who will be heating up the RWMF stage at Sarawak Cultural Village include Inka Marka from Peru, Black Umfolosi (Zimbabwe), Shooglenifty (Scotland) and Aseana Percussion Unit (Kuala Lumpur), Huun Huur Tu and Malerji from Tuva and Russia, Khac Chi (Vietnam), Ensemble Kaboul (Afghanistan), Shannon (Poland), Foghorn Stringband (USA), Tarika Be (Madagascar), Tammora (Italy) Mas Y Mas (UK), Doghouse Skiffle Band (UK) and  Mah Meri (Kuala Lumpur).
 
To share that glorious moment are also Sarawak’s very own groups like Anak A’dik Rurum Kelabit, Jerry Kamit, Taboh Pak Ainal and Kelapang Kelabit Bamboo Band.

Organised by Sarawak Tourism Board, the RWMF had enjoyed a steady increased in the crowd turn-up for the event each year since its inception in 1998. Targeting at attracting 24,000 people to RWMF this year, STB is confident of achieving its target as the tickets for the festival is now available online.

Ticketcharge Sdn Bhd had been entrusted to handle the ticket sales on its website www.ticketcharge.com.my.  Tickets are priced at RM80 per day for adult and RM40 per day for children between six and 12 years old. A three-day pass is priced at RM200 for adult and RM100 for a three-day pass for children between six and 12 years old.

This festival is also supported by Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia and Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism, Sarawak.

Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia had also included the festival as one of the top 50 events in the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 calendar that are being heavily promoted world-wide.

RWMF had also won the PATA Gold Award 2006 under the culture and heritage category.