Gathering of Tribes Borneo

Role

Festival Founder & Director

End-to-end production, brand, programming

Timeline

2013 — 2024

12 years of continuous building

Scale

20+ Countries

Practitioners from across 5 continents

Recognition

Government Supported

Ministry of Tourism Sarawak & BESarawak

10+

Countries represented
by international guest teachers

4

Years of Saturday commitments
at Salvation Army Boys Home

1

International ripple — a festival
inspired in Slovenia

The Origin

Built From Scratch in a City That Had Never Heard of It

Malcolm started Capoeira in Kuala Lumpur in 2005. When he returned to Kuching, Sarawak, there was no community waiting for him — so he built one. By the time the first Gathering of Tribes ran in 2013, there was already a real community behind it, and a network of international teachers who trusted him enough to make the trip to Borneo. The work wasn't event-first. It was community-first, for years, before any festival ever happened.

The personal side of this story — the 20 years of practice, the Saturday morning commitment at Salvation Army Boys Home, what it meant to build something from nothing — lives on the Community page →

2005

Capoeira Begins — Kuala Lumpur

Starts training under his teacher in KL. Discovers the art form, the community, and the philosophy behind it.

Mid 2012

Returns to Kuching — Builds from Zero

No Capoeira community exists in East Malaysia. Starts training sessions independently, recruiting students, building from the ground up as the region's only active instructor.

2012 — 2016

Salvation Army Boys Home

Committed to teaching underprivileged youth at the Salvation Army Boys Home every Saturday for four years — honouring a promise made to Major Mary, the home's officer, even after the government program that started it was cancelled within three weeks.

2013

First Gathering of Tribes Borneo

Launched the first annual festival — a Capoeira batizado and cultural exchange event bringing international guest teachers to Kuching for the first time. Word starts to spread.

2022 — 2024

Full International Festival & Retreat Format

The festival evolves into a multi-day immersive cultural retreat — combining Capoeira workshops with indigenous Sarawak experiences: rainforest excursions, native cuisine, traditional crafts, and local community immersion. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism Sarawak (2023) and BESarawak (2022). Practitioners travel from over 20 countries.

Legacy

International Ripple — Slovenia

The festival's reputation extends beyond Borneo. Practitioners who attended were later instrumental in establishing a similar festival in Slovenia — a direct continuation of what was built here.

Documentary

Building Capoeira in Borneo

One of Malcolm's teachers later came to Kuching and produced a short documentary — tracing how Capoeira took root in East Malaysia, the community that formed around it, and the four years spent teaching at the Salvation Army Boys Home.

Festival Archive

Every Year, Documented

Three years of footage — workshops, rodas, rainforest excursions, teacher recaps, and community moments. Click any video to watch inline.

Featured · 2022

Watch the 2022 Festival

2022 Gathering of Tribes Borneo: Capoeira Festival & Retreat 2022

Playlists

2023 · 14 Videos

GOT Borneo: Capoeira Festival & Retreat

Workshops · Recaps · Cultural Moments

Browse Videos

1

Sneak Peak of Gathering of Tribes Borneo: Capoeira Festival 2023