Bandar Seri Begawan - Six locals will soon be attending the Sabah Gambus Festival 2007 to demonstrate their support for the Association of Brunei Community in Sabah (PMBS), which is organising the annual traditional Brunei musical fiesta.
Led by Chairman of the Affiliation of Drama, Television Entertainment and Creative Artists (GAPHAR) Pg Shahminan Pg Hj Ismail, the six were invited over by PMBS President Datuk Haji Yusoff bin Datuk Panglima Hj Mohd Kassim, permanent secretary at the Sabah Ministry of Finance.
Scheduled to take place at the New Community Hall in Papar from July 28 to 29, the festival is held in collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board.
Their attendance underscores another mission accomplished by the Sabah Bruneian Community to popularise the traditional music of Brunei in the region through the introduction of this annual festival in 2000.
This is in addition to bringing to life the forgotten traditional cultural heritage of the community, which is the third largest with some 400,000 members in Sabah, after the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) and Bajau communities.
The two-day cultural event will feature various cultural activities and competitions.
Pg Shahminan said the first day of the festival will start with a pencak silat competition involving representatives from nearly 20 branches of PMBS in Papar, Bongawan, Sipitang, Membakut, Beaufort, Kota Kinabalu and the Sandakan sub-community.
This will be followed by a gulintangan competition, which will be officiated by Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Karim Bujang.
"The highlight will be on the second day, where a gambus competition will be held involving the champion groups from the said seven zones," he said, adding that there will also be an exhibition to display the various cultural and traditional musical instruments, handicraft, garment and food of the community.
"There will also be a food tasting event on 20 types of traditional dishes of the Bruneian Sabah community.
"The public will also be invited to take part in the Bruneian zapin dance to be performed there," he said.
Source: www.brudirect.com (26 Juli 2007)