The rain came down hard on the final day of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2010 held at the Sarawak Cultural Village. It began with a light drizzle and as I contemplated whether to abandon my comfortable spot by the lake and look for shelter at one of the nearby stalls or longhouses, it started pouring. By the time I dashed into the Iban longhouse I was soaked from head to toe. Already suffering from a bad case of the flu, I was prepared for the aftermath the rain would have on my body. However, as I was on assignment to cover the festival, I had to wait out the rain - which incidentally didn't stop for a very long time! Not that I was new to the festival or the fact that the rain is a guaranteed prospect during the festival. The first time I was assigned to the festival was during its first show in 1997. Back then, it was a small music festival with about 300 or so people gathered by the lakeside stage. Unlike the commericalised event that it has become today, I would descibe the early days as more a more 'intimate' event. And yes, I recall being drenched in the rain back then too.
I suppose it wouldn't be a rainforest festival without the rain. So counting the number of times I had covered the festival, this year marked my 6th. I am very sure that loyal festival goers from those early days will know how much the festival has evolved from a small music festival to the more commercialised event that it is today.
This annual festival is unique in that it does not only brings together on the same stage renowned world musicians from all continents and indidenous musicians from the interiors of the Borneo. It also sees a convergence of people from abroad and locally who make their way to the village for 3 days of festivities. The festival's formula of afternoon informative workshops, ethno-musical lectures, jamming sessions and mini concerts have remained a hit with the audience. The evening performances on the main stage is an even bigger hit with the crowd - especially the young people - who ignore the heavy downpour to dance in the rain and simply enjoy the music.
This year the festival was held from 9th to 11th July. The 3 day event saw roughly around 19500 people attending. On the 1st and 2nd day, the recorded attendance was 14, 644, an increase of 10.4% from last year. On Saturday alone saw 8258 people at the festival, an increase of 16.8% from 2009. While the target for Sunday was 7000, only a rough figure of 4900 people was recorded. Blame it on the rain.
Apart from the music and workshops, the festival combines a variety of food and drink stalls which are set up around the lake area. Festival memorablias, Sarawak souvenirs and CDs by performing artists are also available.
Three years ago, an "extension" to the festival and a personal favourite of mine was introduced. The Rainforest World Crafts Bazaar (RWCB) was held again for the 3rd consecutive year and was successfully organised under the collaboration of Craftshub, Sarawak Craft Council and with assistance and support of various agencies such as the Sarawak Cultural Vilalge, Sarawak Tourism Board, the Women's Development Bureau, Kraftangan and the Tourism and Heritage Ministry (both state and federal level).
Held in conjunction with the Rainforest World Music Festival, the young but growing bazaar aims to maintain the unique Sarawakian craftsmanship and skills alive, and making it world famous thus providing a viable means of livehood to assisting craftsmen and women in business with sustainable sales. Although there are many ways to do this, the organisers felt that the perfect avenue to achieve their aim is to hold it at an event which sees the gathering of people from all over the world.
It gives the opportunity not just to showcase the works of the artists and artisans but acts as a channel for exchanging of ideas, and generally celebrate the common interest that everybody shares in appreciating fine handicrafts.
This year the bazaar featured artisans from Sabah, Singakawang, Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia, indigenous people of the mountainous regions of Peninsular Malaysia and from Gujarat, India.
One of the stalls at the bazaar was the Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah (YTNZ), a foundation under the royal patronage of Her Majesty the Queen of Malaysia, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisure Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah. YTNZ believes in improving lives through the promotion of Malaysian heritage.
A key differentiator between YTNZ and other foundations is that it believes in empowering people through trade, not aid. It also belieevs in the importance of preserving and promoting Malaysian culture and heritage. For this reason, YTNZ has set up Royal Terengganu Songket, its first brand for a viable social business that develops, produces and markets fine quality hand-woven songket products.
With two songket production centres set up in Terengganu and Sarawak which employs and train full-time songket weavers, this immediately improves income and living standards of Malaysian craft workers by providing them a fixed monthly income including EPF and SOCSO benefits. This gives them the opportunity to increase their earning potential through overtime pay, performance based bonuses as well as skill and knowledge building capacity programmes.
YTNZ found that many of the weavers who decided to stay home were single mothers. Juggling their role as a mother and breadwinner is challenging, to say the least. These women produce quality products that consumers are willing to pay good money for but lack the capacity to improve the design and networks to market their products. The foundation simply provided them with another option, another place to sell their goods aside from their existing market. YTNZ began buying their goods to market them in Malaysia and other countries where unique handicrafts are in demand, and will begin to design and market a special line of products made only by single mothers called Ibunda.
YTNZ does not only provide income, but the chance for artisans to take an active role in the shaping of their future by making the leap from working in an informal cottage industry to participating in international commerce.
The next Rainforest World Music Festival will be held from 8th to 10th July 2011. And please remember to bring your raincoats.
No comments:
Post a Comment