What Went Down: RWMF ’13 @ Sarawak Cultural Village

By Alif Omar Mahfix  •  in Reports
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source: RWMF

Day 2
With a whole day free to ourselves, we finally had our first taste of RWMF’s workshops. Three different venues with 3 different events happening at each one, and simultaneously per event to boot – it wasn’t easy deciding which one to participate in. Rather than mulling over it for too long, we opted for the arbitrary. Checking out Pangut Fever at Dewan Lagenda, we were regaled by Korean dance troupe Palsandae’s rendition of their traditional farmers’ dance – a combo of gymnastics and synchronised feet movements that had the dancers forming a running circumference. Then there was the Rejang Be’uh at the Iban Longhouse, while less animated, the Bidayuh people’s dance had warmth and sensitivity. Plus, it helped that it was less showy and fast, made it all the easier for us touristy folks to join in.

Ignoring the somewhat questionable choice of having 2 cultures square off like it were a Step Up: Got Tradition?, The Art of War at Dewan Lagenda was tonnes of fun. As the name implies, it was a duel of war dances between 2 cultures; Australian and African. What made it actually entertaining was the fact that the former had shields, spears, battle boomerangs, and war paint while the latter were a flamboyant troupe whose moves were more fun than intimidating. Fortunately no blood was spilled.

Come night time, jungle boy turned entrepreneur turned artiste, Maya Green, opened the night with his masterful prowess of the Orang Ulu’s traditional stringed instrument – the Sape. It was a serene start to the second days’ evening show that had us enthralled for a moment, and as quickly as he captured our attention, he lost it by the time the nursery rhymes showed up. Much later, Shangyin Chinese Chamber Orchestra proved exactly why they were world renowned, playing everything from China’s ethnic music to their native Sarawakian traditional tunes with a combination of modern and cultural instruments.

It was the next band that played immediately after them that stole the whole show for us. Rafly Wa Saja, hailing from Indonesia, might look like they just left the local surau when they got up on stage – the frontman wore a white getup that wouldn’t look out of place on an imam – but as soon as they started playing, JUICE got the surprise of our lives. These guys were doing a James f*cking Brown, complete with the moves, funk, soul, and scatting! We envy Indonesia, bands like them would never fly locally.

If it had not been for Rafly, we wager New Orleans band the Pine Leaf Boys would have been our favourite. Always a fan of the Cajun accent and patois (thanks to Gambit of X-Men), and the New Orleans culture (thanks to HBO’s Treme), watching the band bringing Cajun and Creole music there was almost unreal.