Kaamatan a feast of sights and sounds for foreigners

KOTA KINABALU: Italian David Disaro could not have picked a better time to be at the place he had heard so much about as he landed for a visit in the midst of the famed Kaamatan festival.

“I had wanted to come to Sabah for a very long time now, so when I found out there was this festival, I decided to come at the end of the month,” the 42-year-old from Venice said when met yesterday.

Disaro had always wanted to visit the Land Below the Wind after reading about it and hearing from those who had visited.

He was among thousands who thronged the cultural village at the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) grounds in Penampang, near here, at the height of the Harvest Festival on May 30 and 31.

Kaamatan is celebrated by the Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus communities throughout the month of May.

The cultural village features a variety of houses belonging to the many ethnic communities in Sabah, each having its own dances, food, customs and traditions.

Disaro, who works in the animation industry, said he had just travelled to Nepal and India and observed that his experience in Sabah was totally different.

“The people are very friendly and I really like the local culture.

“It’s amazing that you can concentrate the most important elements of this ancient culture in one place so that you can have a very intense experience and a lot of information,” he said.

But if there was one thing that bothered him, it was the blend of traditional and modern music.

“I think it’s a bit too much of a mix. It bothers me to hear (modern music) … To me, it’s disturbance. That’s the only thing I wish that’s different,” he added.

Adriana Dam (middle) trying her moves in the traditional dance by the Murut ethnic group.

Meanwhile, Adriana Dam was thrilled to have come to the cultural village at daytime.

“I came last week but during the night. I love that I get to see everything now,” said the 22-year-old marine biologist from the Netherlands.

Earlier, she was invited to join the dancers of the Murut ethnic group while she was watching their performance at Rumah Keningau (Keningau House).

“That was unexpected but so fun,” she said with a giggle.

Dam is on a three-month internship with the Marine Research Foundation in Sabah and is currently into her second month in the state.

She said she had taken the opportunity to immerse herself in Sabah’s vibrant and colourful celebration.

“The food is great and the people are nice. I haven’t tried the rice wine yet but I must do that.”