Hi Guys!
This is my first topic. I am sure some of you are wondering what RWMF stands for. Rainforest World Music festival. This gigantic music festival held on 2nd weekend of July every year. This year will be the 12th edition of RWMF to be held between 11th July - 13th July at Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching Sarawak.
RWMF started in 1998. I started attending this festival since 2002. During that period I was studying in University Malaysia, Sarawak. My seniors forced me to attend the event and it became my addiction now. My seniors even told me that the first edition of RWMF was attended by only 30 people. Last year (2008) was attended by more than 10 thousand people. That explains everything I guess.
No better person can talk about RWMF than me I guess. This year is going to be my 7th year attending RWMF. I am ardent fan of RWMF., I would like to share my journey to RWMF from 2002 -2008. I can refresh my memories and at the same time share my experience with you guys.
2002I am very naive student. Kind of extrovert before meeting my seniors in University. They are great and i am missing them all. They took us to RWMF 2002. Thats my first exposure to world music concerts. That night changed my entire perception to music. I learnt that music is wide, large, enormous, big, whatever that explains huge.
How bad I look :) Thats me first from right. My first RWMF experience. That performer did some tribal stunt. We manage to click with him. Previously the stage was at the entrance itself. As crowd kept on increasing every year, the stage shifted inside to a bigger place.
Can you guys see chairs at the back? Don't expect those chairs now. They can't cater to enormous crowds anymore. But at that time, they manage to provide such seatings. I don't have much photos. You know guys, its camera with films. Its not digital to take unlimited pics. And furthermore, I am a student ;) FYI, in 2002 I just went for finale.
2003This is one of the unforgettable year. We attended all 3 days festival and we had amazing time. One of the unforgettable phase of my life.
This is one of the best performance in 2003. This group contain 5 ladies. They sang and danced to their tradition. Very very unique and entertaining.
Me and a friend Nono at the workshop with the performers.
This is Damai Beach. 5 minutes walk from Cultural Village. This is where we hang out and rest after workshop, before concert. Mind blowing sceneries and very refreshing.
Chairs replaced by natural seatings. This was before the concert started. We are waiting desperately for the show to start :) Once started everything goes wild. I still remember it rained on finale. But what on earth could stop us from getting wild. We enjoyed the max.
2004
Thats my friends Nono & Peter at the entrance. That year, my cousin Theebah joined me for the first time. Another memorable year.
At the workshop with performers from Africa. Real entertainers. They came back again to perform in 2007 due to popular demand.
This guy is a performer from New Zealand. Such an authentic performance. Very tribal.
This is where we rest in between workshops before heading to the beach. I am missing this spot. There is small waterfall here. Now this place has been closed for visitors.
At concert with performers. The guys in black is great violinist. I still remember, in workshop he made Indian instrument 'Veenai' sound through violin. Mind blowing.
Before concert starts. Less crowd so we have sufficient space for ourself to dance and breath. As years passed, it became conjusted & probably more happening. The crowd increased enormously.
Getting wilder as night passes.
2005For the first, my husband (my boyfriend that time) attended RWMF with me. None of my friends or cousins managed to make it this year. But I never missed any year for anyone. Its kinda boring year as my boyfriend is not much into dance and music. It was only me and my friend Nono. Unfortunately we did not snap any pics. Will try to get from one of the friend and add some later if possible.
2006The saddest year in my life. My MBA final exam exactly fell on 8th and 9th July. I could not miss such important exam. So, i missed RWMF :(
2007Back to RWMF 2007 with lots of enthusiasm with my cousins and my boyfriend turned fiancee. This was first year for my cousins. It was one of the most exciting year.
At KLIA before departing to Kuching.
Performers from Poland in action.
Justin from Aseana in action.
Thats me, my cousin Theebah and a friend at the concert.
Our break time at Damai Beach. Fun as usual.
This is the same place we rest always which is closed now. We playing cards during the break. Huge fun.
Crazy crowd again.
2008This is another exciting year. Our gang getting bigger and bigger. This is joined with me by my husband, cousins, friends. Another very exciting year.
Workshop at Iban Long House.
Workshop at Dewan Lagenda.
Waiting for the concert to start. Guess what, even Coffee Bean had a stall in RWMF. Its just getting more n more popular every year.
Stalls.
Reserving place before crowd gathers. But you know, the reservation never lasts. The place will get smaller and smaller and at the end there will be no place to sit.
Breathtaking view.
Since it rained on the the first day, there were puddles everywhere. Organizers filling sands for the nights concerts, unfortunately it turned worst. But we had perfect Mud Spa :)
New refreshment stall opened at one of the cultural house. It was perfect relaxing place.
From beach to waterfall to cultural house. I had seen all the changes made in terms of facilities, stalls, foods, price, service, quality, cleanliness, performance, performers at RWMF. Something about RWMF which brings me back to Kuching every year. I rather miss anything but not RWMF. 2009 will be another milestone and i will definitely update you guys everyday from there. CU at RWMF 2009.
Uva.
