KUCHING: Names like Jerry Kamit and Elizabeth Bungan are among the many famend musicians when it comes to sape or sampe, which is the normal lute of the Orang Ulu neighborhood, specifically the Kenyah and Kayan, in Sarawak.
For a younger sape player, Nikita Sarna, 11, the youngest performer on the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2022, Jerry has at all times been her idol in sape trade, therefore, she hoped to open a sape class someday so as to chase her dream to turn out to be knowledgeable musician, following Jerry’s and Elizabeth’s footsteps.
“In the subsequent few years, I dream of opening my very own sape class, similar to my trainer Hallan Hashim. I’m trying ahead to having the ability to do this.
“My first idol in sape is Jerry Kamit. My cousin launched me to Hallan Hashim who’s now my trainer. He is the one who informed me about Alena Murang (Sarawak’s internationally-recognised sape player) and now I can not consider that I’m truly taking part in sape alongside Alena,” she informed Bernama not too long ago.
Nikita, or higher identified as Niki, mentioned she is honoured to give you the chance to carry out in RWMF on the identical stage as Alena as the younger woman has at all times been amazed by Alena’s sape taking part in abilities.
Alena, who’s of Kelabit and Italian-English parentage, can also be a singer-songwriter.
“This is our first collaboration and I knew her once I was 9 years outdated and I’ve been obsessive about how she performed it ever since, the way it appeared so calm and delightful.
“RWMF is enjoyable and that is my first time performing in entrance of a big crowd such as this. I’m blissful but extraordinarily nervous to carry out right here,” she mentioned.
Nikita, who’s of Kayan and Punjabi parentage, mentioned that she picked up the sape when she was eight years outdated, after watching a YouTube video clip at a Christmas household gathering and immediately fell in love with the magical sounds of the normal lute.
The Selayang-born who moved to Miri on the age of seven mentioned she is grateful as her dad and mom have been very supportive of her dream to play sape and enchant the viewers along with her abilities.
Nikita will flaunt her sape abilities on the spotlight of RWMF 2022 tonight alongside different native and worldwide artists such as Alena Murang, Tima Vaananen of Finland, Yayi Cai (China) and Flame of the Forest (Singapore). – Bernama
