KUCHING: Bamboo Ethnic Weekend (BEW) has brought ethnic music, crafts, stories and publications on the traditional lifestyles of the older generations in many ethnic groups to the entire Old Courthouse in the city.
The Nov 26-30 event is an opportunity for visitors to observe up close skilled bamboo and ethnic music instrument makers craft their instruments in person.
According to a press release, BEW chairman Narawi Rashidi and BEW consultant Dr Geraldine Law, planned the Weekend of Bamboo and Ethnic Festivities, beginning with the bamboo and ethnic music of Sarawak.
Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (Creative Industry and Performing Arts) Datuk Snowdan Lawan was present to officiate at the launch.
“It was very good to see the groups all coming alive again, and this will give all Sarawakians identity even when they go overseas for studies or work,” he said.
Snowdan pointed out that the event exemplified the meaning of the term “ethnic”, as it was a way for ethnic groups to express their hearts’ overflow of sentiments and feelings through the music of the time.
Apart from that, it was also an opportunity for young children and youths to come together again after the pandemic lockdown.
Various musical activities and programmes, including songs, dances, and a bamboo orchestra, were well featured in conjunction with the Food-over-Fire Festival (FoFF).
The lively atmosphere was humming with sales of food and handicrafts, as well as bamboo instrument music which filled the entire space.
In the meantime, Narawi, who is also a collector and lover of bamboo musical instruments, conducted the bamboo orchestra, which consisted of youths who had gathered after the pandemic to resume playing.
There was also a flute solo by Bong Foo Yong, who performed a Chinese song accompanied by a bamboo angklung.
Also present were Majlis Seni Sarawak deputy chief executive officer (CEO) Awang Putrayusrie, Dr Gilbert de Greeves, a former head of the Belgium Conservatoire and head of Kodaly for 12 years, Dr Fatihah and Dr Connie Lim from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) assistant general manager Hamzah Morsidi, and What Matters CEO Marian Chin, as well as many ethnic music enthusiasts and local musicians.
