The magnificent Darul Hana Bridge in Kuching should be visited if you stay in the city.

And, of course, also to discover new ones introduced by local friends here. And that was quite an eye-opener for me, as it’s been two and a half years since I last visited here. The first thing on my mind was the famous Sarawak Kolo Mee, which is found all over the city. Not to forget, Kuching is also home to some fantastic Foochow food, like the Kompia.

A nice bowl of Kolo Mee in Kuching. (Not Halal)

Traditional Foochow Kompia, also not Halal.

After trying various local noodles and ethnic foods, the next stop was checking in at the Damai Beach Resort, just opposite the Sarawak Cultural Village, also known as Kampung Budaya Sarawak. The journey takes about 70-80 minutes one way, and it is a picturesque drive through the many peat swamps and local villages (kampungs) towards Damai Beach in Santubong.

As I checked in just after lunch on the first day of the Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 (RWMF2022), I quickly went to the festival grounds to see if any distinguished changes had occurred.

With luck, nothing has changed since the last RWMF 2019, as the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) still looks as beautiful as ever, remaining the main venue for this world-class event. The main stage area is still at the exact location; the only difference is that the Tree Stage, or the second smaller stage, was not there.

It was a hybrid event, the first time this was done in 25 years. People worldwide could buy online viewing blocks to catch the festival from the comfort of their homes. This was mainly created because many needed help to travel or were reluctant. This allowed the organisers to contact them via an online viewing experience.

The Damai Beach Resort hill view units.

Arriving on the 1st day at RWMF 2022, the locals pleasantly greeted me.

A group of Sarawakian Sape performers before going on stage.

The hybrid format also saw an in-between interval pre-recording of various musicians worldwide performing a song. About two to three different musicians were being shown back to back.

For some strange reason, this did not work well with the crowd, as many found it to be a downer, namely after a live performance show. Hopefully, the organisers will do away with this concept for RWMF 2023. Musicians from 20 countries performed live, and several Malaysians, namely from Sarawak, Sabah, and Peninsular Malaysia, played throughout the three-day festival.

The massive crowd during RWMF 2022.

Mathew Ngau entertains the crowd from an off-stage area.

Alena Murang performs one of her best shows at RWMF.

The crowd’s favourite was no other than the Sarawakian local band At Adau.

Jerry Kamit impresses at the RWMF 2022.

Massive crowds were seen on all three days during the festival.

As always, there would be a crowd favourite, and this time around, it was no other than the local Sarawakian band At Adau, who played an incredible show.

Alena Murang, the Sape Queen, was equally impressive as she graced the festival with her fantastic performance. On a personal note, she would have been better if she had performed at the indoor theatre due to her beautiful vocals and soothing music.

The man himself, Randy Raine-Reusch, performing on stage at RWMF 2022.

The highlight was something I did not expect, and it was one performance where Randy Raine-Reusch, the guy who created the Rainforest World Music Festival, performed on stage. This was totally out of this world, as the creator of the RWMF was right there on stage! Wow, this was a rush for me and many others as it brought back memories of the early days.

The crowd was a surprise: It was almost a full house on the festival’s second day, with over 5,000 people showing up. Overall, around 12,000 people attended the three days of the festival, which was very impressive.

This surprised the organisers, as the number of people showing up was lower than expected. But overall, it was a fantastic turnout, despite the borders opening up and Malaysia moving towards the endemic stage for COVID-19.

RWMF 2023

• Date: 23, 24 & 25 June
• Time: 9.00 AM to midnight
• Venue: Sarawak Cultural Village, Santubong
• Tickets: RWMF Website

One of the Orang Ulu dancers performs a traditional dance.

A visitor is taking a quick social media video of Jerry Kamik performing.

Outside the festival, beautiful Sarawakian sunsets are almost guaranteed at Damai Beach.

Conclusion

If you want to discover what happened the year before, it was an online experience called Rainforest World Music Festival 2021 – Virtual Event. I hope my Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 review has been enlightening and that you will plan to attend this year’s festival, which takes place in June.

The Rainforest World Music Festival 2023 promises to be bigger and better than last year, and we look forward to any exciting surprises this year. See you there!