KUCHING: At Adau aims to inspire the next generation on the importance of preserving culture through traditional music.
The seven-member band is thus encouraging more bands to keep performing traditional music and staying creative while at it.
At Adau in an interview with New Sarawak Tribune said this after their performance at St.Joseph’s Private School’s Rhythm of Colour Concert on Saturday (Aug 6).
The group consists of seven musicians – Meldrick Bob and Lian Ngau who are both their band leaders, Clement, who is their bassist, Luke and Ezra, who both play the sape and Cedric who plays the guitar and Alfanso who plays the percussion.
All of them hold their own jobs off the stage but the band At Adau underscores their passion for performing.
Meldrick Bob explained that the band’s reason for performing is to share a story behind At Adau, that it’s been a ‘call’ to make traditional music cool for the younger generation.
“Specifically for tonight, we want to open the children’s mind that traditional music can be cool.To inspire them, to be more open for creativity.
“We were just a bunch of youngsters who wanted to play music and we wanted to bring it to another level”, he said.
He was referring to the time when they first started eight years ago, when they were much younger.
Lian Ngau said when they were playing on stage at the St. Joseph’s Private School’s Rhythm of Colour Concert, they played some of the instruments which belonged to the students.
“We wanted to show them, what you have now can be very big.
“We started as just three of us, all we had was a sape and a guitar – we started somewhere.
“We started in a car, and we went to play in a quiet place. The songs we played last night were written from that place.”
At Adau will be having its own concert in October and the concert will be about At Adau’s journey and how it all started.
When asked about the band’s hopes after the At Adau Concert, Lian Ngau said they hope more local bands can come up with something big, not just small gigs.
“Work together and we hope that we will have a lot of concerts.
“The impact from the concert will inspire more people to come for more concerts.”
He said that it will be a challenge for them as a band, because every time they perform at festivals, people may be just coming for the festivals and not necessarily for them.
“The concert idea was sparked by a curiosity within the band”, he said.
