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Organiser expects thousands to turn up at upcoming Gawai Carnival in Miri

Organiser expects thousands to turn up at upcoming Gawai Carnival in Miri

Borneo Posta day ago

Gerawat, flanked by Dennis (seated, fourth left) and Anyi, in a photo-call with Nyurak (seated, third left) and other members of the organising committee, taken after the meeting at Forum building in Miri.
MIRI (June 10): Thousands of visitors are expected to converge on the Federation of Orang Ulu Associations Malaysia (Forum) building here for the two-day 'Traditional Gawai Carnival', kicking off this Thursday (June 12).
According to Mulu assemblyman and the organising committee chairman Datuk Gerawat Gala, the carnival is the next major event in this year's Gawai Dayak celebration, following the success of the Gawai Dayak 2025 Bazaar held at the Batu Kawa Township in Kuching last month.
'This carnival showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Orang Ulu community and is aimed at preserving and promoting traditional practices and values,' he said in a press conference, held at the Forum building yesterday.
The 'Traditional Gawai Carnival' here is jointly chaired by Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau and Baram MP Dato Anyi Ngau.
According to Dennis, a total of 13 traditional events and competitions have been lined up throughout the two days.
'All the activities are based on traditional games, many of which are no longer seen or known by the public. Therefore, we welcome everyone to the Forum Cultural Centre to witness and participate in these festivities,' he said.
In addition to the competitions, visitors can also look forward to sampling a variety of traditional dishes and visiting stalls selling homemade handicrafts and products, from June 12 to 14.
'It is also a good platform for the local entrepreneurs and small businesses to generate income, while helping to preserve our cultural identity,' added Dennis.
Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has been invited to officiate at the opening ceremony this June 13.
Meanwhile, Dennis said that the evening of June 12 would feature the 'Datun Julud' (traditional dance) competition, as well as 'sape' (traditional boat lute) competition.
'Twenty groups have confirmed their participation in the 'Datun Julud' competition, and another 20 will be showcasing their sape-performing skills.'
The grand highlight of the carnival would be the Miss Gawai Sarawak 2025 pageant, on June 13.
'Thirteen finalists from across Sarawak will be vying for the crown.
'Tickets for the event are priced at RM20 per person. So far, a total of 1,500 tickets have been made available for purchase,' confirmed Dennis.
Adding on, he said due to the limited parking space at the Forum premises, a free shuttle bus service would be provided to visitors.
'The bus will be plying between the venue and Miri Sentral Terminal, from 7am until midnight on each day.
'We encourage the public to make full use of this service to facilitate smoother traffic and also better experience for all attendees,' said Dennis.
Also present was Bintulu Resident Datu Nyurak Keti, who is also Forum president.

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Maestro: Growing interest in sape' helps keep heritage alive
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Looking ahead, Mathew says his role will be to support the next generation of sape' performers. — Photo by Desiree David KUCHING (June 10): Once a taboo for women and nearly forgotten by younger generations, the sape' is now undergoing a revival, especially among the youths. According to sape' maestro Mathew Ngau Jau, the growing interest in this iconic Orang Ulu stringed instrument is not only helping to preserve a rich cultural heritage, but also breaking the old taboos and bridging communities. 'Now I see young people, even from other races, are picking up the sape'. 'Parents come and ask if they could get one for their children. That makes me very happy,' said the 72-year-old Kenyah musician, who has spent more than 30 years performing and teaching the sape' across Malaysia. Mathew's own journey with the traditional lute was far from immediate. Growing up in Long Semiang, Ulu Baram, he was more interested in dancing than in music. It was not until he attended school in Long San where a missionary teacher encouraged Orang Ulu cultural practices that he first picked up the sape'. Even then, he only began to play seriously in his 20s, during his teaching days at SMK Bau. 'People started inviting me to perform, but I didn't feel confident. 'So during the holidays, I would return to the longhouse to learn from the elders,' said Mathew at an exclusive seminar on 'Sape' & The Soul of Borneo: Heritage, Identity and Future', held at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) near here yesterday. Eventually, his persistence paid off. Today, Mathew is considered a master of the sape', recognised nationally for his role in preserving and promoting this traditional art form. The artiste has also helped pave the way for women to play this instrument, defying a longstanding taboo. 'Back then, girls weren't allowed to play the sape' in the longhouse. But I was the one who opened that door,' he said, pointing to players like Alena Murang as examples of women who have since taken the instrument to the world stage. 'At first, people in the longhouse weren't comfortable with it. But now, even the critics are gone. 'In my longhouse, I'm the oldest. The young people have taken over and many of them are girls,' he said. With the instrument's popularity booming, especially in urban areas, the demand for sape' instruments has also surged, making the traditional materials harder to find. Mathew said the original sape' was made from 'adau' wood, which is now rare. He recounted a legend associated with 'adau' – about a gravely ill woman who was revived after hearing the sound of a sape' carved from the sacred wood, seen in a dream by her husband. 'The sound was different. Even in her dream, she recognised the name of the wood,' said Mathew. He added that in the past, the sape' strings were made from jungle creepers known as 'iman', and the traditional instruments had only two strings. 'The modern versions now have up to six strings, allowing the musicians to play a broader range of music. 'Those with more strings are contemporary sape', not original like mine,' said Mathew, adding that the traditional form is most closely associated with the Kenyah and Kayan communities. As for the future, Mathew said his role would be to support the next generation. 'I've done what I can. I can see that the sape' growing. 'It's popular now among the children, among the young adults, and even among people who aren't from our community. 'That's what makes me feel very satisfied,' he smiled. Arts and Culture lead Mathew Ngau Jau music sape

Growing interest in sape' helps keep heritage alive — Maestro
Growing interest in sape' helps keep heritage alive — Maestro

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Growing interest in sape' helps keep heritage alive — Maestro

Looking ahead, Mathew says his role will be to support the next generation of sape' performers. — Photo by Desiree David KUCHING (June 10): Once a taboo for women and nearly forgotten by younger generations, the sape' is now undergoing a revival, especially among the youths. According to sape' maestro Mathew Ngau Jau, the growing interest in this iconic Orang Ulu stringed instrument is not only helping to preserve a rich cultural heritage, but also breaking the old taboos and bridging communities. 'Now I see young people, even from other races, are picking up the sape'. 'Parents come and ask if they could get one for their children. That makes me very happy,' said the 72-year-old Kenyah musician, who has spent more than 30 years performing and teaching the sape' across Malaysia. Mathew's own journey with the traditional lute was far from immediate. Growing up in Long Semiang, Ulu Baram, he was more interested in dancing than in music. It was not until he attended school in Long San where a missionary teacher encouraged Orang Ulu cultural practices that he first picked up the sape'. Even then, he only began to play seriously in his 20s, during his teaching days at SMK Bau. 'People started inviting me to perform, but I didn't feel confident. 'So during the holidays, I would return to the longhouse to learn from the elders,' said Mathew at an exclusive seminar on 'Sape' & The Soul of Borneo: Heritage, Identity and Future', held at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) near here yesterday. Eventually, his persistence paid off. Today, Mathew is considered a master of the sape', recognised nationally for his role in preserving and promoting this traditional art form. The artiste has also helped pave the way for women to play this instrument, defying a longstanding taboo. 'Back then, girls weren't allowed to play the sape' in the longhouse. But I was the one who opened that door,' he said, pointing to players like Alena Murang as examples of women who have since taken the instrument to the world stage. 'At first, people in the longhouse weren't comfortable with it. But now, even the critics are gone. 'In my longhouse, I'm the oldest. The young people have taken over and many of them are girls,' he said. With the instrument's popularity booming, especially in urban areas, the demand for sape' instruments has also surged, making the traditional materials harder to find. Mathew said the original sape' was made from 'adau' wood, which is now rare. He recounted a legend associated with 'adau' – about a gravely ill woman who was revived after hearing the sound of a sape' carved from the sacred wood, seen in a dream by her husband. 'The sound was different. Even in her dream, she recognised the name of the wood,' said Mathew. He added that in the past, the sape' strings were made from jungle creepers known as 'iman', and the traditional instruments had only two strings. 'The modern versions now have up to six strings, allowing the musicians to play a broader range of music. 'Those with more strings are contemporary sape', not original like mine,' said Mathew, adding that the traditional form is most closely associated with the Kenyah and Kayan communities. As for the future, Mathew said his role would be to support the next generation. 'I've done what I can. I can see that the sape' growing. 'It's popular now among the children, among the young adults, and even among people who aren't from our community. 'That's what makes me feel very satisfied,' he smiled. Arts and Culture lead Mathew Ngau Jau music sape

Organiser expects thousands to turn up at upcoming Gawai Carnival in Miri
Organiser expects thousands to turn up at upcoming Gawai Carnival in Miri

Borneo Post

timea day ago

  • Borneo Post

Organiser expects thousands to turn up at upcoming Gawai Carnival in Miri

Gerawat, flanked by Dennis (seated, fourth left) and Anyi, in a photo-call with Nyurak (seated, third left) and other members of the organising committee, taken after the meeting at Forum building in Miri. MIRI (June 10): Thousands of visitors are expected to converge on the Federation of Orang Ulu Associations Malaysia (Forum) building here for the two-day 'Traditional Gawai Carnival', kicking off this Thursday (June 12). According to Mulu assemblyman and the organising committee chairman Datuk Gerawat Gala, the carnival is the next major event in this year's Gawai Dayak celebration, following the success of the Gawai Dayak 2025 Bazaar held at the Batu Kawa Township in Kuching last month. 'This carnival showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Orang Ulu community and is aimed at preserving and promoting traditional practices and values,' he said in a press conference, held at the Forum building yesterday. The 'Traditional Gawai Carnival' here is jointly chaired by Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau and Baram MP Dato Anyi Ngau. According to Dennis, a total of 13 traditional events and competitions have been lined up throughout the two days. 'All the activities are based on traditional games, many of which are no longer seen or known by the public. Therefore, we welcome everyone to the Forum Cultural Centre to witness and participate in these festivities,' he said. In addition to the competitions, visitors can also look forward to sampling a variety of traditional dishes and visiting stalls selling homemade handicrafts and products, from June 12 to 14. 'It is also a good platform for the local entrepreneurs and small businesses to generate income, while helping to preserve our cultural identity,' added Dennis. Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has been invited to officiate at the opening ceremony this June 13. Meanwhile, Dennis said that the evening of June 12 would feature the 'Datun Julud' (traditional dance) competition, as well as 'sape' (traditional boat lute) competition. 'Twenty groups have confirmed their participation in the 'Datun Julud' competition, and another 20 will be showcasing their sape-performing skills.' The grand highlight of the carnival would be the Miss Gawai Sarawak 2025 pageant, on June 13. 'Thirteen finalists from across Sarawak will be vying for the crown. 'Tickets for the event are priced at RM20 per person. So far, a total of 1,500 tickets have been made available for purchase,' confirmed Dennis. Adding on, he said due to the limited parking space at the Forum premises, a free shuttle bus service would be provided to visitors. 'The bus will be plying between the venue and Miri Sentral Terminal, from 7am until midnight on each day. 'We encourage the public to make full use of this service to facilitate smoother traffic and also better experience for all attendees,' said Dennis. Also present was Bintulu Resident Datu Nyurak Keti, who is also Forum president.

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