By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 19: The Kuching Music Festival 2025 is one of the key lead-up events to the globally recognised Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2025, said Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Abdul Karim said the event, held at Panggung Udara along Jalan Taman Budaya from May 17 to 18, was organised by Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) as part of the upcoming Kuching City Day celebrations, but was brought forward to accommodate the participation of a visiting orchestra from Kuala Lumpur.
“This is a music festival by DBKU in conjunction with Kuching Day, but it was scheduled earlier because it involves an orchestra group from Kuala Lumpur,” he told reporters when met after the event here last night (May 18).
Abdul Karim described the festival as an important platform to celebrate local creative talents while building anticipation for the RWMF 2025, which will take place from June 20 to 22.
Despite rain at the start of the evening, festivalgoers showed unwavering support, cheering and singing along throughout the performances, which featured a dynamic mix of national stars and local acts.
Among the performers were Mal Imran, Firdaus Materang, Claudia Geres, Valerie Thiam, Chien Ng, Dell Lawrance, Orkestra Kuala Lumpur, Prodigy, and Sarawak’s very own contemporary ethnic music group, Tuku Kame.
The night’s highlight was a show-stopping performance by Malaysia’s pop icon Datuk Jamal Abdillah, who serenaded the crowd with his evergreen hits such as ‘Kekasih Awal dan Akhir’, ‘Kehebatan Cinta’, and ‘Sandarkan Pada Kenangan’.
Also present at the event were Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Malaysia Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri; Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki; Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Project Coordination for Regional Development Agencies, DBKU, and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi; Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu; and DBKU Mayor Dato Hilmy Othman.
The Kuching Music Festival 2025 is part of Sarawak’s broader strategy to promote creative industries, support local artists, and enhance the State’s profile as a cultural tourism hub ahead of major events like RWMF. — DayakDaily
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