| ANCIENT MAYAN CIVILIZATION COMES
TO THE RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
For much of its history, Belize has been reputed to be a wild place
– a spot for the adventurous and the most hardy of people
– pirates, loggers, farmers.
It is situated in central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea,
between Guatemala and Mexico. The climate is hot and humid and there
are vast expanses of rainforests with flat, swampy coastal plains
called bajos, and low mountains in south.
The Maya are the indigenous people of this region and their golden
age of civilization flourished between 200 – 800 AD. They
dominated vast areas – from Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula
as well as Guatamala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador.
To this day, the Mayan empire still poses a mystery. Archeologists
are still hunting for more information on these ancient tribes.
They were the people who built and later abandoned massive, majestic
and awe inspiring pyramids scattered around Central America; they
perfected the most complex writing system in the hemisphere, mastered
mathematics and astrological calendars of astonishing accuracy;
were skilled farmers, weavers and potters.
Now, coming all the way across the world to perform at the Rainforest
World Music Festival, is FLORENCIO MESS AND THE MAYA K’EKCHI’
STRINGS who stand as a living link to this colourful and vibrant
culture and community of people.
Florencio Mess is one of the few remaining harpists to maintain
the centuries-old tradition of Maya K'ekchi' harp music and instrument
crafting. For every performance that takes him away from his farm
in the little remote Maya K'ekchi' village of San Pedro Colombia,
he makes a new set of instruments – harp, violin, guitar –
from the hardwood trees from the jungle nearby where he lives. This
can take anything between 1 – 2 months. This is a dying art
form in Belize as very few young people are keen in learning the
skill.
He plays with 3 other traditional musicians and they have been
recently to Europe where audiences have been overcome with emotion
over this music that they have never heard before.
Maya K’ekchi’ music has remained like it was all those
centuries ago. It centres around the stringed instruments, has no
vocals but usually plays for traditional circle community dances.
The lead instrument is the harp which has 30 strings and which
produces both the melody as well as the harmony line.
Like most traditional music all over the world, the music was passed
down from teacher to student aurally.
FLORENCIO MESS AND THE MAYA K’EKCHI’ STRINGS have a
large repertoire based on these ancient songs that most villages
believe were composed by the Maya gods that they worshipped, performed
rituals and built all the temples for.
The Rainforest World Music Festival attempts, every year, to source
for as many different groups as possible that can portray a hard
edged identity of a certain culture. The organizers have been searching
for a long time for music from the mystical and mysterious Mayan
tribes, so they are very pleased to have Florencio Mess and his
musicians and instruments with them for 2005.
The festival, going into its 8th year, will be held at the Sarawak
Cultural Village from the 8th – 10th of July this year.
As always, the structure of the festival will centre around the
main stage evening shows as well as workshops over the 3 afternoons.
There will also be food stalls, handicraft outlets in the village
which is about 45 minutes drive out of Kuching.
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.
Do not miss this rare opportunity to hear centuries -old music that
is coming from the rainforests of the South American continent.
Yeoh Jun Lin
Artistic Director
Rainforest World Music Festival
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