When I reached the golf course that day, the parking lots were barricaded .... and I was directed where there was more parking. The tiny road wound along the golf course, and before I knew it, I had reached the back entrance of the musical corridor! Geez, never knew this area existed!!
Hence that night, I entered the venue through the back. At a makeshift canopy, there were 2 booths selling tickets. Tonight's wrist tag was pink in colour.
Hence that night, I entered the venue through the back. At a makeshift canopy, there were 2 booths selling tickets. Tonight's wrist tag was pink in colour.
The wrist tags
There was a line up of 7 bands performing on Night 2. The event was about to kick off with the first band, The Mountain Wind Band from Bario! This is a country band, playing country songs.
The Mountain Wind Band, made up of 5 members
Lian Ballang is the lead vocalist. I loved his deep voice.
This group sang popular country songs, and at one point they had the crowd line-dancing in front of the stage with the song Achy Breaky Heart. Lol. How can any country band miss singing that song, right? They also performed a Kelabit number .... sigh ... and it reminded me of beautiful and serene Bario.
Next was Melissa Francis, who sang in Iban. This petite and very pretty lady had taken the Dayak music industry by storm, wining numerous awards such in the state. Though I did not understand the lyrics, I did enjoy the melody of most of her songs, and of course her beautiful voice.
Melissa Francis
She struck me as a very confident lady.
She struck me as a very confident lady.
Starlets came on stage after that ... I loved the deep colours of their costumes this time around, and it was great that they sang all my favourite songs that evening ..... including Beyonce's Listen, Mercy by Duffy and Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N' Roses.
Starlets
Fakhrul Razi or FR was invited all the way from neighbouring Brunei. I must say that this young man was so talented! He wowed the crowd with his version of Bruno Mars' Treasures. He was casual and fun, and his performance reflected his incorrigible personality. The crowd loved interacting with him!
Fakhrul Razi and his band, Camouflage
The next performance was my favourite of the night. It was also the crowd favourite. There were five boys in the Boy Thai Band. They were all young and dressed very smartly for the performance. At least 2 were very good-looking, and the girls naturally swooned over them. Physical appearance aside, there was no doubt that these boys were very, very talented.
For me ... and judging at crowd response, this group was HIGHLY entertaining. They electrified the whole venue with their brand of music - a fusion of classical Thai and upbeat western rhythms. Of course, that would mean a combination of instruments .... from the Thai Xylophone or Ranad, Thai percussion and flute. Tell you what, you can't help but sway to their music! I LOVE THIS BAND!!
Boy Thai Band doing their thing to create a hysteria in the crowd!!
L - R : Arnon Suttjaridjun (Thai Drums & Flute); Ekkapong Saelim (Drums); Weerasak Hambubpaka (Keyboard); Saranyu Suwannasoonthon (Saxophone); Paron Yuenyong (Ranad–Thai Xylophone), and Pakee Navee (Bass)
Saranyu Suwannasoontho serenaded the crowd on the saxaphone and clarinet. I wondered how many people melted at his performance ... lol.
Great performance by these young talents! For me, it was the climax of the evening before things wound down towards the event's closing ..
The next band was from Tamil Nadu, India. Antoney Dassan Yen Party means Antoney Dassan My Party. They incorporate folk music in their performances. For me it created a festive mood .... I closed my eyes and felt like I was transported to a rural village in India, where there were lots of happy people in colourful clothes and accessories singing and dancing around me. What a vibrant performance indeed!
Antoney Dassan in action
The finale was a group of Indonesia ... Foxy Girls who were former models.
Foxy Girls
L - R : Jeje, Jessie and Moza
Pretty no doubt the girls were, but I did not really enjoy their singing ... which sometimes sounded like karaoke to me. They had the crowd singing together with them, however, especially with the song Aku Yang Tersakiti by Judika. Even young kids were singing along! What was fun about their performance was the drama on stage .... especially when they invited a few audiences on stage to dance and sing together with them.
And with that, the festival closed its doors. What really made this event worthwhile was the great performances from many bands. That, and perhaps an opportunity for a relaxing weekend with friends. I did enjoy myself a lot. Thanks to STB for its great effort to bring another event to Miri!
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