Brunei - Alai Krathong, a Brunei dance and Thai festival performance showcased by leading artistes from Brunei Darussalam and Thailand, will take place Friday evening at the Jerudong Park and Country Club‘s Amphitheatre.
"This is the third and will also be the final such ‘Alai Krathong‘ project to be held under the spirit of solidarity and the umbrella of the MoU, " said Hj Bahmin Hj Hamdan, Acting Head of Radio.
"However, we will fight for the continuation of the special performance that is being hosted by both countries," he said in a press conference.
‘Alai Krathong‘, derived from the Brunei Malay Word "Alai" (dance) and the popular Thai "Loy Krathong" (Festival) is the joint traditional Cultural Performance held bi-annually, under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Brunei Darussalam and Thailand on cooperation in the field of Information and Broadcasting on Aug 16, 2001," he said.
"The project was considered interesting as it is a new area that can be explored by means of a joint production. Although the project is designed to be ‘radio led‘, television, however, can also be used as another medium to reach the audience."
Brunei Darussalam hosted the first "Alai Krathong" project in 2003, which broadcast live on two Radio Brunei Networks, ‘Nasional‘ and ‘Pilihan‘, and Radio Thailand on Aug 8, 2003.
"In 2005, the second ‘Alai Krathong was successfully hosted by Thailand and held in Chiangmai. It was broadcast live on both radio and television in Thailand on Saturday, June 11, 2005. Both ‘Nasional‘ and Pilihan Networks of Radio Brunei also relayed the broadcast live to Brunei Darussalam and was recorded for telecast on Brunei Television later."
Through ‘ Alai Krtathong‘, the love towards traditional and cultural art performances is truly strengthened, developed and exchanged between artistes of both countries and disseminated further to its people via its broadcast on the mass media through radio and television.
Media representatives were presented with two Thailand‘s songs.
Ak Hj Md Khairul Amilin Pg Hj Yahya sang "Rak Jing Ting Nung, while "Plern Plen Mambo" was sang by Brunei and Thai Singers.
During the ‘Alai Krathong‘ performance, Thai artistes like Jintara, Smith, Niyata, Wuthipat, Rungnapa, Krirerk and Chandinrath will be acting live on stage with Brunei singers such as Haslinda Mohd Taib, Rosman Masri, Ak Hj Khairul Amilin, Azizul Serbini Zulazmi Hj Mohin, Sri Nazrina Hj Johari and others.
The performance will be divided into a royal composition segment, folk songs and cultural segment, pop traditional segment, Brunei-Thai integration segment and so on.
Source: www.brunei-online.com (16 Agustus 2007)