Ahhh Melaka. Any place that can inspire a 60s rock song about a kereta lembu (bullock cart) has got to be awesome.

Kereta Lembu by Helen Velu. The lyrics go: Kereta lembu/dari Melaka/ditarik oleh/lembu perkasa… Oh kereta lembu/rodanya dua/jalannya tak laju/satu jam sebatu. Careful: if you listen to this song, you will be smiling all day and you won’t be able to get it out of your head.

Of course there’s also that business of being the location of one of the oldest Malay sultanates, and much more recently, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s about to get more awesome this weekend, when over 50 local and international artists get together for Sama-sama Guesthouse Mini Alternative Art Festival (SGMAAF) 2010. I speak to festival directors Kok Siew Wai and Yong Yandsen about how they brought this baby to life on zero budget, maximum love.

Sharon Chin: This festival is going to take over the entire Sama-sama Guesthouse for 3 days. How did you guys find this place and convince the owner to let you do this?

Siew Wai: We first stayed here in 2006 on recommendation of an artist friend. At the time it was owned by a husband and wife team who also lived in the guesthouse. Now it’s owned by Mr Lim (better known as Yak Sa), a Melaka resident who also owns a couple of other guesthouses. The moment we got there we instantly felt this laid-back, relaxed, kind of hippie vibe.

Later we found out it was previously an opium house, and that area was the opium and gangster district.

Mr Lim is pretty easy-going. He didn’t even really read the proposal we wrote! We just told him what we had in mind and he was open to our ideas. Before this, he used to have film screenings regularly at Sama-sama.

SC: How about organizing the festival, was it as laid-back as the venue and the owner? Heh.

Siew Wai: No! It’s very intense. There’s over 50 artists participating, some from overseas. Me and Yandsen had to split the care of them up between just the two of us.

Some artists are using the rooms to install their artwork, so they are staying there free. Others can camp around the guesthouse if they bring their sleeping bags. Not only is Sama-sama sponsoring a full 4 days use of the guesthouse, Mr Lim also approached Karabau [Kerbau – geddit? – SC] Rock Bar on our behalf to sponsor the music performances at night.

Besides venue sponsorship, it’s a no budget festival. We’re being driven by the generosity and spirit of the artists!

SC: You organize events regularly as part of SiCKL (Studio in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur) collective. What’s the difference between putting together something like this in Melaka compared to KL?

Siew Wai: I feel like Melaka people are more open minded, it’s easier to actually meet and connect with people from all over the world. It reminds me of the artist community in Ubud, Bali – local culture mixing easily with visiting ones.

Yandsen: For me, Melaka is really different. All sorts of things can be happening simultaneously and co-exist harmoniously. I’ve seen mosques located very close to chinese temples. There seems to be less ‘pantang’ about differences in culture and ideology. I was amazed that during every single Azan, it’s the custom for everybody to turn down the volume on their TV or radio, even if they’re in their own homes! This is the culture of respect that’s shown in the community. Most residents say: this is 1 Malaysia. We’ve been having it for a long time, it’s not a new thing.

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Sama-sama Guesthouse Mini Alternative Art Festival 2010 will be from 6 – 8 August 2010.

Location: Sama-sama Guesthouse, Jalan Tukang Besi and Karabau Rock Bar, Jalan Hang Lekir (3rd Street), Melaka.

Organizer: Studio in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (SiCKL)

Sponsors: Sama-sama Guesthouse, Voyage Travellers Lounge, Karabau Rock Bar

Contact: kokbuffalo AT yahoo DOT com / yandsen AT yahoo DOT com (012-9198031)

For more info, visit the SGMAAF 2010 blog.

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PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

Mini Opening Ceremony @ Sama-sama Guesthouse: 6 Aug, 6pm

Visual Arts & Performances @Sama-sama Guesthouse: 6 – 8 Aug, 3 – 9pm

Live Music @ Karabau Rock Bar: 6 & 7 Aug, 9 – 11pm

For the full programme schedule, click here!

(SC)

Images courtesy of SGMAAF 2010.