Rainforest World Music Festival

After the rousing 10th anniversary celebration last year, Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) is now ready to enter into a new decade with a promise of a better festival and more added-value experience for the audience.

The festival, which won the Pacific Asia Travel Associations Gold Award in 2006, will be held from July 11 to 13 at the Sarawak Cultural Village with the picturesque Mount Santubong as backdrop, a 45-minute drive from the State’s capital, Kuching.

With 15 groups including from overseas performing this year, festival goers can expect a myriad genre of world beat ranging from Celtic fusion, Soca, folk, Baul fusion and traditional. The performers are also from all corners the world like UK; Gambia/Guinea; Philippines; Palestine; Greece; Portugal; Congo; Japan; Columbia; Brazil/USA; India and Angola/Italy/Portugal. The foreign bands were selected from the more than 450 applications submitted to RMWF organizing committee.

Entertaining during the threes days of the festival will come from Ross Daly Quartet from Greece, Kasai Masai (Congo/UK), Hiroshi Motofuji (Japan), Oikyataan (India), Cholo Valderrama (Colombia), New Rope String Band (UK), Yakande (Gambia/Guinea), Pinikpikan (Philippines), Adel Salameh (Palestine), Beltaine (Poland), Sheldon Blackman and The Love Circle (Trinidad & Tobago) and Fadomorse (Portugal).

There will also be performances from local Malaysian bands. Sarawak will be represented by Kan’id, Orchestra Anak Jati Bisaya, and Sarawak Cultural Village. The festival format remained as in previous years- musical workshop in the afternoon and followed by concert at night.

Ticket is priced at RM90 per day and RM250 for a three-day pass for adult and RM45 per day and RM100 for a three-day pass each for children between three and 12 years old, are available online at www.ticketcharge.com.my. The online ticket sales had began on December 12 last year and respond has been very encouraging with the three-day passes going out very fast.


Details and update on RWMF 2008 are available on the festival website at www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com.