014Regatta Lepa

posted by Daniel on April 18th, 2008

The colours of Borneo; there be many,
Worthy of the rainbow painter’s envy,
Different strings though we were drawn,
The bloodhood of Borneo affirms our bond.
Our colours be many, but our roots correspond.

During this painted month of April,
See the spectrum of our people,
Travel forth to the East Coast of Sabah,
And witness the colourful Regatta Lepa,
An event traditional, uniquely of Sabah.

The Bajau people of Sabah’s East Coast,
Will celebrate again, in Semporna they host,
The festival in which they race their boats,
Their colourful and ornately decorated boats,
Seafarers will boast, the winner shall get the most.

But the regatta is not the only event,
Since many aspects this festival present,
See further into its beauty,
And soon you will start to see,
That this event is a pageantry above the sea.

They deck their *Lepas for judges to see,
Banners and sails, in art’s high degree,
Dancers and musicians in choreography,
Showing spectators their culture’s symphony,
It’s a pageantry above the sea, and the boats are the “beauty”.

If your enjoyment is still not sate,
Rest easy; other attractions await,
They have competitions such as tug-of-wars,
Only they do it with boats and oars,
And when the day is late, cultural performance in scores.

Now I bid to you honourable visitors,
To come and see this with your brothers and sisters,
This cultural spectacle, only once a year,
To miss this event will verily be dear,
So inform your housekeepers; come and see it this year!




*Lepa (plural: Lepas) : A single masted sailing boat which is usually made of Ubar Suluk or Red Seraya Wood. It is an ancient legacy which originates from fishing community inhabiting the coast of Semporna and the Bum-Bum Islands has long been the focal point of Lepa making. (Source from http://regattalepa.sabahtourism.com/2008/)

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