KUCHING: Typically when a massive international event takes place the role of the media is absolutely vital to help publicise the event to the public.
Hence, it is not surprising to see throngs of media practitioners converging at the three-day 25th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) at the Sarawak Cultural Village close to the Damai Beach Resort near here.
At the finale of the event held today the sunny weather was welcoming and besides local and foreign festival-goers two journalists from Bernama in Kuching were seen busy at work.
Zaphne Philip, 33, who has been working with the national news agency for the past nine years, and based in Kuching the past five years, said to New Sarawak Tribune that there were more locals compared to foreign tourists at this year’s festival.
“On the first day, the crowd was very small and even during the night, the atmosphere was the same.
“Even the food stalls closed early and it was quite a low point,” she said, adding that it had rained as well on that day.
But on the second day, things changed for the better when the weather let up and it was a full house atmosphere at the festival.
Her colleague, Rozlin Rosmin, 26, a Penangite based in Kuching since June 1, said it was her first coverage of the RWMF and that she was blown away by the culture and ethnicity of the festival.
“It was quite amazing to see so much unity during the festival.
“People from all walks of life, be they locals or foreigners, seemed quite oblivious to differences in race and culture.
“In Sarawak, there are more cultures and handicrafts compared to Semenanjung and it is amazing that music has brought everyone together,” she said.
