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For the first time at the Rainforest World Music Festival, there will
be old-time, early bluegrass music from the Appalachian regions and the
mid-west of the United States of America.
The band is THE FOGHORN STRINGBAND from Portland, Oregon, and the quintet
is high spirited and powerful string players in the own right.
They are on a tight line-up of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass and guitar.
The music is old time melodies of rural America where square dancing and
country music is the life source of entertainment.
THE FOGHORN STRINGBAND has also played with Dirk Powell, who is the country’s
most renowned musicians of this genre. They toured with him in support
of the mountain music that was produced for the movie “Cold Mountain”.
The fiddle and the fiddle repertoire is the heart of the band’s
music. Stephen “Sammy” Lind is the virtuostic and intense
fiddler who fires out the exuberant melodies together with Caleb Klauder
on the mandolin and P.T Grover Jr. on the banjo.
Kevin Sandri is on guitar and the relentless driving beats come from the
bass player, Brian Bagdonas.
Together, they all also sing – sometimes expressive and mournful
keening lines, and at others, rapid and rough edged vocals.
This is music to get up to and get your legs moving. It is high energy
and straight forward without any trappings of electronica.
THE FOGHORN STRINGBAND will be a vivid contrast with the likes of Faiz
Ali Faiz with his spiritual Qawwali from Pakistan, and the simple transparent
tunes of Florencio Mess and the K’ekchi’ Strings from Belize.
Then again, it is also worlds apart from the spatial music of Thailand’s
Chulalongkorn University Ensemble.
This is what to be expected at the coming Rainforest World Music Festival
in Kuching, Sarawak come July 8th, 9th and 10th this year at the Sarawak
Cultural village.
It might be quite surreal to listen to bluegrass and square dance tunes
surrounded by tropical rainforests, but this will be something that long
time fans of the festival will be quite used to.
There will be sixteen very diverse bands at this year’s festival.
Main stage evening shows are accompanied by afternoon workshops where
all these different musicians mingle and strut their stuff in a more informal
setting.
Sarawak Tourism Board, again leads the way in organizing this festival
that has grown to mammoth proportions from the first year it started.
Sarawak Cultural Village has become the home of the event with a lot of
support from Malaysia Airlines, Unilever, Heineken Music, fRoots magazine,
Biaramas, Rainforest Tea and the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia.
Tickets are already out on sale priced at RM60.00 per day and will be
valid for both workshops as well as the evening show. Children aged 3
– 12 years old can obtain tickets at RM30.00 per day. Free admittance
would be extended to children aged 2 and below.
Tickets can be obtained from the Visitors' Information Centres in Kuching,
Miri and Sibu, the Sarawak Cultural Village, and Sarawak Tourism Board
or call Rudy at 082-423600 or e-mail: rudy@sarawaktourism.com
Packages are also available from several tour agencies and hotels. Check
out the website at www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com for more information
and contact numbers.
There will be food and handicraft stalls spread out over the Cultural
Village. This is a medley of sensations for all the senses.
THE FOGHORN STRINGBAND will be a powerhouse of energy and much spontaneous
fun. Don’t miss them.
Yeoh Jun Lin
Artistic Director
Rainforest World Music Festival
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