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 Eshark on July 11th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions

A Gambus is carved from a single piece of wood shaped like a pear sliced in half and comes with 6 gut strings and sometimes 12 nylon strings that are plucked with a plastic plectrum to generate sound. In peninsular Malaysia, the Gambus is normally played during the Malay traditional dance like Zapin and Joget, while in Sabah, Gambus are played by the Brunei community during important events and festivities like a wedding ceremony.

Gambus can be closely related to the Arabian region where the origin of this unique instrument came from the ‘qabus’ of Saudi Arabian. Gambus also closely related to other Arab country such like the ‘gabbus’ of Oman, the ‘gabbus’ of Zanzibar, the ‘qanbus’ of Yemen, the ‘gabusi’ of the Comoros and also the ‘kabosa’ of Madagascar.

illustration of Gambus is courtesy of esharkdesign.com

info sources:
http://www.musicmall-asia.com/malaysia/instruments/gambus.html
http://www.asza.com/igambus.shtml

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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 Raz on June 19th, 2008 in Events, Hot Spots, Night Life

Chivas held a party for 2 nights (29-30 May) at the boardwalk of Waterfront Kota Kinabalu. The nights were fun filled with entertaining performances like breakdancing, fire breathers, local cultural Magunatip Dance, street magician and funny antiques from a very tall clown (on stilts)

Breakdancing by the Chivas International Dance Team. They consist of dancers from The United States, Belgium and France. Awesome performance by them dancing, head spinning, hand stands etc.

The guy above is not part of the professional dancers, he is one of our local “b-boys” who was called up to join on the spot. Not bad huh?

The Magunatip is a local traditional dance where bamboos are clapped together and the dancers must step between them but avoid their feet from being caught. The tempo goes faster and faster and it becomes more difficult to step through.

Finally, the Body Care “Fire Eaters” group performed a modern tribal dance. Also featured in this dance, is spectacular fire-spitting performances.

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Posted by Xander on June 7th, 2008 in Events, Night Life

Shenanigans sent shock waves through out Kota Kinabalu night life scene again. From ‘Boot and Scoot’ event to Harajuku Night, now this famed nightspot features DJ Meg from Venezuela. She’s one of the most prominent female deejays in the world and have been playing in places such as Japan, Caracas and Puerto Rico just to name a few.

Last Friday(May 30th), the Lifeinborneo.com crew came in around after 11.00 pm to probably catch a glimpse of this amazing woman behind the DJ console but it seemed we had to wait awhile till she turns the place wild. The crowd started pouring in close to midnight. With the band performing their last night, it was memorable for most of the regulars that frequent Shenanigans.

It was a long wait, but worth while nevertheless. I’ve heard an accumulation of house music before from various clubs in the city but DJ Meg was simply, phenomenal. An assemblage of people that lend a convivial atmosphere combined with breathtaking performance; the dance floor was more than just packed and it was beyond wild.

With music as entrancing as what DJ Meg could produce, which included a uniquely mixed The Uninvited from Alanis Morissette; the crowd was absolutely enthralled by the whole performance. Exceptional multifarious repertoire of dance music from House, Acid House, Electro House, Electro and Tech House. All through the night, DJ Meg at Shenanigan’s Fun Pub was phenomenally awesome!

Organized by Amir Yussof of Freestyle Avenue.

Quote from The DJ List:
“DJ MEG Biography: Maria Eugenia Gonzalez Vallenilla AKA Dj Meg born in Caracas - Venezuela the 6 of June of 1982. Their beginnings with music and the art began to early age in the school of Classic Ballet “Ana Maria Correa, later studied contemporary dance and also she made factories of dramatic art, music and solfeo in the schools of art like El Ateneo de Caracas and El Teresa Carreno. Finally to the 21 years of age she decides to express music through the vanguardism and technology taking the art from the mixture and the electronic production as form of artistic and musical expression, at the same time she develops her studies of social communication in the Santa Maria’s University. Dj Meg began her development like Dj in the Dj’s School in Caracas-Venezuela, and later she dedicates herself to the production under the trusteeship of Dj, Musician and Producer Tony Funichelly.”

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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 Raz on May 28th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

To celebrate a good harvest, the Ministry of National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage is organising the Tadau Kaamatan National Open House and you are invited! Come to this all-day festival with the theme “Unity Through Culture” in conjunction with the Harvest Festival in Sabah. Savour the treasured traditions of Sabah’s peoples during this time of merriment with a variety of colourful cultural and contemporary performances in celebration of a good harvest.

Catch the show featuring renowned Malaysian artistes like Syafinaz Selamat, Kogee and Linda Nanuwil to name a few during the evening concert and don’t forget to visit the exhibition booths for a chance to sample Sabah’s ethnic recipes!

Event Programmes
Date : 31 May 2008
Time: 07:30am - 17:00pm
Exhibitions, Cooking Demo, Drawings and Games

20:00pm - 22:30pm:
Grand launching of the Tadau Kaamatan National Open House 2008

Further Information
Organiser : Ministry of National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Venue : Padang Merdeka, Kota Kinabalu
Contact Person : Ariah Judah
Telephone : +603 – 26127600 / 26974080
Fax : +603 – 26918461
Email Contact : ariah@heritage.gov.my

source: www.sabahtourism.com

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Posted by Xander on May 20th, 2008 in Events, Night Life

Shenanigans is one of the most leading fun-pubs in Kota Kinabalu city. Upon entering this establishment one can’t help but feel relaxed and laid back. From the decor of the interior , the regular patrons and the music gives you this ‘vibe’. Harajuku Night was an event unlike any other that this establishment has ever held which made it a night to reminisce; alive with people, music and of course the Goth-Lolitas.

And on May 14th it was a night to relish for all the visitors of this famed nightspot whether they are regulars or new patrons. Somewhat the atmosphere changed just a tinge while still keeping to the aesthetic ‘feel’ of place. The first difference that a regular of Shenanigans noticed were the new and somewhat ‘uniquely-attired’ visitors that came through the door. The music also changed to punk, punk-rock and goth. People started coming in with slightly varied ‘dress-codes’.

The term “Harajuku” has been used for sometime by the media to depict teenage culture in Tokyo, where many young people gather around Harajuku Station and engage in cosplay (”costume play”), dressed up in crazy costumes to resemble manga/anime characters, musicians, etc.

There was a fashion show in Harajuku style. Also held were competitions for the Goth-Lolitas and/or cosplayers where categories for best dressed, best hair-style and best-pose/dance are judged. It was a twist within the normality of a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere which Shenanigans are usually known for but it was an exciting permutation nonetheless.

It was definitely a night that will be remembered by all patrons no matter their nationality, locality or sense of unique dress-code. Harajuku Night at Shenanigans was unforgettable.

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Posted by Daniel on May 5th, 2008 in Culture & Traditions, Events, Festivals

Sabah Fest 2008 - The Launching

“Welcome to the most spectacular celebration of Sabah’s cultural riches, Sabah Fest!”
That was the first two lines printed on the introduction of the booklet. Indeed, the launching of this year’s Sabah Fest on 3rd May, held at the Magellan Sutera last Saturday, was nothing less than spectacular!

Sabah Fest 2008 - Harmony In Diversity

Sabah Fest is a yearly event aimed to provide visitors the opportunity to see, taste, hear and feel Sabah’s unique culture through a kaleidoscope of cultural performances and spectrum of activities lined up throughout the month of May. Visitors will get to sample local delicacies such as cakes and traditional foods, and also witness unique works of crafts demonstrated live by skilled handicraft makers of various ethnic groups.

This year’s theme is ‘Harmony In Diversity’, which paints a picture of the people of Sabah living in unity within a society of diverse races and cultures. This was strongly reflected in the opening presentation of the launching ceremony with a mock enactment of a wedding ritual of a Bajau bride and a Murut groom. The display began with the matrimonial preparations and celebrations of Bajau bride’s family, which was then joined by the various races to celebrate that occasion and then concluded with a bridewealth presentation and dances of the Murut.

A Spectacle of Diversity and Unity

The evening started with a cultural dance performance by several ethnic groups. Dancers dressed in multitudes of colourful costumes - symbolizing the unity of the people of Sabah - bore gifts to bid a warm welcome to the dignitaries. Among those that attended the event were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussein, Datuk Masidi Manjun who is the current Minister of Culture, Tourism and Environment, and Sabah’s Head of State Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah, who officiated the launching.

Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah officiated the event with the hitting of the Gong

Datuk Masidi Manjun presents a souvenir to Head of State Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah bin Abdullah

After the opening presentation, the guests were treated to a variety of ethnic performances. Traditional dances of the Kota Belud Bajau were showed earlier on, namely the Limbai dance, the Kuda Pasu and the Berunsai.

Kudapasu Dance

Igal Tabawan Dance

As the evening went on, dances from other cultures were displayed such as the Dusun Tindal Mongigol, the Igal-Igal dance of the Bajau of Semporna, The Sumazau Penampang and the Sazau Papar of the Kadazandusun, The Nainung and Umang Ting-Ting by the Brunei Malays and the Dansa of the Cocos.

Umang Ting-Ting Dance

Some of the attention-grabbing presentations were performed by the youngest performers of the night. The children of the Dance and Cultural Society of the SK Kiawaian primary school from Tambunan performed the Pangkulian, a creative dance with the inclusion of bamboo play as its central theme.

Pangkulian Dance

Pangkulian Dance

Medtemu Dance

The Medtemu dance of the Ranau Dusun was awe-invoking, where the dancers performed a symbolic war dance of ‘a meeting to settle disputes’. The audience was also treated to a mock traditional Murut Tagal Wedding and the Murut Anggalang, a dance ritual traditionally performed in celebration of a victorious battle or a successful headhunting party (a part of Sabah’s culture no longer in practice). One of the best performance of the evening was the Magunatip, a fascinating dance where the dancers must dextrously skip between clapping bamboos in an ever-increasing tempo.

The Festival has Begun

The opening ceremony signalled the start of the festival, but the closure of the night’s event only marks the beginning of a month full of cultural activities. Ladies and gentlemen, Sabah Fest is back and it’s going to be a very colourful month of May.

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Posted by Zero on April 22nd, 2008 in Events, Night Life

Last Saturday night (19th April) was a blast! I joined some friends at Blue Note and the place was packed, even the dance floor was full of people dancin’. DJ Blink was on the decks and he really made the place hot with fast beats. The music was pulling everyone to the dance floor like magnet. He even played Prodigy’s “Breathe” and “Smack My B***h Up” (my fav songs from years ago) and added his own beats and style.

DJ Blinks brings a unique sound to Blue Note when on the 19th of April, showed off his persistence and innate turntable skills. His distinct sound is polished by spinning with DJ Tony Tay from Zouk Singapore, DJ Hyper, Meat Katie and Hybrid. He’s also won several competitions including Vestrax and Heineken Thirst.

Here are more pics:

DJ Blink spinning tracks

DJ Blink & VJ Ali G

The hardworking VJ Ali G pumps out the visuals

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