A creative passion for life BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost - New 2 Borneo |
- A creative passion for life
- The multi-talented Dewi Seriestha
- Message of peace and love from Planetshakers
- Night walk at Kubah National Park
| Posted: 16 Aug 2014 10:48 AM PDT by Joanna Yap, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on August 17, 2014, Sunday HENRY Ranggau Muda is a force to be reckoned with. At 73 years of age, this Iban artist and master craftsman is still going strong and at a pace which would leave many others half his age gasping for air as they try to keep up. Retirement has done little to slow this former teacher down. A lively man with a silver crown of hair and a ready smile, his twinkling eyes lit up with a fervent energy during a recent interview with thesundaypost as he spoke with passion about his art and the myriad of experiences which shaped his life. But for those who know him, this intensity comes as no surprise at all as it has been a character trademark of his for his whole life. Burgeoning artist Originally from Sri Aman, Henry came from a large family, so growing up, he hardly had anything to call his own. As a young lad, he learned very early how to make his own toys from whatever materials – usually items people no longer had use for – were in hand. One of the first things he made was a gasing (top) when he was eight years old. He was inspired to try after carefully observing an older man using a machete to fashion one using a method he had not seen before. All the tops he had before would break after a while, so this time, Henry was determined to create a gasing which would last a long time. He found a piece of belian (ironwood) half buried in the mud along the riverbank and managed to retrieve it. Painstakingly, he whittled the belian into the shape of a top, using an old knife blade his mother had thrown away but he had rescued. After soaking the rough top in mud to soften its hard outer layer, he patiently sandpapered its rough surface, using tree leaves, until it was as smooth and polished as glass. So focused was he on getting it just right that he would fall asleep polishing his top and begin polishing it again the moment he woke up. Today, aside from a few small scratches and dents, the top still looks as good as 65 years ago when he made it. Attention to detail In many ways, this simple story about how Henry made his first top still represents his whole philosophy and mindset in creating his art today — many decades later. He does not follow any guideline, letting his intuition and his creative muse guide his direction. He draws inspiration from everything around him – from the simple to the intricate – and prefers to take his time to appreciate, study and understand them all. His travels along the length and breadth of Sarawak have also allowed him to observe first-hand the traditional arts and woodcraft of the state and incorporate it into his work. For someone not adverse to picking up discarded wood and other items he sees as potential materials for his art projects, and bringing them home in his small jeep, Henry's small open-air workshop tucked next to his carporch, is neat and clean. Planks of wood, cardboard boxes and paint tins are stacked tidily on shelves and the floor is swept clean of woodshavings and sawdust. He knows where every tool and instrument is because everything has its proper place. He also remembers where and when he obtained them. He is not one to throw away anything which can be saved and used later. Pieces of wood can sit undisturbed in his workshop for years until the right purpose has been found for them. Some of them have been in his workshop for over two decades. "Look at this piece. Feel it. Look at that grain," he said as he brushed a thin layer of dust off the body of an unfinished guitar he has been working on. Some of the wood he uses were odds and ends rescued from a furniture factory he used to work at. Henry could not bear to see them thrown into the fire-pit, so he took them home with the permission of the factory owner. He candidly admits he has a number of works in progress, some which have been in progress for a number of years. Commissioned pieces tend to follow strict deadlines but when it comes to personal projects, the deadlines get a bit elastic. The journey – planned and unplanned scenic detours and all – is to be enjoyed as much as the end result. "I don't hurry when I do things. I take my time to enjoy it," Henry said as he laughed when asked how long does it take to complete an art piece. Master craftsman Although he has dabbled in many mediums such as photographs, bronze, clay and paintings, it is his wood carvings and sculptures that he is recognised and has won awards for. He knows wood and how to coax, tease and shape it to his bidding. He will not be intimidated by its size, hardness and shape. Yet, he also would not dictatorially impose his will on it as he feels every piece deserves to be respected, and so, will take as much time as he needs to ensure the best can be brought out of it. Henry's indepth knowledge of wood as an art medium as well as his fearlessness in bringing his visions to life was put to the test when he decided to enter into a state-level woodworking contest in 1989. Working with a single block of rengas, he sculpted a 26-inch high wood carving he called Naga Laut or sea dragon. It was the first time he had worked on such a large piece but it paid off. He won first place for the Iban artist category as well as for best overall. From then, he never looked back. Among the large pieces he has made was 16 mastheads about 38 inches in height each to grace the dragonboats for the Bintulu regatta in 1994, and a 12-foot long by 4.5-feet high Ukir Kerawang, depicting a hornbill for the 1994 Gawai Kenyalang Mardi Gras which is now housed in the Tun Jugah Foundation museum. One of Henry's most accessible art installations called Majestic Fury can be found along the Waterfront just opposite Hilton Hotel. Carved from solid belian, it was put up in 1993 and continues to draw much attention today, more than 20 years later, for its depiction of a hornbill in its feathered glory. His latest project took place earlier this year when he worked with Maori Tohunga Whakairo or master carver James Rickard on a 16-foot long belian wood carving of a hornbill which was presented to the state government upon completion. It took them five and a half days, at times working from 8am until 9pm to finish the art piece, using only hand tools. The single-minded focus and intensity Henry displayed from an early age continues to serve him well later in life. Cool uncle Presently, in between commissioned projects, he occupies his time making customised guitars. He uses mostly local wood like nyatoh. Each finished piece is kept on specially made shelves in his living room. While technically they are musical instruments, Henry approached making them with the same focus and attention-to-detail he has with his other art projects – and it shows. Everything – with the exception of the wiring, pickups and accessories – is made by hand. Like that first gasing he made many years ago, they are also made to last. He made his first guitar in 1995. If anything, Henry is the cool, fun, and slightly eccentric uncle whom all the nephews and nieces adore, and whom if you were not related to, kinda wished you were. One cannot help but get infected with his child-like enthusiasm for life and all the adventures it has to offer. Indeed, if anyone needs convincing evidence that age is just a number and life is one big adventure, Henry would be it. His love for life and willingness to take risks have led him along some unconventional but fulfilling paths. For thesundaypost, the clearest message it took away from the few short hours spent with him was that Life is to be Lived and you should never underestimate where you might go if you would just begin. Henry is a clear testament to that.   |
| The multi-talented Dewi Seriestha Posted: 16 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT HER goal is to be an artiste with knowledge, a good role model and a music lecturer. And lovely and multi-talented Dewi Liana Seriestha from Kuching has what it takes to get where she wants to go. This artiste of Bidayuh and Indonesian descent is not only a talented singer, composer and song writer all rolled into one but also an aspiring model and actress. Her repertoire comprises commercials, evergreens, oldies, country, jazz, keroncong and classical opera in English, Spanish, Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, Mandarin, Korean, Hindi, French, Japanese and Cantonese. She has written songs, acted in TV dramas and movies and competed in beauty pageants. After a podium finish at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood, Los Angeles, recently, she is now setting her sights on another biggie — the Miss Malaysia World 2014. "It was my toughest competition ever as I brought not only my country, Malaysia, but also my beloved state, Sarawak, to Los Angeles," she said of her WCOPA outing. " It was my first time in LA — up against 45 contestants. It was overwhelming! There are no words to describe the feeling when you raised the Malaysian flag. I felt proud to be Malaysian." Dewi won the gold medal for classical opera, three silver medals for contemporary, world music and variety category (vocal), a special accolade under Industry Award and a medal for classical champion of WCOPA. "Winning medals and awards for singing at the World Championships is the biggest achievement in my life," she enthused. Her talents were spotted early by his musical parents. Her father, Yudhi Seriestha, an Indonesian, not only plays the guitar and keyboard but also composes songs and writes TV drama scripts while her mother, Catherine Noep, is a Bidayuh — and a singer and song writer during her 20's. Yudhi first noticed her daughter's singing talents when she was barely two years old. "She came into my vocal training studio, picked up a microphone to sing a Malay song entitled Oh Ibu made popular by Mamat Exist. It happened in early 1991. "As she grew up, she became multi-talented, singing opera, classicals, pop, jazz as well as doing cat walks, acting and composing songs,"he said. As parents, Yudhi and Catherine have been deeply involved in every aspect of their daughter's life. Dewi made her singing competition debut in 1999 at 10, emerging champion in the Kuching Junior Karaoke contest before taking the Kuching-Samarahan Junior Star Talentine title. In 2005, she became the youngest finalist of the Season 1 MENTOR singing reality show, organised by TV3. She was only 16 then. In 2010, Dewi was a finalist in the World Championships of Performing Arts (Vocal) held at Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur. The following year (2011), she finished first and second runners-up respectively in the state and national level competitions, organised by Radio Television (RTM). "I can say I began singing seriously when I competed in Mentor. I was lucky to qualify for the final which bolstered my confidence to go farther in singing," she said. Dewi only started singing classical opera in 2011 while studying at the National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage (Aswara). "Classical opera is a compulsory subject for first year students. I wasn't into classical at that time because it was hard to sing or to perform the repertoire. "It was really new for me. But I managed to learn and eventually developed a love for classical opera. So I continued the classical opera subject in the second year. "It was really fun learning something you had never done in life," she said, adding that she learned classical opera from Syafinaz Selamat, one of her lecturers at Aswara. Dewi, who also plays the guitar, said although now more into classical opera, she still performs other genres such as pop. The first Malay numbers she composed were Kerinduan and Pria mana. In 2013, she recorded a song titled Bukan Matahari, composed by a recording company in Indonesia. However, the song has not been released yet. "I just finished recording the song for a drama soundtrack but don't when it will be released," she said. As a singer, Dewi has starred in many shows in peninsular Malaysia from 2006 and 2014 — among them, the launch and road tours of TV3's Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL); X-FRESH FM (Radio) road tour; MENTOR road tour; Agong's concert; Johor Jazz and the Sultan of Johor's Birthday Dinner; Korean Artiste Super Junior Concert and the Anugerah Lagu Johor final. From 2000 till now, she has featured in TV1, TV2, TV3, 8TV, TV9, TVi Music Aktif Astro shows which include items such as Christmas Concert, Extravaganza and New Year Concert. In Sarawak, she had performed at the Sarawak National Gawai Closing Celebration, Sarawak Chief Minister's Birthday Dinner at RTM Kuching in 2008, the Social Development Ministry's Dinner from 2008 to 2010 and the Centre for Modern Management Dinner in 2011 and 2013. Normally, Dewi allocates 30 minutes for vocal warm-up before starting her practice sessions. "I practise at least once a day before any show or competition. I normally practise vocal techniques and on the guitar when I have free time. "I practise, especially before shows or competitions — practice makes perfect," she said. Dewi has also learnt how to handle mistakes during a performance. "I try to regain my focus and smile. A smile on our face can cover everything," she reckoned. Dewi's idols include Christina Aquelera, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars while Melly Guslow is the composer she likes best. "I grew up with their songs and music. Every time I hear their songs, it reminds me of my childhood," she said. Dewi's first composition was Melodiku which can be found on youtube — Melodiku by Dewi Mentor. Her dad and his friend (Zizi), both professional musicians, played the acoustic guitar for that song. She has been composing during her free time since 2008. "I love to create my own melody, so whenever I am free, I will play and record the melody using phone for my own use in future," she said. Dewi has so far acted in a few TV dramas and movies. She was the lead actress in the 13-episode Malay drama titled Kembali, shown over RTM in 2009-10, and the second lead actress in the 13-episode Malay drama titled Nilai Cinta Diana, shown over RTM in 2011. She also acted in telemovies Patung Cinta TVi Astro and Games Chows Aqua Extreme for Malaka RTM in 2013. Dewi's interest in acting was kindled after reading a script from a film director in Kuala Lumpur who approached her in 2009. Although having acted in a few films, she acknowledged she still has a lot to learn. Dewi first got into modelling when she joined the Miss Fair & Lovely beauty pageant in 2010 where she finished first runner-up and walked away with a subsidiary title — Miss Talent 60s. Now, she is one of the 21 finalists of Miss Malaysia World 2014, scheduled on August 30. "I have always wanted to join Miss Malaysia World but did not pluck up the courage until recently. So I think 2014 is the time for me to shine," she said. Dewi, who loves doing charity, reading, shopping, travelling, going to the beach and sports, hopes to win the Miss Malaysia World 2014 crown because she wants to bring Malaysia to the world stage and help the less fortunate in every corner of the world. She is now doing her final year diploma in music (vocal classical) at Aswara. "The course I'm taking is something related to my hobby and interest and most importantly, my passion," she said. Although she likes singing most, Dewi said she remained committed to modelling and acting. "Singing is my passion ever since primary school. Now, I'm doing everything part time because I'm still studying. "I will give serious thoughts to all these after completing my studies. My ambition is to be a lecturer in vocals," she added. On acting, she said she would take up the offer to act in a film if the script was right. While acknowledging it wasn't easy to be a master of all trades, Dewi said she would try and use her talents — which she believes are gifts from God — to achieve something. She now lives Kuala Lumpur, having moved there in early 2006 to continue her studies in Form 4 and Form 5 and performing in shows during weekends. |
| Message of peace and love from Planetshakers Posted: 16 Aug 2014 10:43 AM PDT by Cecilia Sman, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on August 17, 2014, Sunday THE Planetshakers — world renowned Australian praise-and-worship band — set Miri alight during a two-hour live concert at the Miri Indoor Stadium on August 12. Over 3,500 people, mostly youths, including those from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and Kuching, Mukah, Bintulu, Sibu, Limbang in Sarawak thronged the venue for a night of contemporary Christian music and songs as well as stories of the band members' encounter with God. There were also healing prayers and readings from the Bible. The audience not only gave the thumbs-up to the show but also shared a common prayer with the band members, organisers and volunteers for world peace, and also for countries such as Iraq, Syria, Israel, Gaza and Ukraine to stop killing one another and be at peace with God. Multi-pronged goals This inaugural concert in Miri was organised by the state's Kelab Belia Kristian Berwawasan (KBKB) and Christian Youth Holistic Ministry, focusing on the holistic development of Christian youths. Organising chairman and KBKB founder and president Bennet Sali believed the objectives of the concert had been achieved, saying unity was evident when 100 youths from different churches and denominations volunteered to help ensure success for the event. "Thank God — the concert has brought together the youths and many families in the presence of God. Many leaders and churches now realise what we do best — to unite and work together to get the youths to know their real purpose in life as believers," Bennet added. He thanked the Planetshakers for encouraging the audience to make offerings during the concert. "Yesterday, we received RM122,602.40 in offerings. This fund will be used to hold similar events but focusing more on small groups in a camp or any activities that can bring the youths of today to know God's purpose in their lives," he said, and quoting from 1 Timothy 4:12, added: "The emphasis is on the youths to set an example for the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity." Bennet also thanked everyone, including thesundaypost, for helping to make the event a success. "The publicity given saw sales shoot up drastically in just two days," he noted. Before the concert, goods were also sold at the entrance to the stadium such as t-shirts of KBKB ministries and CD-DVD albums of Planetshakers, including their latest release Limitless. Comments and visions Planetskakers leader pastor Rudy Nikkerud and wife pastor Chelsi were very happy with the overwhelming response and open attitudes of Mirians and Malaysians from other parts of the country where they had been performing and conducting conferences. "The people are very open-minded. In Miri, especially, diversity in unity is evident and how I wished the world could emulate the people here who are living in harmony and peace. "My aim or the Planetshakers' vision is they might not remember our names but at least when they go back, they are empowered with God to make the difference in their world and take the love of God and show people true love," Nikkerud said. Grace Methodist Church Youth leaders, Oliver Wong from Sibu, and wife, Aarti Wong from Gujrat India, said the concert was very inspiring, adding that although live, it was actually an opportunity to praise God with all the different churches here. Aarti added that the world community needed to work seriously for peace in Iraq and Ukraine. "In these countries there is persecution and oppression and it's very sad, but here there is diversity in unity. We should also have more concerts like this to consolidate peace and harmony," she suggested. Petrus Lasong from BEM on the Rock and an ardent fan of the Planetshakers, said: "I'm very fortunate to be able to attend this live concert. I bought most of their albums and they are very inspirational." Volunteers Daisyaro Saga (Miri), Angeliana Gansa (Life Church Bintulu), Sandra Lunai Wan, Veronica George and Michelle Huang (students from Politeknik Mukah) said they had no regrets volunteering for the concert, pointing out that it's a call to serve God in a different capacity. |
| Night walk at Kubah National Park Posted: 16 Aug 2014 10:40 AM PDT by Vincent Wong. Posted on August 17, 2014, Sunday WITH the current warm and dry weather, there is no better place to spend a night than at Kubah National Park. Twenty-two Malaysian Nature Society members, their spouses and children descended upon Kubah National Park earlier this year. The night started with participants registering and being allocated accommodation. After a quick bite for dinner, all assembled for the introduction and briefing. Then off we went on the short climb (about 1km) towards the famed Frog Pond. Almost immediately we sighted numerous spiders by the roadside, then fish and prawns in the drain. Next we encountered the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher sleeping on a branch overhanging the road edge, barely two metres off the ground. We approached it very carefully and photographed it without flash from about a metre away. As the night was just barely cool, the bird did not puff itself up (blanket itself with its feathers) and we were able to capture minute details with a macro lens. Everybody observed the radiant colours with awe for quite a while. The bird kept calm and stayed put, as it could not see at night to fly. Moving on, we encountered more creatures of the night, including the tiny Microhyla nepenthicola frog. As it was not mating season, we only saw female and juvenile frogs. However, we saw many tadpoles in the Nepenthes ampullaria pitcher plant. This frog, though not the smallest in the world, is close to it. This makes looking for them difficult except for those with experience since the larvae are barely the size of a regular ballpoint pen tip. We had to make very sure we did not step on any of these tiny frogs by using our bright lights as we inched back. The famous Frog Pond lived up to our expectations. Frogs were everywhere, on the plank walk, trees around the plank walk and in the pond. We were very excited when we saw four Wallace Flying frogs. It was indeed an exciting frog watching evening. The Malaysian Nature Society |
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