Martin (second right) receives a token of appreciation from Alim as Milton (right) and others look on.
The artistes pose for the press while waiting for their turn to go an stage.
SERIAN: The Bidayuh music industry should not limit its market to Bidayuh populated areas only, said Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben.
He pointed out that in this Internet age, it is not impossible for Bidayuh music to find acceptance internationally if there is improvement in quality of song production, music and presentation.
As such, he called on Bidayuh Artistes and Musicians Association (Bama) to broaden the horizon of the industry so that it can be further elevated to reach international standards.
“The local Bidayuh music industry, as it is now, is limited to just 200,000 Bidayuhs living in areas from Lundu to the region of Serian.
“Therefore, I hope Bama can expand its role by taking a more holistic approach, not just taking care of the welfare and interests of artistes and musicians, but to also tap and develop new talents. Do not just limit to music, but also look into talents in the acting sector and traditional performing arts,” he said at the closing of Bidayuh Music Festival (BMF) 2015 on Sunday night.
The BMF 2015 held for two consecutive nights at Taman Komuniti Serian was the first major event organised by Bama, which was registered on Jan 6 this year.
It was jointly organised with Serian District Council (SDC), which celebrates its silver jubilee this year and supported by Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) in conjunction with its 60th anniversary. It coincided with the elevation of Serian District to a division.
Martin, on behalf of other elected representatives in Serian such as Serian MP Datuk Seri Richard Riot and Tebedu assemblyman Dato Sri Michael Manyin, said they would always provide monetary and moral support to Bama to enable it to progress.
He praised the organisers of BMF 2015 for an excellent show complete with spectacular sound system and lighting.
Meanwhile, BMF 2015 organising chairman Milton Anthony Suen said he was happy the event was eventually realised after two years of hard work and planning.
“I can proudly exclaim this as the first ever Bidayuh music fest in the world,” he said, while recording his appreciation to all those who made the event a success.
Those present that night included SDC deputy chairman Dr Simon Sindang Bada, its cultural, youth and sports committee chairman Stanley Sila and Bama president Dr Alim Impira.