The World Music Expo will be hosted for the second time in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak State in Borneo, Malaysia. It will take place prior to Borneo Rainforest Music Festival, one of the top events taking place near Kuching every year.
KUCHING – The second edition of Borneo World Music Expo will be held from June 16-18, 2014 at the Hilton Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak. Borneo World Music Expo will feature conferences, workshops, meetings, a trade fair and music showcases. The Expo is open to all delegates who have registered whilst the public is welcome at the evening showcases. Artists scheduled this year come from Sarawak, West Malaysia, Kalimantan, India, Java, Myanmar as well as from Thailand.
According to Gerald Seligman, the consultant of the Expo, “We’re using the same concept this year, but concentrating even more on acoustic and traditional music. The conference sessions will be mostly practical, with advice on how to enter local and international markets, how to professionalize, and with information on what Malaysia is doing to support the arts”.
There will be three days of concerts and two full days of conferences. Programmers from all over the world will be present at the second edition of Borneo World Music Expo, which will once again serve as a platform to expose South East Asia’s ethnic musicians to the international market.
Dato’ Rashid Khan, CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board, organisers of the festival commented, “Last year the ten groups showcased made a great impact and five were offered international concert dates or tours. One of the five, Lan E Tuyang, an ethnic Orang Ulu band went on a month long tour in Germany early this year. A sixth, Madeeh, an ethnic Bidayuh band presented at the Rainforest World Music Festival, also picked up a European agent and has an international career launched. That is a success rate we are proud of and one that we hope to match, even better, this time around”.
The event is open for all professionals within the music field who want to increase their contacts, pick up new skills and exchange ideas in dynamic conference sessions. The expo also welcomes those who would like to present their wares, product or music. Programmers from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, India, Korea and Cambodia will be at the Expo.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
