Cooperating with This Year's Sarawak Dayak Harvest Festival Celebration: Unique Traditional Cultural Competition Grandly Held in Miri

(Miri, 20th) In celebration of the 2025 Sarawak State-level Dayak Harvest Festival, a unique traditional cultural competition will be grandly staged at 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 12, at the main hall of the Malaysian Indigenous Peoples Union Building in Miri. The competition will gather the essence of the inland ethnic cultures of Sarawak, combining the "Datun Julut Dance" with the live ensemble performances of traditional Sape music.

The organizers held the second organizing committee meeting yesterday to further finalize the details of the competition and to finalize the registration forms for public release shortly. The meeting was chaired by the Traditional Sape Music Competition Committee Chairman, community leader Augustine Supen Taja, on behalf of Dato Dennis Ngau, co-chairman of the Dayak Traditional Carnival.

This year, the competition adopts a "synchronized live dance and music performance" format for the first time. Each participating team must consist of 8 female dancers and 2 Sape players, collectively presenting a spectacular 5-minute performance that showcases the unique charm of inland ethnic cultures.

The competition is open to all Malaysian citizens and foreign friends aged 18 and above. Participants must submit their complete registration forms by 7:00 PM on Monday, May 26, 2025. A briefing for participants will also be held on the same day, detailing the rules and requirements of the competition.

The competition offers generous prizes, covering both Datun Julut Dance and Sape Music categories:
Datun Julut Dance Contest Awards:
Champion: RM5,000

Sape Music Contest Awards:
Champion: RM3,000

The main purpose of this cultural competition is to promote and preserve the traditional inland dance—Datun Julut—and the authentic Sape music melodies, such as the classic compositions det diet, sai ulai, and dak doh, among others. The highlight of the competition lies in the dancers and musicians working closely together as a team to showcase the holistic beauty of culture on stage.

This event not only provides cultural associations and community leaders with an opportunity to think about traditional culture preservation strategies but also builds a platform for young people who aspire to learn traditional arts to learn and inherit.

The traditional dances and music of the inland tribes and the broader Dayak community are precious cultural tourism assets of Sarawak, possessing high cultural value.

The judging panel for this year's Traditional Sape Competition is impressive, featuring heavyweight figures in the Sape world, including Sape legend Matthew Ngau and master Sape teacher Penghulu Galong Danie.

The organizers warmly welcome all people of Sarawak, Malaysian citizens, and international friends to actively participate in this cultural competition or attend as spectators to celebrate this Dayak Traditional Carnival.

For any inquiries, please contact:
Datun Julut Dance Competition Committee:
Ms. Dominica Lucia Tingang: +6019-8841949

Sape Music Competition Committee:
KK Augustine Supen Taja: +6019-8578064