{"id":269600,"date":"2026-07-02T05:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ttrweekly.com\/site\/?p=269600"},"modified":"2026-07-02T05:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:56:00","slug":"rwmf-a-shining-badge-for-sarawaks-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ttrweekly.com\/site\/2026\/07\/rwmf-a-shining-badge-for-sarawaks-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"RWMF: A shining badge for Sarawak\u2019s heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KUCHING, 2 July 2026: The 29th <\/sup>edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2026 came to a memorable close last Sunday, having been hosted for three memorable days at the  Sarawak Cultural Village. This event delivered cultural exchange and rainforest experiences shaped not only by performances but by the impressions Sarawak left on the artists themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held from 26 to 28 June 2026 under the theme \u201cRegenerations: Roots & Rhythms,\u201d RWMF 2026  brought together more than 200 performers from 13 countries. While the festival continued to showcase its scale as one of Southeast Asia\u2019s most distinctive world music festivals, this year\u2019s closing story was carried powerfully by the voices of its headliners: Incognito, The Commodores featuring Thomas McClary, and our own Nusantara Icon, Dato M Nasir. All reflected on Sarawak, heritage, live performance, and the role of human creativity in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, RWMF\u2019s continued relevance lies in its being built on Sarawak\u2019s real cultural identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRWMF began with only about 300 people celebrating the sape, but today it is known all over the world. Wherever we go, whether to ITB Berlin, WTM London, or other tourism platforms, people recognise Sarawak through the Rainforest World Music Festival. This is because Sarawak is very proud of its heritage, culture and traditions. With 34 ethnic groups, each with their own music, food,  lifestyle and identity, we have something real to preserve, promote and share with the world,\u201d said  YB Dato Sri Abdul Karim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the festival\u2019s strength also lies in Sarawak’s continued protection and celebration of all communities, including smaller ethnic groups, while giving traditional music and cultural expressions a platform to be seen and heard by international audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This spirit was strongly reflected throughout RWMF 2026, where artistes not only arrived in  Sarawak to perform but also to experience the place, people and sounds that have shaped the festival\u2019s identity for nearly three decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing night headliner Incognito brought the festival to a soulful finale, uniting thousands of festivalgoers under the rainforest canopy with their signature blend of jazz, funk, soul, and global grooves. Their set closed RWMF 2026 with the kind of energy that has long defined the festival:  celebratory, open-hearted and deeply communal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the stage, members of Incognito shared that they loved experiencing rain in the Rainforest ahead of the concert and seeing the wildlife firsthand, which made the setting feel especially real and memorable. They also spoke of their curiosity to experience more of Sarawak, from its food and local attire to its wildlife, including proboscis monkeys and orangutans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most meaningful moments they shared was hearing the sape on the festival’s opening day. Describing it as a beautiful and memorable sound, they expressed how deeply it stayed with them- the kind of musical encounter that reflects RWMF\u2019s greatest strength: creating space for international artists to discover Sarawak\u2019s traditional sounds as part of a living, shared musical conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For The Commodores featuring Thomas McClary, RWMF 2026\u2019s theme \u201cRegenerations: Roots &  Rhythms\u201d resonated strongly with the idea of music moving across generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClary reflected that younger musicians continue to draw inspiration from earlier sounds while creating their own identities, describing this intergenerational exchange as part of what keeps music alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is the younger generation that is going to take music to that next level. It is inspiring to know that they have not only embraced that, but they have taken that mantle and created their own original sound and utilised the influence from the old sounds,\u201d McClary said during the festival\u2019s Meet & Greet session with the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the beauty of music lies in this meeting between generations, where nostalgic sounds continue to carry forward while allowing new voices to emerge. For a group whose music has travelled across decades and continents, The Commodores\u2019 presence at RWMF reinforced the festival\u2019s role as a place where legacy and discovery can coexist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClary also expressed appreciation for performing at RWMF, describing it as an honour to be among people who share a deep love for music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is an honour to be here. Coming here and being among all of the natives here, and the love and compassion that you have for music, we really appreciate that very, very much,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening night headliner Dato\u2019 M. Nasir also brought a reflective Malaysian voice to RWMF 2026,  particularly through his comments on artificial intelligence and the future of music creation. Speaking during the festival\u2019s media session, he described AI as a tool that may assist the creative process,  while noting that its full impact on songwriting, lyrics and artistic authorship remains an ongoing discussion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that, much like digital technology before it, AI is expected to influence the landscape of music creation. However, his reflections also pointed to a deeper question facing artists today: how technology can be used without replacing the thought, discipline, instinct and lived experience that shape meaningful creative work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As RWMF looks towards its 30th <\/sup>edition, it is also time to reflect on the role of AI in music. AI is a valuable tool, but it should support, not replace, human creativity, cultural memory and artistic integrity. Many musicians continue to favour authentic creation over AI-generated content, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

recognising that audiences value sincerity and originality. At the same time, we must be mindful of  AI\u2019s growing environmental footprint and energy demands. RWMF can become a platform for meaningful dialogue on using AI wisely, ethically and sustainably, while reaffirming that the heart of music will always be human. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This made RWMF 2026 especially relevant within today\u2019s creative landscape. At a festival grounded in live performance, traditional instruments, cultural memory, and direct exchange between artists and audiences, the conversation around AI was not treated as a rejection of technology but as a reminder that human creativity must remain at the centre of music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond its headliners, RWMF 2026 continued to offer a wide-ranging festival experience through performances, workshops, cultural showcases, wellness activities, community experiences and family-friendly programmes set against the iconic backdrop of Mount Santubong. Over three days, audiences encountered a diverse range of musical expressions, from Afro-fusion, Basque folk, and Thai contemporary fusion to Nusantara traditions, funk, soul, and Indigenous Bornean sounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability remained a key pillar of RWMF 2026, not as a separate campaign, but as part of the festival\u2019s responsibility to the rainforest setting that gives it its identity. The festival continued implementing the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System, with key initiatives including Green Ruai, the Green Warriors Waste Management Programme, structured waste segregation and recycling systems, EcoStations across the festival grounds, and the EcoGreen Planet Tree Planting Initiative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through EcoGreen Planet, in collaboration with Sarawak Forestry Corporation, more than 6,000  trees have been planted across Sarawak since 2023. This year\u2019s festival also supports further tree-planting efforts, with a target of 3,800 trees towards the broader goal of 10,000 trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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