Sabah's indigenous peoples celebrate their colourful past and present in festivals of music, dance and food that are uniquely theirs. All the major religions of the world are practiced here and this blend of religious and cultural celebrations mixes so brilliantly to create an atmosphere of harmony and unity with an unmistakable Sabah flavour and charm.
Pesta Kaamatan
Most native Sabahans consider rice to be more important than just the main staple food. There is a certain sacredness attached to it, for it is a food given to them by Kinoingan, the Almighty Creator so that his people should never want for food. He sacrificed His only daughter- Huminodun and from her body parts, padi (rice) grew. This was Kinoingan's ultimate act of benevolence and to this day, His people repay the deed by conducting various ceremonies to honour Bambaazon, the spirit of Huminodun as embodied in rice.
The most well-known of these is Pesta Kaamatan or Harvest Festival which begins on the first of May and celebrated throughout Sabah. Of major importance to this thanksgiving ceremony is the Magavau - a ritual to invite Bambaazon to the Pesta and is conducted only by the Bobohizan or high priestess. Festivities cannot proceed without the presence of Bambaazon and it is through Magavau that the Rice Spirit is invoked.
In the past, Magavau was conducted in the padi fields on the first full moon night after the harvest. A party of Bobohizan led by the foremost senior, would weave a slow procession through the fields chanting prayers to Bambaazon. A male warrior would walk ahead of this group waving a sword in the air, to ward off any evil that might try to disrupt the ritual. The food offered must be of the best quality. When the spirits come, only the Bobohizan will be able to feel their presence. The spirits will find, neatly laid out for them on banana leaves, the choicest chicken meat, eggs, betel leaves and pinang (areca nut), tobacco and kirai ("rollie"). The finest tapai or rice wine is offered to the spirits.
Regatta Lepa Semporna
The Sabah East Coast Bajau community has a unique lifestyle. In their dialect, lepa means "boat". The lepa is usually made of Ubar Suluk or Red Seraya wood. The lepa is a cultural legacy inherited by the people from many generations ago. The existence of lepa is believed to originate from the fishing community who live in Bum Bum Island and used by the Pa'alau people along the coast of Semporna.
The Regatta Lepa has been celebrated every year since 1994 to commemorate the Bajau tradition of building these splendid boats. Semporna comes to life as the colourful sails take to the sea to compete for the prize of the most beautiful lepa. This is judged based on its decoration, local ethnic music and dances performed on board, sambulayang (sails) and tapis-tapis (small flags).
Other attractions include sea sports such as rowboat, sailing and kelleh-kelleh (small dugout boat) competitions, lepa tug of war, children swimming and duck catching competition. A colorful cultural night performance put on by this community is certainly not to be missed.
Visit Semporna and witness this spectacular annual event of the Bajau community in Sabah!
