KUCHING, Dec 3 — Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah today congratulated sape musician Alena Murang, a Kelabit, and her team for winning the Best Styling video music award category at the recent Buenos Aires Music Video Festival 2020 in Argentina.
He praised Alena’s achievement for the Midang Midang music video as astounding and spellbinding, saying it showcased Sarawak’s cultural diversity and identity through the fashion styles, motifs and designs.
“It is truly an honour for all of us in Sarawak to have Alena as the sape-playing artist who had successfully conveyed the subtle messages on our unique culture, fashion and traditions in a beautiful music video that is really fantastic,” he said in a statement.
“It is also heartening to see that Alena’s outfits and accessories which were featured in the award-winning music video were all our local designers and traditional craft workers,” he added,
The sape is a lute-like musical instrument traditionally carved from wood by the Orang Ulu in Central Borneo.
Karim said the music video, shot in the Bario Highlands and the beautiful Tusau Beach in Miri, could spark interest among its viewers, especially those abroad, to visit Sarawak.
The music video was produced by film creative hub Project Room together with Alena’s Kanid Studio and was launched on November 27 last year with the support of the Sarawak Tourism Board and Miri City Council.
The music video has since garnered 40,000 views on YouTube.
Karim said the state government would consider supporting similar initiatives in the near future as “they can do us a favour in carrying powerful messages to outsiders”.