Rainforest World Music Festival

Today seven years on, the Rainforest World Music Festival in Santubong, Sarawak is one of the most offbeat attractions for tourists heading to Southeast Asia.

The Rainforest World Music Festival is a unique festival that brings together on the same stage renowned world musicians from all continents and indigenous musicians from the interiors of the mythical island of Borneo.

This year's three day festival is to be held in the second week of July at the Sarawak Cultural Village, a living museum where the traditional habitats of Sarawak's major ethnic groups have been lovingly reproduced.

Set amid lush rainforest greenery at the foothills of jungle clad Mount Santubong, and a stone's throw away from the beach resorts of the Santubong peninsula, the village provides the ideal venue for this festival that celebrates nature, ethnic music and the indigenous cultures of the world.

The festival Village has a variety of food and drink stalls, an arts and crafts area as well as a counter for festival memorabilia, Sarawak souvenirs and CDs by the performing artists, all this contributing to a fun filled, wholesome festival experience.

This year again, children workshops, dance workshops and story telling are among the many festival activities. And after the live music is over around midnight, the fun will go on with a World Music Dance Party.

In its years of existence, commercial mainstream or not, the Rainforest World Music Festival has brought together varied musicians from around the world together with music enthusiasts for three days of non-stop mini-concerts and all out fun taking place in the heart of the Borneo jungle.

From a mere few thousand in 1998, the number of festival fans swelled to 12,000 during last year's peak event.

Every year, the attendance rises, said Haji Mohd Tuah Jais, chairman of the Rainforest World Music Festival organising committee.

From Afro-digital persuasions to Malay fusion, classical folk from West Asia to Brazilian forro music, from Polynesian to Zulu, and Indian to Latin American, it's all there on offer for the three nights of concerts this year

Opening night seems to hit the ethnic and tribal club vibe.

Headlining the night will be West African Issa Bagayogo from Mali. The ngoni player, also known as Techno Issa brings his wassoulou music mixed with modern dance samples into a night of tribal revelry.

With a new album in the offing, Malaysia's own Mohram Ramli is also set to bring the fusion of ethnic and modern styles of Malay music to the fore on the same night.

The Rainforest World Music Festival will be held from July 9-11 at the Sarawak Cultural Village, Santubong (a 45-minute drive from the capital Kuching).