Thursday, July 23, 2015

Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival 2015 Performers List


The Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival 2015 (RWMF 2015) will be taking place this 7-9 August at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching and this is also the 18th year for the world renown Rainforest World Music Festival. Do you also know that every year, more and more new international and local acts are brought in to perform to world music lovers.

And for this year's RWMF 2015, the list of performers or artist is pretty amazing with some rare and unique groups performing on stage. In total, there will be 24 different performers throughout the three day festival here. One to look out for is our own Malaysian Mah Meri ethnic group, one of the oldest ethnic groups in the country and very little known about them. Other highlights would also be the Ndima, a rare pygmy tribe from Congo, Africa and a Kecak group from Bali, Indonesia.

List of RWMF 2015 Performers in alphabetical order are;

1Drum.org (Malaysia)
1Drum.org is a wonderful celebration of rhythm and spontaneous percussive beats; where everyone, young and old are invited to participate in a musical experience that is second to none. 1Drum Circle is a great way to meet like-minded people and an opportunity to reconnect with your inner rhythm. Drums will be provided for 100 pax per session.

Alaverdi (Georgia)
The four-piece ensemble Alaverdi from Georgia has specialised in the traditional Georgian folk music and church chants which are hailed as one of the most unique musical traditions around the world. Performing on the most traditional folk instruments, such as string, wind and percussion instruments, the band brings back the original sound of Georgian music and creates a mystical atmosphere.

Bargou 08 (Tunisia)
The band BARGOU 08 from Tunisia brings back the almost forgotten music of a region in the north west of the country which is isolated between the mountains and the Algerian border. Their music is the gateway to old Tunisian traditions and stories which are embedded in the lyrics, the melody and the dance.

Culture Shot aka La La Li La Tam Pong (Penang, Malaysia)
This six-headed band from Penang, Malaysia, combines different musical traditions and instruments into a multiracial music style based on old Hokkien music. Using instruments such as Er-hu, Lang Tin Tang, Rebana, Gongs and a Gendang, they mix sounds from different regions and create a new sound representing the diversity of their country.

Driss El Maloumi (Morocco)
The talented artist from Agadir, Morocco, mixes Arabic music with classical Western music and has not only worked with various famous musicians from all over the world such as Montserrat Figueiras or Omar Bashir, but also composed music for shows and films such as “La Source Des Femmes”. In 2013 Driss El Maloumi released his album “Makan” which he recorded in a trio with two percussionists Said El Maloumi and Lahoucine Baquir.

Enkh Jargal Danfarvaanchig aka EPI (Mongolia)
Epi is a Mongolian Moorin Hoor (Horse Fiddle), a traditional Mongolian instrument, player who grew up in the countryside and is therefore deeply rooted into the traditional and nomadic way of life that his people live in Mongolia. He studied the Moorin Hoor at the Music-Conservatorium of Ulaanbaatar and has performed all over the world and also on TV to bring back the awareness towards Mongolian traditional music.

Harubee (Maldives)
Harubee is 16 young men exploding with energy. Boduberu music evolved from the 11th century, brought in from the sailors traveling from parts of Africa. It is the relief found in dance for the common people. The songs are about everyday life, often heavy with satire. The drumming and dancing are frenetic, crescendo-ing into immense passionate climaxes.

Kapela Maliszow (Poland)
Kapela Maliszów is a family band of three members, led by the multi-instrumentalist Jan Malisz and inspired by the traditional music of Beskid Niski and Pogorze in South Poland. Their instruments have been played by family members since the early 20th century and they have won a variety of prizes playing folk songs and dance music from Gorlice County using their traditional instruments (violin, basolia and drum).

Kenwy Yan-Qin Ensemble (Sarawak, Malaysia)
The yangqin or the hammered dulcimer of China originally came from Persia, and it’s characterised for its bright tones yet extreme expressive range. Ken Wy is a master at this instrument and has established a Music & Arts Academy in Kuching. He brings an impressive ensemble of yangqins and percussion to the festival playing a range of traditional Chinese songs.

.
.