GALICIA, Spain: The Bidayuh traditional music ensemble of Madeeh did Sarawak proud when it was hand-picked to represent Malaysia at the 20th anniversary of Womex, the largest world music expo.
Tony (left) and members of Madeeh performing at WOMEX, the largest world music expo, in Spain.
The expo in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, which took place from Oct 22-26, had Sarawak Tourism Board participating under ‘Malaysia Major Events’ in a stand (booth) of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
The Madeeh ensemble, which plays Bidayuh roots music from the upper Padawan region of Sarawak, performed on a daycase stage at the Cidade da Cultura within the exposition area. Picked as the first band to perform on the daycase stage, which only opens to Womex delegates, Madeeh attracted attention from many music industry professionals from around the world. Sharing the same stage with Madeeh was Paolo Angeli from Italy/Spain performing on the same day.
On stage, Madeeh showcased their musical instruments which are part of a centuries old tradition of music and dance, developed in the communal life of the longhouses. Their instruments are the ‘pratuokng’ a zither made from a bamboo tube, ‘sritakng’ xylophone and the ‘gaduok’ hand-drum.
‘Madeeh’ means cousins, relatives, brotherhood or sisterhood and the ensemble members are all related and come from the same longhouse. It is led by Arthur Borman ‘Bai Kis’ Kanying, an expert on the history of the Bidayuh people and who singles out the best bamboo for making the traditional instruments.
Womex 2014 is the annual international world music expo that brings together the business of world music from across all borders to interact on a global platform. Comprising 60 acts with more than 300 artistes from 25 different countries, it is truly a music expo like no other.
This year for the first time ever, not one but two Malaysian artistes had been hand-picked to play at Womex. Apart from Madeeh, the traditional Kelantanese band ‘Geng Wak Long’ was chosen to display the beautiful culture and heritage of Kelantan.
Both bands have been performing at Borneo World Music Expo in Sarawak, the same platform and music market of its kind akin to Womex, but held in Asia. The selection process at Womex is conducted each year by a jury of esteemed members from the global music community,with the utmost stringence to put together the programme for every World Music Expo.
According to Ben Mandelson, founding director of Womex, having the performance presence of Madeeh and Geng Wak Long, this year reinforces the presence of Malaysian arts professionals at Womex over the years. “Womex was created with the intention of bringing people from the world music industry together. It is one of the biggest and best places to discover music and connect with people on a global scale and I think Malaysia has been a great addition to our expo,” he added.
Showcasing at the Malaysian stand (booth) are the renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) and Borneo Jazz promoted by Sarawak Tourism Board. For STB, the World Music Expo is one of the important platforms in band selection for next year’s festival. There are 600 exhibiting companies from 40 countries presenting their music product at 245 stands at the trade fair.
At the Malaysian stand, Tony Nagamaiah, general manager of Malaysia Major Events, said: “I see world music as a medium that transcends language and culture. Malaysia offers a unique perspective in that aspect as we celebrate all races and traditions in truly spectacular environments.”
According to Tony, Malaysia is a world-class location for people and what Malaysia Major Events is doing at Womex this year is to create the opportunity for festival organisers and world music musicians to collaborate and showcase Malaysia on an international stage.
And 2015 will be the ‘Malaysia Year of Festivals’, the year promises an array of events to celebrate diverse festivals unique to the country. The internationally renowned Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak, has been acclaimed as one of the ‘Top 25 World Music Festivals’ for the last five years by Songlines, a renowned world music magazine. The festival attracts nearly 25,000 visitors for a fusion of traditional roots to world beat.
At the Womex, Sarawak also proudly presented the well-recognised Borneo Jazz held in Miri, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. The two-day event features jazz musicians from across the globe. The Malaysian delegation to Womex is led by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MoTAC). Presented at the booth are Sarawak Tourism Board, Penang Tourism, JL Productions, as well as music groups Madeeh and Geng Wak Long.