KUCHING 5 APRIL 2023: The iconic Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2023 will make a ‘physical’ comeback from 23 to 25 June at Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching.
The annual festival organised by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will see musicians and fans of world music congregating, sharing and experiencing different sounds.
The 26th RWMF will be Sarawak’s unforgettable ‘ambassador’, delivering sounds of Sarawak to the ears and hearts of music lovers worldwide.
The festival’s line-up will feature 199 musicians from 12 countries across more than three continents to perform a diverse range of music genres, including Grammy Awards winner Gipsy Kings from France of such hits as ‘Djobi Djoba’ and ‘Bamboleo’ set to enthral visitors with their pop-oriented music, distantly derived from traditional flamenco and rumba genres.
Other international performers include ‘Big Mountain’ from Jamaica, ‘Safi Theatre’ from Tanzania, ‘Rastak’ from Iran, ‘Fasylive’ from Maldives, ‘Afriquoi’ from the UK, ‘Chatusram’ from India, ‘Rizal Hadi & Folk’ from Indonesia and ‘Thai Fusions Sound Band’ from Thailand. The line-up will also include performers from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Speaking at the launch of the 26th RWMF, Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, YB Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah explained: “While the international performers are undoubtedly the highlight of the event, we must also acknowledge the exceptional local performers and bands who have thrived as a result of RWMF over the years. They are a testament to the transformative power of music and culture in positively impacting our communities.”
The Minister also called for support of local musical talents who will perform at RWMF2023, including Zee Avi, Suk Binie, APU, Nadir, Steve Thornton Band, Sada Borneo, Tuku Kame, Nading Rhapsody, Geng Wak Long, Buloh Berkocak, At Adau, Meruked and Orang Orang Drum.
Sharing the theme of this year’s festival, ‘REFLECTIONS’, the Minister invited the audience to reflect on the humble beginnings of RWMF, with merely 300 spectators for its first-ever concert back in 1998. The event has now grown to be Sarawak’s ‘Star Festival’ and internationally renowned platform, recognised as one of the 25 best International Festivals, placing Sarawak in a position to be the
Targeting more than 20,000 visitors for RWMF 2023, Sharzede added that the RWMF’s international recognition had expanded from an acclaimed world music platform to being acknowledged as Sarawak’s keystone festival that strongly advocates Responsible Tourism in its quest to become one of the world’s most sustainable, eco-friendly festivals.
STB CEO Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor shared: “Reflecting on the course of events 26 years ago, I am glad that STB had undertaken the task and am proud to witness and be part of the growth of RWMF – from its humble beginnings to being recognised as a music festival of international stature. We look forward to reflecting on the next 25 years as we move towards making the RWMF a platform for Sarawak to push on sustainability and ecotourism for the next generation of music lovers.”
In previous editions, Sarawak had taken proactive measures towards creating and implementing a sustainable, eco-friendly festival. That continues as the state’s tourism players and local communities embarked on activities which included banning single-use plastics, encouraging upcycling of used materials, exploring innovative solutions to waste management and even providing shuttle buses to ferry festival-goers to alleviate carbon emission, energy conservation and environmental education, encouraging participation in greening initiatives – all towards making Responsible Tourism the ‘norm’.
STB invites visitors from Malaysia and worldwide to RWMF for a holistic experience and emotion of the festival, which promises harmony, diversity, and culture connected by music and dance. Visitors will experience various emotions in their purest and most authentic form – unforgettable, wild, tribal, cultural, and authentic expressions unique to Sarawak.
Ticket sales will open on 15 April 2023.
For further information, visit the festival’s official website www.rwmf.net.
About Rainforest World Music Festival Starting with only a few hundred people in the audience in 1998, the event has grown into an internationally recognised music festival, receiving awards among them as one of the Top 25 Best International Festivals awarded by Songlines Magazine for six consecutive years (2010 to 2015). The festival features various performances, from traditional music to world fusion and contemporary world music.
(Your Stories: Sarawak Tourism Board)
