(From left) Mona, Hii, Abdul Karim, Sharzede and Gracie holding RWMF merchandise at the press conference.
KUCHING (June 17): More than 12,400 people have registered for this year’s Rainforest World Music Festival RWMF Virtual Experience as at Tuesday since registration for the festival opened on June 7.
This was disclosed by Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at a press conference in his office yesterday.
He added that tremendous response to this year’s RWMF was despite the fact the festival was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this year it would held virtually for the first time.
RWMF Virtual Experience 2021 will feature a 3D walkthrough of the Sarawak Cultural Village, the home of the RWMF, from June 18 to 20 (from 6pm to 7.30pm).
It will be featuring pre-recorded sessions with local Sarawak artistes among flashbacks of previous editions and interviews with various personalities, it added.
“The interactive map of the SCV will enable those who are accessing the virtual experience on www.rwmf.net to pick and choose whether they want to watch the main performance or the workshops from the virtual Bidayuh, Iban, Chinese and Malay houses.
“We have also returned to RWMF’s roots this year by featuring an exclusively Sarawakian line-up for our original acts. Watch how much our local music scene has transformed since the start of RWMF in 1998,” Abdul Karim said.
From purely traditional sape music when RWMF first began, Sarawakian talents have built upon the heritage of their music, making a name for themselves by creating a new and contemporary sound that is appreciated locally and beyond Sarawakian shores, he added.
The RWMF 2021 lineup of Alena Murang, Kemada, Sang Rawi, At Adau, Tuku Kame, Suk Binie’, Nading Rhapsody and Mathew Ngau is a culmination of the last two decades of Rainforest World Music Festival events.
“With additional partnerships and broadcasting channels such as TVS and Shopee Live, we hope to reach out to new audiences and those from the domestic and regional markets.”
RWMF 2021’s theme – Entranced, Liberated, Immersed – captures the spirit of the RWMF, and it will be a rewarding experience, especially for those sitting at home during the ongoing Movement Control Orders (MCO), he said.
Meanwhile, those who feel peckish during the performances, food can be ordered at the Orang Ulu longhouse via GrabFood, while others looking to buy limited edition RWMF merchandise can access Shopee at the Orang Ulu longhouse.
In addition to RWMF, this year’s Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) will be viewed on www.jazzborneo.com, TVS and on Shopee Live.
Viewers will be entertained by a string of jazz musicians including Clinton Jerome Chua, O-Ha Soul Band, Nisa Addina, Ta’Dan and the ‘Prince of Borneo’ himself Pete Kallang, among flashbacks and exclusive interviews from June 25 to 27 (6pm to 7.30pm).
Those who registered for this year’s RWMF and BJF will be eligible for the Grand Prizes worth RM2,000, e-goody bags worth RM300 and contest giveaways to be held during the virtual events, where you can win free tickets to next year’s festivals, discounts to selected hotels, event merchandise and much more.
Grab is the Official Delivery Partner for both RWMF and BJF. Those who register and access the musical events on www.rwmf.net and www.jazzborneo.com will be able to order food and receive discounts with a special promo code.
With Shopee named as the Official E-commerce Partner, the virtual experience will be streamed via Shopee Live, giving access to millions of households across the country to enjoy the showcase from the comforts of their own homes.
Sarawak Tourism Board has opened an official store on Shopee to feature merchandise from both RWMF and BJF. This includes RWMF and BJF Limited Edition T-shirts, Limited Edition Batik Linut Face Mask, Limited Edition Printed Batik Face Mask, and other attractive products.
To get Limited Edition RWMF and BJF merchandise, visit https://shopee.com.my/placeborneosdnbhd.
Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Sharzede Salleh Askor, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, Place Borneo director Gracie Geikie and Place Borneo chief executive officer Mona Abdul Manap were among those present at the press conference.