{"id":204350,"date":"2022-05-03T02:15:28","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T19:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ttrweekly.com\/site\/?p=204350"},"modified":"2022-05-03T03:26:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T20:26:11","slug":"feel-the-rhythm-of-rainforest-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ttrweekly.com\/site\/2022\/05\/feel-the-rhythm-of-rainforest-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Feel the rhythm of rainforest music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KUCHING, 3 May 2022: The Rainforest World Music Festival is back from 17 to 19 June 2022 to celebrate its 25th<\/sup> year with more heart-racing, foot-stomping world rhythms from the jungle stage of Sarawak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adopting a Hybrid format for the first time in Malaysian festival history returns to the Sarawak Cultural Village under the banner \u201cLegendary Rainforest Celebration\u201d<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The full festival experience will be simultaneously\nlive-streamed worldwide so that everyone can feel the rhythm of the Rainforest\nwherever they live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This festival has grown into one of the most anticipated\nWorld Music events on the international calendar, and this year will not\ndisappoint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It offers equal excitement for the world music aficionado\nand the fun-seeking festival-goer alike. Held at the Sarawak Cultural Village,\nit will blend Sarawak\u2019s natural landscape and the sound of its many cultures\nwith the music of the world, featuring 60 performers from a host of countries,\nincluding Korea, Canada, China, India, Mexico and almost everywhere in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

International Performers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year sees more individual acts than ever before on the\nRainforest stage, some live at the Sarawak Cultural Village, and some beamed in\nby the power of modern technology. This year, the festival welcomes Bluguru\nfrom Australia, a group that sets the soundwaves singing with their incredible\nblend of musical styles from Bluegrass to Blues, Indian to Celtic, Swing, Jazz\nand adventure too. The audience can enjoy the rapid switches from one genre and\none instrument to another, backed by soaring vocal harmonies, blistering guitar\nand fiddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will also feature Timo V\u00e4\u00e4n\u00e4nen, the leading exponent of\nFinland’s national instrument, the kantele. He will seamlessly blend the\ntraditional model with the modern, electrical 39-string version to give the\nSarawak audience a taste of a haunting and unique sound which has graced film,\n25 albums and five solo CDs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that isn’t enough for today’s teaser, the organisers\npromise to fly in Randrianantoandro Cl\u00e9ment, direct from Madagascar. Better\nknown as Kilema, he burst onto the music scene as part of the Justin Vali Trio,\nplaying his Marovany, Kabosy and Katsa, guitar and percussion, respectively. He\nblends the sounds of his rich and rhythmic heritage with his experience of the\nworld, drawing from diverse musical styles to produce a sound entirely his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these three are just a taste of what is on offer, to be\nannounced as the weeks to the festival tick down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hybrid Format<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those watching RWMF from home, online viewers will enjoy\ntwo hours of performances through the dedicated festival platform, combining\nlive stream action at the Sarawak Cultural Village with original curated\ncontent. Sign up for one hour priced at MYR25, then extend for another when the\nrhythm moves you. Or just book two hours in advance over all three evenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expect the same grand performances from global acts, but\nthis time alternating with curated original video material, showing a range of\nlocal and international performers in their own environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RWMF Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year is a celebration, but it is also about legacy\nbuilding. Randy Raine Reusch, the founder of RWMF, returns to the stage and,\nbehind the scenes, the guiding hand of the artistic content. He is joined by\ntwo rising stars of Sarawak music, Alena Murang and Bob Meldrick of At Adau, as\nRandy passes the baton to the next generation of musicians who grew up with\nthis festival. Our two Sarawak performers share their award-winning experience\nof video production and international travel with the next set of performers to\nappear on the stage that first welcomed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workshops and Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the best of the festival returns for all those familiar\nwith the format, alongside our many surprises. The Sarawak Cultural Village,\nitself an award-winning venue displaying all the traditional lifestyles of this\namazing state, is home again to food bazaars from this newly-crowned Creative\nCity of Gastronomy under UNESCO and Craft fairs featuring the best of Borneo\nhandicrafts. Get an indigenous hand tap tattoo, enjoy a meal and learn\nsomething new under the shadow of our magic mountain, even before the sun goes\ndown and the evening show begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The environment is the making of Sarawak, so food vendors\nwill follow the highest standards in recycling and waste reduction. RWMF aims\nto be truly sustainable, avoiding single-use plastics and promoting\nenvironmental appreciation. All this is in line with Sarawak Tourism Board’s\ncampaign for Responsible and Sustainable tourism, supporting communities and\nthe environment that shaped them alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival’s workshops are the defining feature of the\nfestival, bringing together musicians from many disciplines. Drawing together\nthese talents under unifying themes showcases festival-goers can join jam\nsessions in the setting of the Sarawak Cultural Village. The Friday opening\nsessions will kick off the ‘Sape Gathering’. The organisers are recruiting\nanyone who can strum a sape in Sarawak for a grand sape jam session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n