Music lovers enjoy some step-dancing, throat-singing and a little voodoo at RWMF 2016 workshops

0
Sounds of Nature workshop by Kathy and Karin Kettler (Nukariik), EP (Violons Barbares) and Torgeir Vassvik.

Sounds of Nature workshop by Kathy and Karin Kettler (Nukariik), Epi (Violons Barbares) and Torgeir Vassvik.

KUCHING: Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) would not be half as much fun without the daytime workshops held in various locations around Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV).

On the first day of the 19th edition of RWMS, 13 workshops were being held across four venues – Dewan Lagenda, Iban Longhouse, Bidayuh Longhouse, Malay Town House and Rainforest Music House.

Today (Aug 5) at the Bidayuh Longhouse, Kathy and Karin Kettler from Nukariik (Canada), EP from Violons Barbares (Mongolia) and Torgeir Vassvik from Norway came together for the ‘Sounds of Nature’ workshop.

They wowed the audience by singing together in the unique vocalisation styles of their cultures.

Meanwhile, 40 participants of at the Beats, Cuts and Lifts workshop going on at Dewan Lagenda had a taste of Ireland with
Samantha Harvey from the band Teada who taught the festival-goers some Irish step-dancing.

Samantha Harvey from Teada leading the way in Irish step-dancing.

Samantha Harvey from Teada leading the way in Irish step-dancing.

The dancing continued thereafter with the Bollywood Bhangra! workshop where Jamel Kaur and Dheeraj Shrestha from Malaysian group Dya Singh engaged the crowd with some upbeat Indian dance moves.

At the same time, beats and rhythms filled the Iban Longhouse as visitors were exposed to the voodoo traditions of Haiti in an interactive workshop ‘Tanbou Se Rasin Ayiti’ by members of Chuok Bwa Libete.

Band Chouk Bwa Libeye from Haiti

Haitian band Chouk Bwa Libeye during a lecture-demonstration and interactive workshop

During the workshop, the band performed a ceremonial song performance which is said can last for hours.

Aside from that, another interactive workshop carried out at the Iban Longhouse was an interactive dance workshop by Band Girls of Sabah.

The girls performed beautiful dance moves from the Sumazau of the Kadazan Dusun and the Limbal of the Bajau.

Band Girls of Sabah performing the Sumazau dance

Band Girls of Sabah performing the Sumazau dance.

RWMF workshops this year also offered a dash of Sarawak cultural enlightment with the help of Friends of Sarawak Museum (FOSM).

The Kuching-based NGO gave workshops at Malay Town House on Pua Kumbu and Tree of Life.

All workshops were planned to be a mix of lecture-demonstrations and interactive dance tutorials with the aim to inform and entertain.

The festivities are going to continue tonight from 7.30pm with a miring ceremony, followed by Naygayiw Gigi Dance Troupe (Australia), Unique Arts Academy (Malaysia), Violons Barbares (Bulgaria, Mongolia, France), Dol Arastra Bengkulu (Indonesia), Krar Collective (Ethiopia) and Auli (Latvia).