Sape’ Movement Festival to be held at Coco Cabana
MIRI: Want to know more about the sape, the traditional Orang Ulu string musical instrument? Then check out the Sape’ Movement Festival 2018 which will be held at Coco Cabana here on Oct 20.
The inaugural festival organised by Sape’ Movement will run from 8.30am to 10pm and according to the organising chairman Hallan Hashim, the festival is the first of its kind to be held in Miri.
“Sape Movement Festival 2018 will explore the origin of sape, how it is made as well as how it has evolved. It will also feature sape makers and players who have made their mark and are known internationally,” said Hallan, who is the founder of Sape Movement and a renowned local sape player himself at a press conference here yesterday.
He added the festival aimed to promote arts and culture through music and entertainment as well as provide an avenue to show appreciation and advocacy of cultural heritage in the modern world.
“It is also hoped that it will act as a platform for the new generation to explore their talent apart from empowering and engaging people through arts and culture,” said Hallan.
Over 2,000 festival goers are expected at the event including over 50 sape players from throughout Sarawak as well as world class sape artistes in the likes of Jerry Kamit and Matthew Ngau Jau.
On the activities planned for the day, he said a sape competition divided into traditional and modern rhythm events, will be held in the morning.
Apart from this, a sape exhibition featuring a gallery of sape icons and the evolution of sape, sape class, demonstration on sape making, sape busking are also planned.
Hallan disclosed the main highlight of the festival is the ‘Sunset Sape’ Fest Concert’ from 6pm onwards. He hoped that the festival will be made into an annual event to further promote tourism and attract more tourists, especially music enthusiasts, to visit the city.
Also present were members of Sape’ Movement and representatives of various sponsors for the festival.