RWMF performers (from right) Oisin Macdiarmuda (Ireland), Abisheg, Emanuel, Leonara Abidi (Australia) and Datuk Song Wee Hee.
KUCHING: Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) artists believed that fusing traditional music with modern elements did not create a confusing genre, but rather innovated on it.
Speaking at today’s (Aug 7) press conference, Emanuel Ofori from Pat Thomas and Kwashibu Area Band pointed out fusion music as a way to reach a bigger audience.
“We have songs which are completely original but we also have some songs with a bit of rock and innovative style,” he said.
According to the Ghanaian musician, Pat Thomas and Kwashibu Area Band was trying to build a bridge to reach the whole world.
As for Abisheg Thiyagadass from Unique Arts Academy, it was up to the musicians how they wanted to create their music and it was up to the audience how they wanted to perceive it.
He explained it by a drawing a comparison: “Some people love to wear jeans with a blouse and some would wear it with a jacket. Everybody has a different style and everybody has a different way looking at it.”
Hailing from Negeri Sembilan, Abisheg said, “Fusion music is not about confusing people. If there are people out there that can accept this type of music, there is no confusion at all in it.”
Temesegen Tareken from Krar Collective (Ethiopia) stated that the band played what they felt like playing.
Temesegen (left) receiving a token of appreciation from Angelina Bateman.
“We are trying to let the music speak as much as presenting the aspect of culture,” he said.
According to Temesegen, the group shared the mentality of performing and personality of a rock band rather than presented themselves as a cultural show.
RWMF has been known for bringing musicians from different cultures all over the world under one roof.
This year, there were performers from Cuba, Columbia and Haiti to showcase the diversity of Latin American music, from Europe were artists from Latvia, Greece, Norway and Ireland as well as from Asia; China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
