History lessons via Sabah Fest
Published on: Friday, April 29, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Behind the scene of the annual Sabah Fest, a different set of dynamics come into play where the different races and ethnics in the State get to feel a sense of belonging.State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun believed that so much of this has been accomplished since the annual cultural event was first introduced.Sharing with the Daily Express recently, Masidi said he received positive response from the Chinese community last year when the musical theatre featured a love story between a Chinese merchant and a local girl in 'Agop'.
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"Through the Sabah Fest, we hope to educate the public about our history and the personalities who were mentioned in it. And we present all this in a way that entertains the people. But more than this, we hope that all the races in Sabah will feel a sense of belonging through this event. Last year when we introduced the love story between a Chinese merchant and a local girl, members of the Chinese community were very happy," he said.The Sabah Fest is a cultural event where ethnic groups in Sabah present their rich cultures and traditions through dance, music, fashion and food. The event is a prelude to the statewide Harvest Festival celebration and is a superbly entertaining cultural extravaganza.The musical theatre presents a wonderful blend of cultural and natural heritage that is richly embedded in folklore and one of Sabah's premiere events. This year, it features the story of the legendary freedom fighter, Mat Salleh.
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Masidi is aware about certain public perception even to this day concerning the historical figure who during his time was branded a menace by the British North Borneo Chartered Company but a local hero to many locals. "Some people say he's a villain, some say he's a hero. Actually the Sabah Fest is a right forum to be a medium of storytelling of our legends and myths. Over time we hope to present other legends through this event.
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But we want to present in such a way not to judge them but present an exciting story and let people be the judge" he said.It is for this reason that the Minister, who himself has been very much hands-on in the entire preparation of the event, had insisted to incorporate an element of love and romance in the story."Love is a universal language that all of us can relate to," he added.The annual Sabah Fest musical theatre has featured a number of interesting historical figures of Sabah through a combination of powerful storyline, colourful display of ethnic and contemporary dances and music as well as some of the breathtaking sceneries in the State.Sabah Fest 2016 dance and musical theatre will take the stage from April 29 to May 1 at the Sabah Arts and Culture auditorium. Show starts at 8pm.Information is available on www.sabahfest.com while tickets for the stage performance are being sold at RM50. For more information, the public can contact Zachary Mobijohn at +6088 232 121 or e-mail [email protected].Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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