KOTA KINABALU: The 18 participating countries in the 7th Sabah International Folklore Festival (SIFF) 2012 prime show enthralled patrons with a plethora of fascinating folk performances during the launch of the event on Friday night.
It was indeed a rare treat featuring rich heritages by the participating dance troupes from the Czech Republic, Brunei Darussalam, Timur Leste, Finland, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Philippines, Poland, Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Kuwait, Egypt, Nigeria, Taiwan and China.
The packed crowd at Magellan Sutera was intrigued with the performance of the Timur Leste troupe which presented a dance entitled, ‘Tarian berguru’, a dance that depicted hunting trips in the wild outdoors.
The Dayak Lundayeh folk from Nunukan, Indonesia, on the other hand, showed similarities in their costumes with the Murut folk in Sabah.
The Kazakhstan dancers showcased their beautiful maidens clad in flowing gowns of pastel colours.
Present to grace the event was Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin as well as Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.
Also present were Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, and Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Haji Noor.
Meanwhile, the festival also sees two nights of folkdance competition at the Sabah Cultural Centre in Penampang yesterday and today.