Visitors dance to the music during the Children of the Rainforest workshop at the Iban Longhouse.
KUCHING: Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2015 visitors experienced a wave of cultural diversity as they got up close and personal with various performers during the second day of enjoyable interactive workshops at Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV).
Moving and swaying their bodies to rhythms from all around the world, visitors learnt two major dance forms first-hand – Sega and Maloya – taught by members of the Lindigo band from Reunion Island during the interactive dance workshop, Shake Shake Shake.
Known as the ‘Dance of Seduction’, the Sega dance is usually accompanied by musical instruments such as the roulér (a low-tuned barrel drum played with hands), kayamb (a flat rattle made from sugar cane tubes and seeds), pikér (a bamboo idiophone played with sticks) and bob (a braced struck musical bow).
From the cheerful beats of the dance of seduction of the Indian Ocean, visitors got in touch with nature during the Children of the Rainforest Workshop featuring three bands of different backgrounds which are Ndima of Congo Brazzaville, Mah Meri from Peninsular Malaysia and Lan E Tuyang, and a local band from Sarawak.
During the workshop, visitors were treated to the lilting melodies of the sape by renowned sape player, Matthew Ngau of Lan E Tuyang.
The band Ndima from Congo also showcased their unique local single-stringed instrument which is said to bring good fortune in hunting.
The three bands from different backgrounds created a harmonious sound as they jammed together with Matthew singing ‘Liling’, a traditional Orang Ulu song towards the end of the workshop.
Among other workshops that were held on the second day of RWMF 2015 were Bidayuh Berejang Workshop, Wind in the Bellows Workshop which featured accordions of different styles; the Hour Glass Curves Workshop showing the different techniques, tunings and layers on guitar; the I Got Rhythm Workshop showing percussion of different kinds; the Ritmos Vascos Workshop featuring the traditional rhythms from the Basque region and the Sape Special Workshop by sape maestro Matthew Ngau Jau.
Hand gestures are a big part of the interactive Bidayuh Berejang Workshop.