9th Sabah International Folklore Festival 2014

Welcome back SIFF 2014. After a less-participated event last year, let's hope this year will be merrier.

Throughout the second week of June, culture vultures will be enthralled by the colours, rhythms and diversity of the world's folk dances right here in Kota Kinabalu. The 9th Sabah international Folklore Festival (SIFF) is an annual effort to promote peace and understanding through cultural understanding as dance troupes from around the world gather in the Land Below the Wind to showcase their unique folk dances.

The festival begins with a scheduled Sabah International Folklore Festival Parade at Lintasan Deasoka in Gaya Street on 9 June 2014, from 2.00pm to 5.00pm (barring last minute change). I was at such parade in 2012 and believe me, it's mesmerising.

Latvia folk dance during the 2012 SIFF parade at Lintasan Deasoka. Pic by de engineur

The premier show takes place on 12 June at the Tun Raffae Auditorium, Menara Tun Mustapha at 7.00pm. The highlight of the festival is none other than the International Folk Dance Competition on 13 and 14 June, where participating dance troupes will compete for the title of champion. The competition takes place at the Tun Raffae Auditorium.

Ticket prices:

RM30 - Adults
RM10 - Students below 17 years of age
International Folk Dance competition will be on 13th and 14th June 2014.
SIFF dates: 7 - 15 June 2014

For further information please contact:

Sabah Cultural Board
Wisma Budaya Building
Tel: 088-268836
Email: borneosiff@gmail.com
Mr Joisin Romut - Chief Liaison Officer, Sabah International Folklore Festival

You can also refer to the tentative programme schedule here. Kindly note that the competition venue has been changed from Sabah Cultural Centre Penampang to the Tun Raffae Auditorium at Menara Tun Mustapha in Likas.

Winning performance by the Chinese dance troupe in 2012. They did not take part last year.

TheGreenMechanics: It's about time you change your mindset about watching cultural performance - be willing to pay.

We did not go to the SIFF last year but did the previous year when it was won by the China dance troupe. We plan to come back to enjoy the performances this time around.

China won the 7th Sabah International Folklore Festival (SIFF 2012) competition

Young Chinese dancers did it again. Emcee, Gan Po Tiau announced that the troupe from China also won the Prime Award last year.

The dance troupe called Zhu Hai Hansen Dancing Group did enough to convince the jurors that they are the team to beat when they emerged champions in the 18-country folkdance competition. I don't quite get the point of competing a folkdance against another, as every single one is unique, beautiful in its way. But I suppose the organiser has another idea and perhaps it is a way to put some sort of pressure on every competing troupe.

Chinese contingent receiving their trophy

Day-1: cheeky performance

Day-1

Day-2: love story

Day-2: One of the tricks up their sleeves during the performance

Day-2

Many, many congratulation to the victorious team!

See you again next year.

Sabah International Folklore competition final is here!

Today is the final day of the Sabah Internationla Folklore Festival 2012 and the international category of the competition will be announced in about 4 hours' time.



Member of Taiwan's Aboriginal Youth Folk Dance Team of Szu-chen Junior High School

Watch this space; I'll update the winning troupe as soon as it is announced tonight.

Till then, happy weekend!

Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012 - Part I

Prelude to the big international event at Sabah Cultural Centre this weekend.

The 2012 Sabah International Folklore Festival (SIFF) participanting troupes are now in town. The peak of this most anticipated festival is on 14th - 15th July but for the city folks the international troops did some introductory performances on Tuesday at Lintasan Deasoka, or City Square as some call it.

I arrived a little late and by that time the Indonesian folkdance troupe were done with theirs.

Egypt: Elsharkia Folkloric Troupe with their amazing horse dance performance

'Snow white' - mesmerising piece of artistic movement by the troupe from Kazakhstan

Indonesia is represented by dancers from Sanggar Bedewa Kabupaten Nunukan

South Korean dancers from Yaewon-Chumsawee Dance Company

Fast dance - refreshing and can't-stop-smiling performance from Latvia

'The balancing act' - Team member of the Philippines dancers, Lahing Batangan Dance Troupe 

Young performers from Sri Lanka's Ranranga Dance Academy

For more pictures, check out my photoblog.

The International Folkdance Competition would be held at the Sabah Cultural Centre from July 14-15. For information on the schedule and tickets & venues, refer here.

See you there!

7th Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012 : Schedule

Also known as Festival Kesenian Rakyat Antarabangsa Sabah, the seventh edition of this international event is currently ongoing. Scheduled to kick of on July 8, but as we drive through the main venue, Sabah Cultural Centre yesterday there was nothing much going on yet.


Hunting with blowpipe is one of the rituals during the local ethnic Murut traditional dance.


I wrote earlier on the competition schedule during theFestival 2012, highlighting the details of both local folkdance and international folkdance competitions. There will be 18 folk dance troupes from 18 countries showcasing their own unique folk dances and promoting understanding and goodwill through culture. They are from:

1. Brunei Darussalam
2. Czech Republic
3. East Timor
4. Finland
5. Latvia
6. Philippine
7. Poland
8. Thailand
9. South Korea
10. Sri Lanka
11. Kuwait
12. Egypt
13. Nigeria
14. China
15. Indonesia
16. Taiwan
17. Papua New Guinea
18. Kazakhstan

The following itinerary is the latest information gathered from the local daily, and are not stated initially in the brochure:

* Cultural Parade, Wisma Budaya to K.K. Community Hall, 10 July 2012

* Folk Art Exhibition, Ming Garden Hotel, 10 - 15 July 2012

* Sabah Traditional Food Fair, Sport Complex Penampang, 10 - 15 July 2012

* Local Folkdance competition, Sabah Cultural Centre Penampang, 11 - 12 July 2012

* Prime Show, Magellan Sutera Harbour, 13 July 2012

* International Folkdance Competition, Sabah Cultural Centre Penampang, 14 - 15 July 2012


KK City Folklore Parade (10 July 2012)

The cultural parade is jointly organised by Sabah Cultural Board (SCB) and Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), and is to be flagged off at Wisma Budaya starting at 1.30pm by SCB Chairman, Datuk Wenses Anggang.

From Wisma Budaya, the parade will proceed to Lintasan Deasoka for 'pocket show' via Jalan Laiman Diki and Jalan Tugu, in front of City Hall. All the participating international troops and local cultural groups are expected to participate in the parade. Only the international troops will perform in Lintasan Deasoka though.

The parade will then proceed through Gaya Street and will end at Kota Kinabalu Community Centre. As such, roads mentioned above will be closed in stages to make way for the troops.

This is actually a very good opportunity for the public and especially photographers to make full coverage of the event. I've done one earlier this year during the Universiti Malaysia Sabah annual parade along the streets of Kota Kinabalu.

Lastly, tickets for the cultural shows are available at:
1. Wisma Budaya Building (088-268836)
2. Sabah Cultural Centre, Penampang (088-715464)

Sabah International Folklore Festival 2012

The Sabah International Folklore Festival (SIFF) is back again this year from July 8 - 17 and this time it is expected to feature 20 international cultural dance troupes.

This is the 7th edition of the SIFF and it is essentially a celebration of the world cultural diversity and a platform to promote peace through music and dance. The festival feature both international and local folk dances that highlight the incredible diversity of our world's culture.

The East-meets-West musical extravaganza

What    : 7th International Folklore Festival, 2012 (Festival Kesenian Rakyat Antarabangsa Ke-7, 2012)
When   : 8 - 17 July 2012
Where  : Sabah Cultural Centre, Penampang
Theme : "Peace Through Culture"


What's in store for you

LOCAL FOLKDANCE COMPETITION
Date/Time     : 11 & 12 July 2012/ 7.00pm
Place            : Sabah Cultural Centre, Penampang
Ticket price   : RM10 - Adult
                      RM5  - Children under 17 years old

INTERNATIONAL FOLKDANCE COMPETITION
Date/Time     : 14 & 15 July 2012/ 7.00pm
Place           :  Sabah Cultural Centre, Penampang
Ticket price   : RM50 - Premier class
                      RM30 - Adult
                      RM10 - Children under 17 years old

PRIME SHOW
Date/Time   :  13 July 2012/ 7.00pm
Place          :  Magellan Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu
Ticket price :  RM10,000 / table
                     RM5,000 / table
                     RM3,000 / table
                     RM1,000 / table

The 7th SIFF 2012 is not something for you to miss!

Tickets are available at:

Sabah Cultural Board              -   Tel: +6088-268836
Cultural Centre, Penampang    -   Tel: +6088-714464
More info                                -   www.sabah.gov.my/lks


TheGreenMechanics: 

We had similar cultural festival last year but due to the 'heat' of SARS then, we decided to give that one a miss. Hopefully we'll be able to make it this time around.

I've just got to love this. I like everything that's preserving the various heritages we have around the world. It's like living green and preserving mother nature!