IT was in 2016 that the Anugerah Muzik Dayak (AMD) or Dayak Music Awards was last held. As it is a biennial event, the next one should be in 2018 but partly due to several factors it wasn’t held.
My last appointment in DAMA or Dayak Artistes and Musicians Association was as publicity chief and have been so since 2008, the first time the music awards were held under the auspices of the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In 2016 AMD, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing (now deceased), who officiated at the event, invited a dangdut icon from Indonesia Cita Citatata who performed beyond expectation at the Borneo Convention Centre.
Helmed by Datuk Snowdan Lawan, DAMA was officially registered in 2010 where the baton of leadership was passed from Tan Sri Celestine Ujang Jilan to Snowdan during an event at the Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre (CEWC) at Jalan Stampin in Kuching here.
There were some efforts for the main players to reconnect to see to it the event in 2018 got through but it became futile for some reasons and no one was to be blamed. Then came the pandemic when lockdowns started on March 18, 2020. And the fact that our chairman Snowdan was given extra responsibility to be deputy minister in the State Cabinet added further obstacles to the next AMD. For that matter, I lost contact with the main committee.
Some people have asked me for information on the next AMD but I have nothing to tell them. I have not been in contact with Snowdan as well as our last organising chairman Brown Sang Lagan and other officials since the lockdown in 2020. For that matter, I am sure a lot has changed in the local Dayak music industry and thus requiring the need for recognition.
So, this requires an urgent need for such an awards event to lend credence to efforts by our Dayak artistes, composers and other industry players in making possible such productions. This will further encourage more efforts in the future, thus ensuring a progressive Dayak music industry.
Looking back at my more than a decade of involvement in DAMA, I am proud to have known and befriended the late Ujang, whom I knew since the late 90s when he was the housing minister. By the time in 2008 when the first music awards were held, Ujang had been in contact with me due to Elvis Presley’s music whereby he lent his support to our various gigs since 2004.
Besides Ujang, I came to know a few other individuals via AMD/DAMA such as Snowdan, Jimmy Adit (now deceased), Datin Senorita Linang, Dr Alim Impira, Brown Sang Lagan, Dr Eli Luhat, Wilfred Vincent Ragam (twice Elvis Presley of Sarawak titleholder), and Marveyn Datuk Seri Daniel Tajem among others.
At the same time, I came to know some of our famous Dayak artistes such as Isa Lee, Maxwell Franklin Saran, Jennifer Jack, Melissa Francis, Leezwita Ripin, Claudia Geres and younger sister Carrie Geres (both award winners daughters of lead guitarist Jimmy Geres whom I also know well), Winnie Albert, Roziana Urai, Karen Libau and some other artistes. These last three were multiple winners in their respective categories since 2008. Apart from these, I also came to know three lifetime winners namely Esther Bayang (2010), Christopher Kelly (2014) and Antonio Djawi (2016). In fact, in 2016 I received the award presented by Masing on behalf of Antonio as he was not able to come.
Undertaking as publicity chief was no easy task. One has to be present in all meetings and adhere to a strict schedule to comply. Nevertheless, I managed to thrive and found I enjoyed moving around, meeting people and getting to know them better.
It is this last part, namely in getting to know people better an item that surpasses other matters. Be they concerning the Dayak music industry or other matters, I appreciated the cooperation from all parties concerned including VIPs invited to officiate at the AMDs comprising Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu when he was invited to officiate at AMD 2010 in Deta Putra Hall UNIMAS, Tan Sri William Mawan in 2012 and Masing in 2016. All had given their utmost cooperation to me as the publicity chief and made the job much easier than expected.
So we have missed the opportunity to reconnect as there were no AMD 2018, 2020 and 2022. My ideal hope is for us to relink and have one in 2024. This is for the better future of the Dayak music industry.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
