Kitaro mesmerises with ageless hits at Rainforest music fest

GRAMMY award winner Kitaro was the big draw at this year's Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, drawing fans from as far as Brazil.

Sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin were also in the audience on Friday.

The thousands of other festival-goers, who packed the 7ha Sarawak Cultural Village at the foot of the Gunung Santubong, where the RWMF has been staged every year since its debut in 1997, were not disappointed by his performance of "Matsuri," "Silk Road," and "Caravansary" in the two-hour show.

“A powerful and spiritual festival,” was how Kitaro described his first performance in the outdoor setting.

In a pre-show media conference, Kitaro said his music was inspired by nature.

Born in Toyohashi in the coastal Aichi Prefecture, he said his childhood was full of natural sounds.

“(It was) like living with nature, hearing the birds sing, the wind blowing, and other symphonies of nature. That is what comes through in my music,” the 71-year-old said.

It is rare to hear vocals in Kitaro's music, but he surprised everyone at the end of his show with a song for “all the friends that I have lost.”

His rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" was moving; some in the audience could be seen wiping tears from their eyes.

“That was so powerful,” said Lim Wei Wen, a fan from Kuala Lumpur.

While bowing to the crowd that was chanting his name, Kitaro said he hoped to return next year.

“We would like to come back,” he said.

Other performers in the line up were Nisa Addina + Tribal Tide,  The Colours of Sounds, Ensemble Melayu Nusantara, The Borneo Collective, Belle Sisoski, and Rhythm Rebels featuring Selonding Bali Aga. – June 30, 2024.