Wednesday 13 June 2012
Menora
Menora
Menora is seen only in
Kelantan. This dance drama is believed to have developed in Thailand about
2,000 years ago, was introduced to Kelantan during the second half of the
nineteenth century.
It is a dance drama
portraying Buddhist Jaataka stories, is characteristically Thai but has been
accultured into the Malaysian milieu.
It is performed by an
all-male cast who also assume female roles. Adventures dating from
ancient folklore are enacted by slow rhythmic movements of legs, arms and
fingers. An orchestra of drums,
gongs, scrape instruments and the serunai, a Malay oboe, provides the music.
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Traditional Instruments part 2
Rebab
The rebab is
the most important bowed lute in Malays folk music. It is the main melodic
instrument in the mak yong (a popular local tune) and is used
to accompany storytelling in Kelantan, Malaysia. It has 2 or 3 strings, running
over a movable bridge.The rebab is held upright on a short spike and played
using a wooden bow with nylon strings. The 2 stringed rebab is found only in
the context of the shadow puppet theatre.
Seruling
The seruling is
made from bamboo. It comes in a few types of designs and shapes and has
different numbers of holes. This instrument is said to be an indigeneous
instrument of this region. It exists everywhere in Southeast Asia. In
caklempong that flourishes in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, this instrument comes
in 3 shapes with different names like 'salung', 'bangsi', 'puput' and
'seruling'. It is often blown across the edge and held straight during playing,
for entertainment, either in ensemble or played alone. The 'persol' type of
seruling, is blown and held horizontally. This instrument is a nose flute.
Serunai
The Malay serunai is a
reed wind instrument, with a quadruple reed made from rice stalk. The body has
7 front finger holes and 1 at the back. Circular breathing technique is used so
that once a melody is started it does not stop until the tune ends.
Friday 1 June 2012
Traditional Instruments part 1
Rebana Ubi
In the days of the
ancient Malay kingdoms, the resounding rhythmic beats of the giant rebana ubi
drums conveyed various messages from warnings of danger to wedding
announcements. Later, they were used as musical instruments in an assortment of
social performances.
Kompang
Arguably the most
popular Malay traditional instrument, the kompang is widely used in a variety
of social occasions such as the National Day parades, official functions and
weddings. Similar to the tambourine but without the jingling metal discs, this
hand drum is most commonly played in large ensembles, where various rhythmic
composite patterns are produced by overlapping multiple layers of different
rhythms.
Gambus
Brought to Malaysia by
Persian and Middle Eastern traders, the gambus or Arabian oud is played in a variety
of styles in Malay folk music, primarily as the lead instrument in Ghazal
music. Carefully crafted with combinations of different woods, this instrument
produces a gentle tone that is similar to that of the harpsichord.
Sape
The sape is the
traditional lute of the Orang Ulu community or upriver people of Sarawak. A
woodcarving masterpiece with colourful motifs, the sape is made by hollowing a
length of wood. Once played solely during healing ceremonies within longhouses,
it gradually became a social instrument of entertainment. Typically, its
thematic music is used to accompany dances such as the Ngajat and Datun Julud.
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