Kenyah dancer and musician Salomon Gau will perform to the hypnotic sounds of the sapeh during the concert. – Picture courtesy of Malaysia Philharmonic Chinese Orchestra
Apart from the Sounds of Nature, the concert will feature The Terra Cotta Warriors by Peng Xiuwen , The Red Plum Capriccio by Wu Houyuan and Tang Resonating by Ng Cheuk-yin . “We wanted to study the culture of the Kenyah Kayan tribe since the sapeh music is from them,” Yii told“The soundscape we collected is an element in the piece where we transformed sapeh techniques into classical music.”
Salomon Gau, a celebrated Kenyah dancer and musician will be performing the sapeh and singing in his native language, in full traditional garb no less, offering audiences a visual treat. “I learned through studying and training from old audio tapes and CDs of our well-known elders from Baram,” he said.