Posted by Daniel on May 19th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals
At KK Kaamatan Carnival 2008, the citizens of Kota Kinabalu were treated to three nights of carnival last week celebrating the Harvest Festival at municipal level. Held at Lintasan Deasoka, the three-night event started with its officiation on Thursday night by Yang Berhormat Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, Minister of Resource Development & Information Technology, and ended with the closing on Saturday night with the crowning of the winner of the Unduk Ngadau. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Iliyas Bin Ibrahim, Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City and his wife Yang Berbahagia Datin Naimah Hajjah Hassan attended all of the events.
Harvest Festival and Peace Through Culture
Sumazau Dance
The aim of the organizer this year is to promote the Harvest Festival or Kaamatan alongside the other various cultures in Sabah, as well as to promote the city of Kota Kinabalu as a tourist destination, a platform to promote locally made goods, and to choose representatives for Kota Kinabalu to compete in Sugandoi (Star of Kaamatan) and Unduk Ngadau (Beauty Queen) at Sabah State Level on the 30th - 31st May 2008.
The Municipal Council also took this opportunity to promote its on-going campaign to educate the public on the importance of keeping the city clean, which was also pointed out during the Mayor´s speech.
Locally made handicrafts
Throughout the three-day nightly event, visitors could loot at and even purchase a variety of locally made handicrafts, displayed in a long-house style display booths brilliantly constructed out of wood and bamboos, recreating the feel of a traditional Sunday bazaar or Tamu as it is more commonly known by the locals. A variety of other goods were also being sold at the nearby Gaya Street, a stretch of road also well-known for its weekly Sunday Tamu.
Three Nights of Festivities
Thursday Night - The Opening Night
The events on Thursday night includes the Opening Ceremony (including the officiation of the event by Yang Berhormat Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, Minister of Resource Development & Information Technology), the Magavau Ceremony (a traditional ritual to appease ¨Bambaazon¨ or ¨Bambarayon¨, the Spirit of Rice), and lastly performances by a choir group, a cultural dance group and local artists. It was also on Thursday night that the Unduk Ngadau contestants for the Municipal Level were lined-up on stage and introduced to the public for the first time.
The Spirit of Rice
The Magavau Ceremony
Officiation by Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai
Fireworks after the officiation
Choir group with traditional costume
Friday Night - The Search for the Star of Kaamatan
The main event for Friday night was the search for Kota Kinabalu´s Sugandoi, or Star of the Harvest Festival. It is singing competition where the contestants were required to sing two songs (one from a compulsory list and the other one of their own choice) in the span of two rounds. The songs drawn from the compulsory list were all in Kadazandusun language. Between the rounds, the audience were treated to a performance by the Universiti Malaysia Sabah´s Musical Orchestra. The night ended with the prize giving ceremony to the winner of Kota Kinabalu´s Sugandoi, who will go on to represent the City of Kota Kinabalu at the State Level at the end of May.
Saturday Night - The Crowning of Kota Kinabalu´s Unduk Ngadau
On the third and final night of the Kota Kinabalu Kaamatan Carnival 2008, the crowd gathered to see the crowning of the Unduk Ngadau. Before that, the hosts of the event re-told the legend of Huminodun, and also the meaning as well as the importance of Unduk Ngadau to Kaamatan.
Below are the contestant that reach to the final seven..
Ms. Viola G. Julasim
Ms. Alvira Cora M. Jipinis
Ms. Kimberly Fay Cathrinus Sham
Ms. Noemi Halima Dingle Ligunjang
Ms. Andrea Peter
Ms. Flina Runtum
Ms. Jizeresta Jimmy
Just like the Sugandoi, the Unduk Ngadau were split into two rounds, with the second round being the final round. After the end of the second round, as the judges went on to discuss who will be crowned as Unduk Ngadau, local artists (one of which was the winner of Sugandoi the night before) entertained the crowds with a selection of local songs. But before the announcement of the winners and the prize giving ceremony, the dignitaries were invited to dance with the Unduk Ngadau contestants.
Crowning of the Unduk Ngadau
Kota Kinabalu Unduk Ngadau 2008 winners
The Winners of Kota Kinabalu City Unduk Ngadau 2008:
First Place - Ms. Jizeresta Jimmy
Second Place - Ms. Flina Runtum
Third Place - Ms. Andrea Peter
Fourth Place - Ms. Alvira Cora M. Jipinis
Fifth Place - Ms. Noemi Halima Dingle Ligunjang
Sixth Place - Ms. Kimberly Fay Cathrinus Sham
Seventh Place - Ms. Viola G. Julasim
The Spirit of Paddy Lives On
Despite the heavy rain on Thursday and Friday night, the locals pressed on night after night to support the event. The crowd was at its largest on the final night of the carnival, which was probably the most important night of all. The success of the event meant that the Spirit of Paddy lives on. And so will the traditions and cultures of the Kadazandusun.
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