Preserving Iban culture through music
Emphasising the culture of the Iban people on the island of Borneo, local band Nading Rhapsody seek to introduce the Iban traditions to the world.
Long forgotten, the band believe that many of the traditional customs had been replaced by modern cultures.
Thus, Nading Rhapsody take centre stage in their quest to reintroduce the Iban’s long-lost practises.
The cultural band, comprise of Kulleh Grasi, Opah Aspa, Randy Walter, Adrian Lasam, Steve Maxqueen, and Roy G Fender, was established in 2012 with the goal of preserving the Iban culture.
To date, they have performed on many stages, including the Tong Tong Festival 2016 in Den Hague, Netherlands; the ASEAN Music Festival 2017 in Manila, Philippines; the OzAsia Festival 2018 in Adelaide, Australia; and the Singapore Writers Festival 2019.
The band had also performed three times at the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF).
Aside from that, Nading Rhapsody represented Malaysia as a music delegate at WOMEX 2018 in the Canary Islands, Spain, and the Venice Biennale 2022 in Venice, Italy.
The band’s outstanding shows drew the attention of a music production house in Austin, Texas, USA.
Their avant-garde music performances are based on the music of the Borneo island and emphasise “original play”, “oral traditions”, and “beat playing”.
Nading Rhapsody also demonstrate rituals and old Iban traditions. They hoped that by sharing more about the Iban culture on stage, they would be able to preserve the cultural heritage for future generations.
With over 11 years of experience in the Malaysian music scene, the band also received an award from the Royal Gala Arts Funds of the My Performing Arts Agency (MYPAA) in 2016.
Upcoming projects
Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the band received an invitation to perform live at the prestigious international stage at the 26th RWMF 2023, which is taking place this weekend.
Nading Rhapsody will bring back an Iban Rajang ethnic ritual known as ‘Be’Wa’ for their fourth appearance at the festival.
The old ritual was long forgotten soon after religion was absorbed into the people of the Borneo island.
Aside from that, Nading Rhapsody will be performing songs from their upcoming second album, which is set to be released later this year.
When met by New Sarawak Tribune, one of the founding members, Kulleh, expressed excitement at the opportunity to perform at Sarawak’s international event again.
“Aside from being happy and elated, we are also proud to be able to preserve and conserve the Iban heritage through music, especially on the RWMF stage.”
Revealing more about their upcoming second album, they will also be releasing a music video based on their tour last December.
The music video was directed by renowned Malaysian director Jason Chong and will be released following the RWMF. The band also collaborated with international artistes on the album.
Aside from that, the band manage a literature platform known as “Nusi Poetry”.
It is a non-governmental organisation that spearheads Sarawak’s oral tradition and literature.
Under “Nusi Poetry”, the group also co-curated the Georgetown Literary Festival, Malaysia’s largest literature festival promoting the oral tradition, which was held in Penang in 2021.
For more information about the band, visit https://nadingrhapsody.wixsite.com/officialwebsite.
