Malaysia

TD Orchestra has partnered with At Adau, a band based in east Malaysia in the state of Sarawak. At Adau was founded in 2014 as a way of spreading the word about the sape, a traditional local instrument that was originally used as a medicinal tool. This concept, “Music That Heals,” is rooted in the cultural identity and heritage of Sarawak.

 

Furthermore, the ecosystem of Sarawak is deeply tied to the cultural identity of locals. Sarawak is a tribal society, and each member of At Adau comes from a different tribe. At Adau strives to demonstrate how music and the sape can bring together Sarawak and its many different tribes.

 

TD Orchestra will be spreading the word about “Music That Heals” through its global network; we are currently looking to make a documentary (in collaboration with Malaysia TV Services, the largest TV network in Malaysia) about the making of the sape and At Adau’s identity in the context of TD Orchestra’s global community. Furthermore, TD Orchestra and At Adau will perform together, in Malaysia, the US, and elsewhere. We are thinking of having TD Orchestra perform in the Rainforest World Music Festival, an annual festival and workshop held in Sarawak every summer. At Adau has performed in the festival numerous times in the past, but an orchestra has never played in the festival before.