Wordsmiths of Kuching (WoK) will be presenting a multidisciplinary performance with a Sarawakian flair for KLYLAF 2022. As the general theme is ‘No Invitation Necessary’, our performance will be titled ‘Pemung Jae’ which means ‘Gathering of Friends’ in the Kenyah language. It is also the title of a traditional Kenyah folk song that speaks of being together with friends.
Friends need no official invitation to be in our lives. They are already part of us, in our gatherings of lives. WoK will be exploring this theme in the spoken word. The performance itself will also express this in a casual set up.
There will be four performers. Lofrine Layam, a singer-songwriter and musician, will be playing the contemporary version of ‘Pemung Jae’ with the sape, the traditional Orang Ulu musical instrument. Maclean Patrick and Celine Tiang, both poets of WoK, will present a spoken word piece written specifically for this occasion accompanied by the melody. Throughout the entire performance, Angelina Bong, poet and visual artist will be doing live painting at the side with the music and words as her muse.
The performance duration is about 15 minutes, are child-friendly and will be recorded prior to the event.
Wordsmiths of Kuching (WoK) is a group of storytellers, performance poets, spoken word artists and those interested in bringing their page to the stage. WoK has been around since 2014, holding regular in-house events before the pandemic hit, and has since branched out into areas such as writing chapter poems and commissioned pieces. The performers for KLYLAF 2022 comprised of Angelina Bong, Celine Tiang, Lofrine Layam and Maclean Patrick.
