Festival kicks off with mesmerising performances

BY JAMES WONG & GABRIEL LIHAN

The Rainforest World Music Festival 2024 kicked off with a powerful spiritual resonance as Grammy and Golden Globe award winner Kitaro headlined the first day at Sarawak Cultural Village, in Damai last night (June 28).

“This festival is a powerful spiritual festival, and I would like to come back,” Kitaro said at the end of his set.

Kitaro took the stage at around 9.20 pm, opening his performance with a simple yet evocative blend of taiko (Japanese percussion), shakuhachi (traditional Japanese bamboo flute), and tsudzumi (Japanese hand drum), setting the tone for the evening.

For the next 1.5 hours, the audience was mesmerised by his signature cosmic-themed electronic-instrumental music, which was tranquil, intense, and thought-provoking.

He also performed his beloved classics, including Matsuri, Reimei, Silk Road, Oasis, Sozo, and others.

Some festival-goers used binoculars to get a closer look at Kitaro, while others sat with portable folding stools, deeply moved by his emotional performance.

Elderly grandmothers, uncles, and aunties were utterly captivated by his beloved classics, visibly moved by the music’s emotional depth.

During a reflective moment in his performance, Kitaro reminisced about the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing that he had lost several friends during that time.

He then wowed the crowd with a poignant rendition of “Imagine” by John Lennon, noting that Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife, is a good friend of his.

“I was very sad as I have lost some of my friends during the COVID-19 outbreak. I stayed at my house and played the piano, singing to remind myself that my friends had gone to heaven,” he said.

The performance led the crowd to sing along with the emotional but popular song “Imagine”.

Kitaro performs during his set. Photo: JAPEN

Following Kitaro, the night concluded with a dynamic set by Sarawakian musician Belle Sisoski, who infused traditional musical instruments with electronic dance music (EDM).

With the theme ‘Revolution’, the festival last night opened with the Iban’s Miring ceremony, followed by a captivating performance by Kuching-born violinist Nisa Addina and Singapore’s percussion band Tribal Tide.

Other performers included The Colour of Sound from Malaysia, Ensemble Melayu Nusantara, and Indonesia’s Rhythm Rebels featuring Selonding Bali Aga.

Another highlight of the festival was ‘The Borneo Collective,’ a first-ever musical project titled ‘Soul of Sarawak,’ featuring Sarawak’s masters of traditional instruments supported by an ensemble of world-class musicians from across Malaysia.

The festival was graced by the presence of Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj and Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

Also in attendance were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian; Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, and his deputy Datuk Sebastian Ting.