KUCHING: Kan'id, the largest group to grace the stage at the 11th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) this year, is performing with a mission.

Eager to preserve the musical heritage of the Kelabit indigenous group, the 12-member band is poised to take its brand of music worldwide.

"Hopefully, it will be able to emerge as the unifying factor for Sarawak and ultimately, Malaysia," said band representative, Nikki Lugun, at the Santubong Resort near here on Friday.

Comprising young musicians, aged between 14 and 22, "kan'id" means cousins in Kelabit, which is one of the native languages of the Orang Ulu tribes.

Originally known as Anak Adi' Rurum (meaning young children), the group's repertoire is largely influenced by the ancestral songs of the Kelabits (originating from central Borneo), passed down through generations in their large extended families.
"We are part of the Orang Ulu community, which now comprises 4,500 members in Borneo.

"Kan'id is playing merely a fraction of the rich musical heritage of the Kelabits," said Lugun.

Last night, the group took centre stage with its performance at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong.

Kan'id has performed at the festival three times between 2003 and 2007.

They performed songs from their self-titled debut album, which was launched at the Santubong Resort on Friday, mesmerising audiences with their unique blend of musical skills.

The audience was largely made up of visitors from the United States, Australia, Europe and Indonesia.

"Our music is a fusion of different genres, including ambient music and rock.

"Over the years, we have managed to incorporate our core sounds with individual musical influences," said band member Alena Lipang Ose Murang, 19, who is studying in Britain.

She said the band's biggest hurdle was to get together as some of the members were based in different countries.

"Our paths never crossed until two weeks ago, when we started rehearsing for the festival," said Alena.

The three-day RWMF 2008 kicked off on Friday night amid a downpour in the lush virgin forest of Santubong.

Other performers include Beltaine (from Poland), Sheldon Blackman and The Love Circle (from Trinidad and Tobago) and Adel Salameh (from Palestine).

The world-renowned music festival also includes music workshops and mini showcases at various venues of the festival ground.

For the first time, the festival was opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife, Datin Paduka Seri Jeanne Abdullah on Friday night.