The Rainforest World Music Festival is an annual 3-day music festival celebrating the diversity of world music, held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, with daytime music workshops, cultural displays, craft displays, food stalls, and main-stage evening concerts. It is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia with a total weekend audience approaching 30,000.
The festival features a wide range of performances from traditional music, to world fusion and contemporary world music. The festival emphasizes the use of traditional acoustic world instruments, although electric accompaniment instruments are common. Invited performers are prominent artists from Sarawak, other provinces of Malaysia, surrounding countries, and from around the world. Groups that have performed at the festival in the past include: Joey Ayala (Philippines - 1998), Shooglenifty (Scotland - 1999), Inka Marka (South America - 2000), Rajery (Madagascar - 2001), Black Umfolosi (Zimbabwe - 2002), Huun Huur Tu (Tuva), Cynthia Alexander (Philippines) - 2003), Te Vaka (Samoa/New Zealand - 2004), Namgar (Mongolia - 2005), Peatbog Faeries (Scotland - 2006), Tarika Be (Madagascar - 2007), and Ross Daly (Greece - 2008), Shannon ( Poland - 2005, 2007).
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The Festival was founded by Randy Raine-Reusch, a world music instrumentalist from Canada,Robert Basiuk (the Marketing head of the Sarawak Tourism Board at the time), Edric Ong, President of the Society Atelier of Sarawak, (an organization supporting the traditional arts) and Edgar Ong [1] a film producer (Southeast Asia Film Locations Services) at the Ongs' residence in Kuching in 1997.
The Society Atelier undertook the initial planning, financing and laid the future groundwork. When approached to assist, The Sarawak Tourism Board later took over and greatly enlarged the idea.
In the early years, both Randy and Edgar Ong as well as Yeoh Jun Lin were instrumental in over-seeing the successful selection of the international musicians who took part; and they nurtured the future direction of the Festival. During the 4th year, there was a bid from WOMAD to take over the Festival and rename it WOMAD Borneo.
The Sarawak Tourism Board has since taken the festival to a larger audience, hence also a more commercial level. During it first and second year, only about 400 people attended the festival.
The dates of the festival held since 2005:
| Year | Date | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8-10 July 2005 | N/A |
| 2006 | 7-9 July 2006 | 20,000[2] |
| 2007 | 13-15 July 2007 | N/A |
| 2008 | 11-13 July 2008 | 22,000[3] |
| 2009 | 10-12 July 2009 | 22,000 |
| 2010 | 9-11 July 2010 | 22,000[4] |
| 2011 | 8-10 July 2011 | N/A |
The festival is held on the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village nestled against the base of Mount Santubong, about 35 km. north of Kuching. The festival runs workshops (mini concerts) in the afternoon followed by evening performances held on the two main stages in the village. The festival usually features from 18 to 20 bands through the weekend.
The atmosphere is very relaxed. Although there are timetables for the workshops and evening performances, visitors are free to enter and leave any event at will. The daytime workshops are held inside various traditional houses in the village, where the performers and leaders of the events are often on the same floor-level as the audience, allowing them to get up close to the performers. There are also no restrictions in communicating with the performers, and the musicians themselves sometimes encourage conversation, especially if it is regarding the topic of the workshop they are running or about the traditional instruments they use. Artists are also not hidden behind barriers at the festival and can seen walking through the site throughout the duration, allowing the audience axis to them at any time.
The book "Music without Borders" written by Heidi Munan, was commissioned by the Tourism Board to commemorate the 10th anniversary. With a limited publication of 5000 copies, this lavish publication featured many interviews and colour photos of the event. It however received criticism for its lack of a balanced view of the entire Festival. Some thought that it was more of a propaganda piece, and only contained subtle references to the festival short-comings and no comments on what could be done better or differently.
Many contrary views and opinions from people within and outside the music industry were "censored" with a heavy hand. Historical facts, anecdotes of the early years of the festival were also not reported on. Many names of the earlier pioneers who volunteered their services throughout the problematic stages were not given their due recognition.
A variety of food stalls throughout the site feature a variety of local and regional Malaysian cuisine and other Asian cuisine. Although alcohol was available for many years in a number of venues, the festival is taking steps to control its availability due to some official complaints. This has been met with mixed reviews from the public.
During the 2007 festival there was a notable increase in security in and around the festival to prevent people from entering with false tickets or causing trouble. At the entrance visitors must present their tickets and then be given an official wrist band which has a security UV strip.
Metal detectors are also used to scan each visitor and backpacks and bags must be presented to the staff at the front gate to be searched. New to the additional security were guard dogs around the cultural village used to discourage the smuggling of drugs and narcotics into the festival.
The Rainforest World Music Festival may be having some growing pains, as it is clearly reaching the limit of its site. The festival was sold out two of the three nights in 2008, and many frustrated fans were turned away at the gate. Hotels in the region are receiving bookings a year in advance, but fortunately local guest houses are becoming more common. Although there is bus transportation to and from the site, many locals still insist to drive their cars and become irritated with the lack of parking. Yet the festival continues to grow and attracts audiences from around the world.