KUCHING: Sarawak’s rich musical heritage struck a high note in Nagoya, Japan, as The Band Lab brought Malaysian and Sarawakian culture to life during the Sarawak-Japan Music and Cultural Exchange 2025.
The performance at Aikodai Meiden High School yesterday (Aug 10) marked another milestone in the group’s growing international presence, building on the success of last year’s Sarawak International Band and Orchestra Festival (SIBOFest).
Organised and coordinated by its sister branch, The Band Lab Japan, the concert was a key highlight of the group’s cultural exchange trip, which also includes appearances at the 9th Gamagori City International Band Festival and collaborations with leading Japanese high school bands.
Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew praised the organisers’ commitment and thanked The Band Lab Japan president and founder Kana Yamamoto, as well as The Band Lab Sarawak president and founder Jesmond Siew, who also served as conductor.
“The ministry remains committed to supporting initiatives and bilateral exchanges between Sarawak and Japan, such as SIBOFest, which deepen cultural understanding and strengthen international ties through the universal language of music,” Ting said while representing Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
About 70 musicians from Aikodai Meiden High School Symphonic Band, The Band Lab Japan, and The Band Lab Kuching performed before a Sarawak delegation visiting Japan for the Osaka Expo’s Sarawak Week.
The programme featured the ‘Bunga Raya Concert March’ by emerging local composer Yeo Chow Shern, the patriotic ‘Tanah Pusaka’, and a stirring arrangement of the Kenyah folk song Leleng by Anthony Wong of The Band Lab Kuching.
The Leleng performance stood out for its visual splendour, with four performers in traditional Sarawakian attire.
The concert ended with an electrifying Deep Purple Medley, arranged by Toshihiko Sahashi, showcasing the unifying power of music that transcends cultures and borders.
The performances were jointly conducted by Siew and Aikodai Meiden High School Symphonic Band’s resident conductor, Maestro Hiroki Ito.
