Over the past few years, country music has become hip in Siniawan, near Kuching, a centuries-old cowboy town where social and economic construction have surrounded its transition to the heart of Malaysia’s country music.
The genre, being a musical bulwark in Sarawak, can be credited to the foursome of the fervour for this music: an audience that is young and old, bands with a chassis built on country, an enterprising business community and the backing of the government.
As the fans relish tales of love and loss, trucks and tequila, beers and bust-ups and little towns, the musicians are motivated to channel country with stories and tunes aplenty, healing achy-breaky hearts and rousing crowds to sing along to every single word of “Jolene” or “9 to 5”.
In tourism, an identity is crucial and the Sarawak government has shown how popular culture can be central to the transformation of a rural place.
In the case of Siniawan in the Bau district, about 25km from Kuching, with a population of about 3,600 people – a mix of Chinese, indigenous Bidayuh and Malay – it is about how it has become known for, and has been reshaped in relation to music.
For the business community, SCMF has provided a zeal to use music festivals to develop tourism marketing strategies and to meet communal challenges.
On Sunday, Siniawan’s OnStrings band will be here to play a whole rodeo of country songs, making their maiden appearance in the peninsula at the Malaysian Country Music Festival and Awards (MCMFA).
There’s perhaps no one better to tell the story of the region’s incredible relationship with country music than Joe Bladae, the founder and leader of OnStrings.
All together in cowboy town
Bladae said the government’s commitment to diversity, tolerance and solidarity, “always giving love the upper hand”, has been key to the success of SCMF and the heritage town’s distinctiveness.
SCMF offers free entrance to fans and has become the leading event of its type in Malaysia. It attracts thousands of visitors annually and a record turnout is expected this year from September 27-29.
The beer festival, Oktoberfest, is held at the same time as SCMF with the full support of the authorities, unlike in Peninsular Malaysia where the German cultural celebration has become a heated issue.
According to Bladae, the idea for SCMF came about following the desire of the townsfolk to make Siniawan a big tourist attraction. “The fact that the town maintains its cowboy and country character was a big start.”
Government and community leaders, local council representatives, musicians and entrepreneurs joined hands and the first open-air SCMF at the famous night market was held in 2016, with sideshows like arm wrestling and fans wearing pointed boots and wide-brimmed hats.
Bladae said bands including OnStrings, Hi-Breed and the now-defunct OTR (Old Tondong Road) performed at the first carnival in a merriment of country music in all its variations.
It was as if the performers were echoing Brad Paisley in “This Is Country”: “It ain’t hip to sing about tractors, trucks, little towns or Mama / Yeah that might be true / But this is country music and we do.”
Last year, Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh, who has ensured the continuity and success of SCMF year after year, donned his cowboy hat to kick off the sixth edition, performing country music for the first time with his band the Skinning Project.
“Today, Siniawan is no longer isolated and SCMF has become the biggest and the most popular country music event in Malaysia,” said Bladae.
The people of Siniawan are happy that the growing involvement of tourism authorities, promotional companies and other businesses has benefitted the local economy, with nearly a million ringgit in revenue generated last year.
SCMF will be held on a larger scale, with more performers from outside Sarawak after the Siniawan Waterfront is completed.
Jude Singho, the leader of the Os Pombos band that has performed at SCMF, noted that the state of country music in Sarawak was stronger than in the peninsula.
He said it was not a new phenomenon as even during the band’s early days at Longhorn pub in Damansara Utama, they had a large following of Sarawakians as their regulars.
“We later learned that they grew up with country music, especially those from the highland areas like Bario, where many of the local cowboys there come from,” he said.
Going down country road
OnStrings was formed in 1998, playing rock and pop, but after some personnel changes, the group hitched a ride on the country music wagon in 2016.
“We went country because it is more relaxing and has a different feel from the other genres,” said Bladae, a guitarist and vocalist.
Besides Bladae, the other members of the band today are Boi (lead guitar and vocals), Jesica Jes (female vocalist), Nikki (bass), Leslie (drums), Lawrence (steel guitar, fiddle, harp and mandolin), Jay Jay (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Buyen Tony (keyboards).
“We are confident our brand of country will impress the audience at MCMFA and hope that the organisers will invite other musicians from Sabah and Sarawak next year,” said Bladae.
He said the active country musicians in Sarawak include Hi-Breed, Country Road Band, Mountain Wind and soloist Peter Engkasan.
Asked why country music is popular in Sarawak, he said: “Country music started in every church and chapel because majority of the people here are Christian, especially the Dayaks.
“Most of the hymns are basically country that the young and old sing during Sunday mass and worship events.
“Country music is popular in Sarawak among those in their 30s and above, while the young generation prefer pop, dangdut and other new genres.
“Further, most Sarawakians speak English, are open in their thinking and socialise as a habit.”
On his affection for country tunes, he said: “Every song has a story with simple words, easy to remember. For me, it’s relaxing, especially with a chilled beer.”
Saddle up
Malaysian Country Music Festival and Awards
When: Sept 8 (Sunday) at 6pm
Where: Horizon Hall, Menara BAC, 52, Jalan Utara, Section 52, Petaling Jaya.
Performers: Os Pombos band, the OnStrings, Lyia Meta, the Thompsons Country Band and the duo of Raymond Chia and Mark Renesh.
Organiser: The country music division of the Malaysian Artistes’ Association (Karyawan) and supported by FMT in aid of the Malaysian Association for the Blind.
Tables for the gala are available at RM10,000, RM5,000, RM3,000 and RM1,200 (inclusive dinner). Loose tickets are also available on a first come, first served basis. For bookings, send a WhatsApp message to 03-4031 7666.