Life In Borneo

Posted by Daniel on July 31st, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

Last Sunday was the conclusion of the 9th Gambus Festival (Pesta Gambus) 2008. Sipitang was the host for this year’s three-day annual festival that celebrates the musical culture of the Brunei community in the West Coast of Sabah, with the Gambus instrument as the central theme.

The crew of Lifeinborneo.com went to visit the windswept coastal town of Sipitang on the third day of the event to witness the Gambus Competition Finals, where Gambus troupes from seven zones of the state of Sabah compete to become the state-level champion in the Group Performance category. The 9th Gambus Festival 2008 was held inside the Sipitang Community Hall.

Sipitang, host of this year’s Gambus Festival 2008

The sun shone brightly during the day, but the cool breeze from the ocean kept the crowded town of Sipitang alive and bustling with activities. Rows of tents were setup around the area leading to the community hall. Some of these tents were selling locally made foods and handcrafts, including some handcrafted Gambus. The tents eventually lead up towards the Sipitang Community Hall, where the main event of the day was to be held - the Gambus Competition in the Group Performance category.

Group performances from seven competing groups

After the delivery of the opening speech by the representative of the Chief Minister of Sabah, the event started with an opening musical presentation from the combined performing members of the Association of Sabah Bruneian Society (PMBS), followed by the performance from each of the competing groups, one group at a time. Each group must perform two musical piece selected from a pre-determined list, one of which must be from the compulsory list.

The result for this year’s Gambus Competition in the Group Category are as follow:

Champion - Papar

First Runner-Up - Beaufort

Second Runner-Up - Sipitang

The Gambus still plays on…

That’s all for this year’s Gambus Festival 2008. We hope that the next one will be bigger, brighter, better and somewhere within an hour of driving at most. Until then, we bid our Bruneian brothers and sisters to keep strumming the instrument of cultural unity. See you all next year!

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Posted by Raz on July 23rd, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Hot Spots, Travels

The award winning Sarawak Cultural Village is a living museum of cultural diversity and fascinating heritage. Located at the foothills of Mount Santubong, the misty atmosphere adds to the touch of mystery and sets the scene taking you back to the days of legends and myths.

Main entrance to the village.

This living museum depicts the cultures of the major racial groups in Sarawak like the Malay, Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Penan, Chinese and more.

Orang-Ulu house

Melanau House

Bidayuh House

19 Tree of life wall decoration

Spanning 14 acres, traditional houses complete with the people in their ethnic costumes are always there to welcome you.

How to get there :
by shuttle bus: price RM 10.00
by taxi cab: price RM 40.00
(approximately about 1 hour drive from Kuching city to the village)

Sarawak Cultural Village
Pantai Damai, Santubong,
P.O.Box 2632, 93752 Kuching,
Sarawak, Malaysia.
Tel: (+6082) 846 411
Fax: (+6082) 846 988
Email: info@scv.com.my
Web: www.scv.com.my

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Posted by Daniel on July 1st, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals, Promotionals, Travels

The World Harvest Festival 2008 was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong, Sarawak on the 24th and 25th of May. Lifeinborneo.com took this opportunity to cover the two day annual Borneo cultural event which featured ethnic music and costumes, locally made products such as food and handicrafts, an Ethnic Beauty Pageant and a spectacular theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore.

In the fourth and final part of our coverage of the World Harvest Festival 2008, we have the Miss Fair & Lovely 2008 Ethnic Beauty Pageant, where 14 young and beautiful contestants vie for the honour of being chosen as the fairest of them all in this year’s World Harvest Festival.

All 14 contestants

their special performances before the result announce

Ms. Siti Rokiah Abdul Majed, Miss Congeniality 2008

Ms. Pearlycia Brooke, Miss SMS Voters 2008 and Miss Best Traditional Costume 2008

Ms. Fatin Syahira Yusuf, Miss Beauty Photogenic 2008

Ms. Ramdaniza Hasbi, 2nd Runner-up

Ms. Cassandra Daniel Manja, 1st Runner-up

Ms. Pearlycia Brooke, Miss Fair & Lovely 2008

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Posted by Xander on June 30th, 2008 in Destinations, Hot Spots, Travels

Located along the streets of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Main Bazaar, the Kuching Waterfront is situated along the river banks of Sarawak River. Kuching being the state capital of Sarawak, it is also a focal point or gateway for many travelers visiting the Land of the Hornbills. Upon reaching the waterfront, one could already expect the breath-taking scene and anticipating a relaxed and interesting stroll.

The whole stretch of the waterfront are dotted with multifarious choices of stalls to visit. Starting from Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, various food stalls could be found selling local dishes and pastries. Keep walking and you could find other numerous kiosks of food and beverages variegated in their menu as well.

Taking a stroll along the walkway there are more interesting places to visit like the handicraft stalls. Various kinds of mementos are sold from necklaces and/or wrist-bands made of pearls, beads, aventurine and even jade. Souvenirs of key chains or letter-openers made from ceramic, stainless steel and wood are also present to name a few.

For more choices of souvenirs, make your way to the Main Bazaar Handicraft Market which can be found near the Visitor’s Information Center and National Park Booking Office. The handicraft building could easily be identified by being the only two-storey building to grace the waterfront along the street. The towers located facing the river can be visited to get a wider view of the scenic Sarawak River and the Kuching Waterfront.

Finding your way around is made easier with the Tourist information center located near the Waterfront Security building upon the waterfront walkway. Nearby you could find a small hall that has locals performing cultural dances and playing variegated instruments from different ethnic origins within Sarawak.

The Sarawak River is alive somehow with so many boats servicing the entire river, ready to shuttle visitors from one end of the waterfront all the way to the Main Bazaar Market. For a fare you could also make your way across the river and visit the Fort Margherita. Larger vessels are also present to cater to your traveling needs along the river.

The path along the waterfront has many remarkable sights, sound and smell to entice your every need as a traveler to this exceptional location within Kuching City. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself coming back here when the sun sets and when it does, it is a whole new ambiance and experience altogether. To have glimpse of this place at night time go here.

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Posted by Daniel on June 23rd, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals, Legends

The World Harvest Festival 2008 was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong, Sarawak on the 24th and 25th of May. Lifeinborneo.com took this opportunity to cover the two day annual Borneo cultural event which featured ethnic music and costumes, locally made products such as food and handicrafts, an Ethnic Beauty Pageant and a spectacular theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore.

In the third part of our coverage of the World Harvest Festival 2008, we have a theme play based on a 500 year old Bidayuh legend, titled Panglima Kulow. The show was played out at the Sarawak Cultural Village’s lake at night, with an army of casts and a display of impressive special effects worthy of a movie.

Once Upon A Time, In The Land of the Hornbills…

The theme play for World Harvest Festival 2008 was titled Panglima Kulow - The Saviour of Bung Bratak. Several generations ago in Sarawak, Panglima Kulow was the leader of the Bidayuh village of Bung Bratak, which have prospered peacefully for generations. He guided his people in time of prosperity, in times of hardship, and in times of rebuilding and renewal. This theme play retold that epic story, using Disney-like special effects and dozens of actors and actresses to play out the tale in front of live spectators.

Lights Off. Silence Please.

As any show would do, the theme play started with the telling of the origin of Panglima Kulow’s tale. But what caught our attention was HOW they start off the show.

Before they began the theme play, they turned off the lights. The entirety of Sarawak Cultural Village was covered in total darkness. Only the whispers of the audience and the creaking chatter of insects could be heard.

Blind as a mole and with only the staffers’ flashlights to illuminate the walk path, we made our way to the guest seatings while imagining how they were going to perform this theme play. As we reached our destination, we discovered that the seating was positioned directly overlooking the lake. It was at that moment that a realization set upon us: they were going to use the lake and its surrounding as their stage.

A Legend Re-enacted

Seven fireballs flew down from the night sky like meteorites, each one trailing after another, and splashed down into the lake in front of an audience of hundreds. A spotlight then moved to highlight the rooftop of one of the longhouses by the lake, where seven dancers were dancing in a graceful and hypnotic motion.

That was how the show’s introduction went off - it gripped the audience’s attention right from the start.

Watching the theme play was like hearing those mystical stories your grandparents used to tell you about, only that it was actually happening right before your waking eyes. Suffice to say, we have never seen anything like it before (in person at least). The amount of special effects that went into this production must have been immense; without those visual effects, the theme play would not have been as jaw-dropping or as memorable.

And they lived happily ever after

The essence of the story, I believe, was unity. Panglima Kulow held his people together in times of hardship throught the unity of his people. Towards the end of the theme play, he united two communities together through the marriage of his son and the daughter of the other tribe. Like the bedtime stories our grandparents used to tell us, the tale of Panglima Kulow’s mystical pull was that it combined entertainment with storytelling in the most surreal way. And like those bedtime stories, there’s always that moral-of-the-story at the conclusion of the tale, and in Panglima Kulow, the point of it was unity. Take out all those visual effects, all those colourful props, and you’ll find a story that teaches you the virtue of living in harmony.

Entertainment, art, culture, teaching - all creatively woven into a brilliant theme play.

Up next, the most unique ethnic beauty pageant…

Stay tuned to lifeinborneo.com as we bring you the final part of our coverage of World Harvest Festival 2008, where we have the Miss Fair & Lovely Ethnic Beauty Pageant.

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Posted by Promoter on June 10th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Hot Spots, Legends

The legendary Monsopiad was an actual warrior who lived 200 years ago in the village of Kuai. The main mission and objective of the Monsopiad Cultural Village is to become a Living Museum, a cultural showcase of Kadazandusun culture, and a unique attraction for travelers coming to Sabah, be they from international or Malaysians. Monsopiad Cultural Village is the legacy of this fearsome warrior, located beside the Penampang River, about 30 minutes from the Kota Kinabalu City. It is a living museum built around the village where he once fought to protect. Read more about the Legend of Monsopiad here>

Once you step into village, you are transported back in time where headhunters and spirit worshippers roamed the land; a place and time when the village was controlled by the Bobohizans (female high priestesses of the Kadazan). The village keeps the culture, beliefs and traditions alive. The Village is run by Monsopiad’s direct descendants and theirs stories will leave a chill down your spine… so vivid they are that it felt as if the warrior is still living amongst them.

Many who have visited feel that one of the true essences of Sabah is the Monsopiad Cultural Village. You cannot say that you have been to Sabah if you did not pay a visit to this historical site.

Operating Hours
Monday to Sunday 9.00am till 5.00pm

Address
Monsopiad Cultural Village Sdn Bhd
Kg. Kuai/Kandazon, Penampang
Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Tel : +6 088 761336
Fax : +6 088 761680
Email : info@monsopiad.com
website : www.monsopiad.com

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Posted by Daniel on June 9th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

The World Harvest Festival 2008 was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong, Sarawak on the 24th and 25th of May. Lifeinborneo.com took this opportunity to cover the two day annual Borneo cultural event which featured ethnic music and costumes, locally made products such as food and handicrafts, an Ethnic Beauty Pageant and a spectacular theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore.

In the second part of our coverage of the World Harvest Festival 2008, we have stage performances from the participants of the International Cultural Concert. The show was held inside the Dewan Lagenda located within the Sarawak Cultural Village on the 24th and 25th of May.

Minstrels of Culture and Tradition

This year, the World Harvest Festival brought in guest cultural performers from Pahang, Indonesia and Senegal to enlighten the audience with their own brand of uniqueness to Santubong. They also invited 22-year old Erhu virtuoso from Perak, Ell Zain Hyder Zainuddin (also more famously known as Endang) who enthralled the audience with her soulful play. Although we didn’t managed to catch the Senegalese group in action, we were more than ecstatic to have seen the performances of the other groups.

Bah Bola, from Pahang

From Pahang there was Bah Bola, an indigenous cultural group consisting of members of the Semai (whom are natives of Pahang) and have performed throughout many events in Malaysia. Palm leaves, intricately handcrafted and integrated into their costumes, were obviously central to their unique cultural performance along with musical instruments fashioned out of bamboos. But it was their lead singer that won the hearts of the crowd with his rapid recitation of the word “Bola!”.

Sanggar Tari Bengkawan, from Kalimantan, Indonesia

Hailing from Kalimantan, Indonesia, the Sanggar Tari Bengkawan cultural group showcased traditional dance and music of ethnic Kalimantan people. This was their second time performing for World Harvest Festival. One of the dance piece the group performed was about the rivalry of two princesses; one was of good heart, while the other was wicked. The dance was a show of beauty and motion, in which the dancers were storytellers retelling a folk tale in a poetic ballet.

Endang, from Malaysia

Far from her humble beginnings in Perak, she has since performed on many international arenas such as China, Barcelona, Paris, Singapore and throughout Malaysia. Now Ell Zain Hyder Zainuddin or Endang may add another internationally renowned location to her list of visits. She is an Erhu virtuoso, a Chinese musical instrument of classical charm which, when played perfectly, exudes a hypnotic sound like the calling of an angelic maiden of the orient. Endang played the magic of the Erhu so well it befitted the listening ears of emperors and kings - and the audience definitely felt as such.

Sarawak Cultural Village Dancers

And not to forget, Sarawak Cultural Village’s very own dance troupe, which performed an array of ethnic dance and music such as the Iban Ngajat and the Joget.

The Dance and Music plays on…

Stay tuned to lifeinborneo.com as we bring you Part 3 of our coverage of World Harvest Festival 2008, where we have the theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore, titled Panglima Kulow.

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Posted by Daniel on May 29th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals, Legends

The World Harvest Festival 2008 was held at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong, Sarawak on the 24th and 25th of May. Lifeinborneo.com took this opportunity to cover the two day annual Borneo cultural event which featured ethnic music and costumes, locally made products such as food and handicrafts, an Ethnic Beauty Pageant and a spectacular theme play based on a Bidayuh folklore.

A Cultural Event Extravaganza

There were a line-up of events for visitors to see during the two day cultural extravaganza, and Lifeinborneo.com managed to cover what we considered as highlights of the festival:

International Cultural Concert

An international concert featuring cultural groups from around the region. This year they brought in Bahbola from Pahang (a cultural group consisting of Pahang natives, the Semai) and Sanggar Bengkawan Cultural Group from Kalimantan, Indonesia. World Harvest Festival also invited 22-year old Erhu virtuoso Ell Zain Hyder Zainuddin from Perak who enthralled the audience with her soulful play. She is also more famously known as Endang.

Theme Play - Panglima Kulow

Based on a Bidayuh folklore five centuries old, this theme play tells the epic of Panglima Kulow and how he guided his people in times of prosperity, hardship and rebuilding. The play was performed at the Sarawak Cultural Village’s lake at night, with a cast of dozens and a display of amazing special effects.

Ethnic Beauty Pageant Grand Finals - Miss Fair & Lovely WHF 2008

The grand finals for the Miss Fair & Lovely WHF 2008 was held on the first night of the festival. 14 young and beautiful contestants made it through to the finals, but only one will don the queen’s tiara. Introduced 10 years ago, Miss Fair & Lovely is different from other ethnic beauty pageant in that it is open to all single ladies regardless of race. The brand name Fair & Lovely has been sponsoring this event since 1998.

More to come

Stay tuned to lifeinborneo.com as we will bring you more coverage of the events at the World Harvest Festival 2008!

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Posted by Raz on May 28th, 2008 in Events

Learn more about Sabah’s many ethnic costumes and its significance to its respective group. Make music the Sabahan way and discover the various musical instruments used in local ensembles. All this awaits you at the Monsopiad Cultural Village!

Date : 04 - 30 June 2008
Organiser : Monsopiad Cultural Village
Contact Person : Monsopiad Cultural Village
Telephone : +6088 761336
Fax : +6088 761680
Email Contact : info@monsopiad.com

source: www.sabahtourism.com

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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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