Ramli Ibrahim - Love Re-envinted in New York

Accompanied with his dance troupe, performing 'Krishna, Love Re-Invented' through the vehicle of the 2,000-year-old Indian dance form called Odissi, Malaysian classical dance icon Datuk Ramli Ibrahim was given a rousing reception on Friday night at the prestigious Asia Society.

The Flushing performance was co-hosted by the Cerebral Palsy Association of New York, which is headed by Malaysian doctor Azimah Ehr, and the New York office of Tourism Malaysia, the Asia Society programme was partly supported by Rajika and Anupam Puri, with the major support coming from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Helen and Will Little, and the Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
Earlier on Tuesday, he was giving his first performance in New York’s Flushing district on Tuesday.

The event attracted not only large crowds of mainstream Americans but also American-Asians who included Indians, Nepalese, Bangladeshis, Indonesians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, Chinese and Japanese.
Ramli has been honoured with top awards in several countries because of his role in promoting goodwill and better understanding amongst different cultures through his dancing.

The Malaysian dancer, choreographer and teacher previously received a national award from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in 2011 for his outstanding contribution to promoting peace and understanding through his dancing.

His dance troupe has performed many times in the USA. He first performed in New York in 1981 with the Sydney Dance Company and discovered by the great dancer, the late Indrani Rehman.

He and his troupe would prepare for their forthcoming tour of India in the third week of this month and will be performing in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Baroda.

Road to Longhouse Batang Ai

   Kenangan bulan lepas ketika berada di #Sarawak masih segar bugar dalam ingatanku. Sebaik sahaja Rainforest Music World Festival berakhir, STB (Sarawak Tourism Board) telah pun mengaturkan post tour untuk kami yang seramai 12 orang.
Enam orang ditemani seorang wakil STB akan membuat perjalanan menyusuri Batang Ai ke perkampungan rumah panjang suku kaum Iban, manakala selebihnya akan bercanda bersama penyu-penyu di pulau Talang-Talang. Apa lagi! Aku pun meemilih rumah panjang lah.. tergiang giang di telingaku alunan music dari Sape.

Keesokkanya, walaupun masih keletihan, pagi pagi lagi kami seramai tujuh orang telah pun bersedia untuk perjalanan seterusnya. Selesai bersarapan di Damai resort dan mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada kenalan kenalan baru disana, lebih kurang pukul 10 pagi kami pun bertolak meneruskan adventure yang seterusnya....



Perjalanan mengambil masa lebih kurang dua jam sebelum sampai ke daerah Serian. Disana kami berhenti untuk minum menghilangkan dahaga selepas singgah di pasar berdekatan untuk mengambil gambar.

sempat aku menjengguk seorang peniaga yang sedang tekun menganyam bakul

Pelbagai barang makanan ada dijual disini termasuk berjenis kuih muih tempatan

kami kemudian meneruskan perjalanan semula dan singgah di ladang lada hitam.



Terdapat juga tanaman lain seperti koko dan limau.

Selesai menjelajah kebun lada hitam, perjalanan di teruskan selama lebih kurang sejam lagi sebelum berhenti untuk makan tengahari. Kebetulan, perut kami sudah mula berbunyi. Cuaca yang agak terik juga membuat kami semakin keletihan.  

 Setelah makan tengahari, kami meneruskan perjalanan selama hampir dua jam, sebelum tiba di jeti kecil untuk menaiki bot kecil ke kawasan Batang Ai.

 Perjalanan menaiki bot selama 40 minit itu, menghidangkan kami suatu pemandangan indah dan begitu damai sekali. Di sepanjang pesisir tasik terlihat beberapa buah rumah panjang milik orang asli Bidayu.

 Akhirnya, setelah hampir pukul 5 petang kami tiba di kawasan rumah panjang orang asli Iban. Kami disambut mesra, oleh keluarga Iban seramai 37 buah keluarga... ramainya

Setelah berehat menghilangkan penat, kami menjamu perut yang kelaparan dengan makan malam yang disediakan sendiri oleh Pak guide.

Kepenatan dan cuaca yang terik membuat aku terus tersungkur duduk di tepi jar

 Kemudian, kami di persembahkan dengan tarian traditional sebagai menyambut kedatangan kami.

 Beberapa ahli keluarga yang ada, memainkan peralatan traditional sambil diiringi tarian Iban

 Suku kaum yang dahulunya terkenal dengan keberanian dan dikaitkan dengan "memenggal kepala lawan" ini, sebenarnya agak pemalu dan sentiasa tersenyum mesra. Sempat saya menyuruh mereka untuk membuat pose "peace" hehehehe

 Selepas itu, saya mewakili rombongan, menyampaikan buah tangan yang kami beli bersama.. amboi, Tok ketua ni dah biasa bergambar rupanya..

Selepas berbual bual, seawal pukul 10 malam, kami yang keletihan masing masing masuk kelambu untuk tidur, pagi pagi lagi kami dikejutkan oleh bunyi kokokan ayam yang banyak berkeliaran di luar rumah.

 Dua orang kanak kanak Iban, duduk memerhatikan kami

 Keesokkannya, selepas bersarapan, kami bersiap sedia untuk meninggalkan rumah panjang meneruskan adventure yang seterusnya. Sebelum mengucapkan selamat tinggal, kami bergambar dengan ketua rumah dan keluarganya.

 Seperti biasa, posing is a must! hehehehe

Sempat kami mencuba senjata berburu, tak disangka, tiupan aku mengena tepat ditengah tengah , diorang ni tak puas hati.. nak cuba lagi hehehehe

Pemandangan rumah panjang dari bahagian tepi..

The Rainforest World Music Festival

                        Every year thousands of strangers gather in the rainforest of Borneo dance in the mud and tropical rain to music play by musicians from all over the world. Taking place at the Sarawak Cultural Village, the event serves the audience with traditional, folk, and fusion music from both local and international performers bringing the hardly heard music.

It has been described as Asia’s best kept secret, the land of famous white Rajahs, hornbills and orang utans, it’s a place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventures. 

The Rainforest Music Festival is one of the largest music festivals in Southeast Asia, is an exciting culmination of culture, workshops, and live entertainment held every year just at Santubong in Kuching, Malaysia. People coming from every part of the world attended the three days festival to experience music and traditional instruments from nearly every continent.

The RMWF is also one of the biggest musical events in Malaysia, crowd puller contributing to tourism draw to Sarawak. The festival has been voted for the 5th consecutive year in 2014, as one of the 25 best International Festivals by renowned world music magazine, Songlines and stands among other renowned festivals like WOMAD Australia and New Zealand, Ulsan World Music Festival, South Korea and Kriol Jazz Festival, Cape Verde among others. 

Me and Tourism Malaysia with Kiwi musician

Main stage

This year, the opening night was held on the 19th of June and marks the beginning of the three days festival. The dinner for the opening night was serves at the beach, started at 7.30pm and attended by all the performers and media as well as the Sarawak Tourism Board members. 

It’s a good idea and thankfully the weather was on our side, the place looks magnificent at night with the stars decorating the night sky.

Performers and Media together with Sarawak Tourism Board as well as Tourism Malaysia gathered at welcome dinner 

 

a talented local born

The event is set wonderfully between a white sandy beach and a rain-forest mountain peak in Sarawak,  In the grounds of the Sarawak Cultural Village, the two stages are nested among trees at the foot of the legendary Mount Santubong, and throughout the village screens are up so everyone has great views no matter where they are.

Zapin by Johor

For three nights, musicians performs and play beautiful music, mostly using the traditional instruments, while the audience listened intently, move and clapped to the beats. On the second night (Saturday) the event received bigger crowd, fans flooding in front of the 2 stages, the surrounding showered with rhythm, laughter and joy, people are dancing and some event jumping around celebrating. 

Fans listened intently

Three new elements have been injected to add the freshness into the festival. The Malay House was used for the first time, giving the workshop there an intimate feel. It was limited, however, to fifty persons for health and safety reasons. In the comfort of the Theatre, two daily chamber-styled concerts were presented instead. 

To keep the festival mood going by another hour, there was the RWMF community drum circle  conducted by 1DRUM.ORG. It was a time for the audience to beat their beat their socks off for one hour from 5.00 – 6.00 pm daily as they took turns trying their hand on the traditional drums in front of the Jungle stage.

 The best part of this event, the musicians allows to mingled with the fans especially during workshops. Every morning and during supper, performers, media and tourism members sit and enjoy the meal together. The last night of the event, most of stay late after supper, taking pictures chit chat and wishing each other best journey a head.