KUCHING: Sarawak Energy Berhad’s partners in cultural heritage, Warisan Sape Telang Usan as well as artisans under the power developer’s Handicraft Development Programme from Murum, Baleh and
Baram recently showcased their music and crafts at the Rainforest World Music Festival 2019.
SEB’s executive vice president for corporate services Aisah Eden said, as a gold sponsor of the event, the corporation was able to support their
partner communities to showcase their culture and heritage at the internationally acclaimed music festival.
“We are committed to
working with communities on initiatives that preserve and promote Sarawak’s indigenous culture, especially for the future generation. Events such as this can showcase the successful results of our joint cultural
initiatives,” she said.
The talented 18-strong musical ensemble Warisan Sape Telang Usan, who were joined by sape maestro and living legend, Matthew Ngau, and Miss Malaysia World 2018, Larissa Ping, enchanted audiences with sape performances and participated in the traditional cultural performances at the ‘Indigenous Stage’ and ‘Big Tent Stage’, with receptive audiences joining them in traditional dances.
Earlier this year, the troupe succeeded in their attempt to enter the Malaysia Book of Records for the ‘Longest Non-Stop Sape Performance’. The performance supported by sape musicians from Baram and Belaga, saw more than 50 musicians playing the sape continuously for 50 hours.
Meanwhile, six artisans from Murum, Baleh and Baram demonstrated their skills and displayed their handicraft
at the Rainforest World Craft Bazaar, which was held concurrently within the festival grounds.
“Our community partners have participated in this international level festival for three consecutive years — it is a great platform for the artisans to showcase their skills and crafts to tourists from around the globe, to build on their national level exposure from their participation in exhibitions across the country,” added Jiwari Abdullah, SEB’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability general manager.
Meanwhile, artisan Bawe Ngok, from Baram said that the festival was a confluence of
different cultures and music from all over the world.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in an international festival such as this. We also get to discover current trends from other artisans and customer feedback, and this will inspire us in
creating new designs for our crafts,” she said.
Sarawak Energy’s Handicraft Programme for Sustainable Livelihood Development of Murum Artisans won a Platinum Award at the 2018 Global CSR Summit and Awards in Lombok.
