HERE WE ARE: Abg Johari (left) and Talib at the launch of the 1st Borneo World Music Expo.
KUCHING: Come next year the state will be hosting a new ‘exciting’ event – Borneo World Music Expo – as an effort to further stimulate the tourism industry.
The event, which will coincide with the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), will be held at a leading hotel here from June 24 to 26 next year and expects to attract some 20 international music programmers.
Speaking to reporters before unveiling the new event here yesterday Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the inaugural Borneo World Music Expo, which is scheduled a week before the RWMF every year, will integrate a trade fair, musical showcases, conferences, exhibitions and networking sessions in an effort to promote culture and music.
“It is specifically designed to expose Asian and ethnic musicians to the international market,” he said, adding that the new initiative is in addition to the successful RWMF that thus far has managed to attract participants and visitors from all over the world.
“We believe that through this Borneo World Music Expo we will be able to further showcase the uniqueness of our beautiful state globally through the various ethnic music and culture that we have,” he pointed out.
He suggested that the expo would also probably become a good ground for the locals to showcase their talents to international musical experts who were always hunting for such potentials.
Besides, he said, such musical expo is a right approach to help protect and preserve the traditional music against the modern musical trend.
“Most importantly, we want to share with the rest of the world our diverse traditions and cultures which we want to convey through songs and music,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) CEO Dato’ Rashid Khan said it was the ambition of the board to make this event into a world recognised annual exposition for the professionals and trade visitors within the international music scene as part of its transformation strategy to climb the value chain from leisure based events to that of business tourism events.
He announced that STB had appointed an international music industry professional with over 25 years experience in both major and independent music and music events companies, Gerald Seligman as the consultant to the Borneo World Music Expo.
Seligman, who is National Recording Preservation Foundation, US Library of Congress executive director, and was also present at the event yesterday, said this would be the best opportunity for the local musical talents to go further and make their career a source of economy to players in the entire industry as a whole.
“This is basically our goal. We want the music industry to contribute towards the economic growth of the state by giving opportunities in the various sectors and this expo will be a good start,” he stressed.
Among those present at the occasion to witness the unveiling of the expo logo were Assistant Tourism Ministers namely Datuk Talib Zulpilip and Datuk Gramong Juna as well as Tourism Ministry Permanent Secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik.