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With the introduction of modern forms of entertainment such
as the Internet, television and radio, traditional performances have taken a
backseat in today’s modern lifestyle. Although less common these days,
traditional shows are still nevertheless strong expression of a particular
culture. Some have withstood the test of time and are still going strong today.
Wayang Kulit is one such activity which holds great
prominence in many South East Asian cultures (including Malaysia), having
entertained a great number of people since its introduction to the region
around two thousand years ago. It is currently still practiced in Malaysia,
particularly in the states of Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu. Wayang
Kulit usually becomes one of the cultural highlight when travelling to
Kelantan, Malaysia.
Wayang is a generic term in Javanese for theater, and
throughout the years there have been many variations of the activity with a
number of differences between them. Of all the different types, Wayang Kulit is
perhaps the best known, with the Indonesian Wayang Kulit having been designated
as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Wayang Kulit or Shadow Puppet is a traditional theatre
presentation shown during major festivals in Malaysia. Wayang Kulit is an old
cultural entertainment using a shadow puppet theater—puppeteers control
elaborate puppets behind a screen, while a source of light casts the puppets’
shadows on the screen. By moving the shadows around the screen while
accompanied by a musical ensemble, the dalang (the master puppeteer and
conductor) narrates the story and presents an intriguing performance.
The puppets of Wayang Kulit are usually made from leather,
and the detailed props typically require weeks of careful work to produce.
After drawing the rough outline on leather, the puppets are then carefully
inspected, cut and prepared by a skilful craftsman. The puppets are then
painted and lastly fitted with moving parts and sticks so that they can be
manipulated during a performance.
Puppet shows in South East Asia is believed to have started
in Indonesia around first century AD, introduced by traders from India as a
form of cultural entertainment performed in festivals. For a time, the puppet
shows featured Hindu classics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and was
instrumental in spreading Hinduism across the Malay Archipelago. The puppet
shows are believed to have eventually spread into Malaysia.
Wayang Kulit in Malaysia typically shows either local tales
or ancient stories such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. 4 kinds of wayang
kulit can be found in Malaysia, amongst them are Wayang Kulit Kelantan (oldest
and most well-known kind of Wayang Kulit in Malaysia), Wayang Kulit Melayu
(developed in the 19th and 20th centuries under the patronage of Malay
aristocracy and royalty), Wayang Kulit Gedek (a Thai-inspired version and usually
performed with a mix of Malay and Thai language) and the Wayang Kulit Purwa
(meaning Ancient Puppet Play, it retains many of the features of the Indonesian
Wayang Kulit).
Today, Wayang Kulit is commonly included in various large
events and cultural festivals, such as handicraft exhibitions, city hall
parades, Penang George Town Festival and others. The practice is also often
featured at cultural centres and temples, where interest in this cultural
heritage is still going strong.
SHADOW PLAY ENSEMBLES OR ORCHESTRAS AND THEIR INSTRUMENTS
The musical ensembles of the shadow play are
percussion-dominated with either a solitary aerophone (wind) or a chordophone
(string) instrument. The wayang Kelantan ensemble has the following
instruments:
Idiophonic (Brass)
Orotund material is to made to Idiophones instruments
.tetawak , kesi and canang occurs as a pairs in idiophone
The pairs tetawak are knobbed gongs which hung between
wooden rack, padded beater is to hit the knob. The larger tetawak played lower
pitch which called“tawak ibu” (mother tawak), the tawak anak (child tawak)
played slightly higher pitch. Major third or perfect fifth is the tuning in
between one set to another. The standardization of the tuning of tetawak so as
canang are not the main important issue in music.
The canang is made of iron or metal, and it consists of two
knobbed gongs, which hung horizontally on the wooden rack. The two gongs are
hit by a pair of peddar beater, both gongs (anak canang and ibu canang ) played
in different pitches( high and low pitch). Both gongs tuning interval may range
from majorsecond to sixth.
The kesi cymbals have a cup-like protruding with a small
hole to enable to two cymbals to be connected. It is made of booze or iron.
Resonant, ringing sound occurs when striking by player on the pair of cymbals.
Unison are played in two pieces of timbres with canang, canang anak (high
pitch) played ringing timbre whilst canang ibu (low pitch) played damped
timbre. Kesi is similar to the western cymbal.
Tetawak
Canang
Kesi
Aerophonic (Wind)
The serunai, which falls into the shawm category, is a
double reed instrument, varying in length from 12 to 18 inches and constructed
from a variety of woods such as batang lada, lebam and nangka. It is divided
into 3 sections, namely kepala (head), batang (stem) and pipit (mouth-piece)
(Figure 1). Daun lunta, a type of fern leaf, is used for the reed. Altogether
there are 8 sound holes on the serunai, seven on top and 1 below. It is adorned
with intricate carvings and painted with various shades of colour. Its scale is
shown in Example 1.
The serunai is played using circular breathing, a method by
which the player completely mouths the double reed and blows continuously,
without any pause to take breath. This is based on the bagpipe principle of
retaining the air for continuous blowing. The belly and lungs are inflated by
air, which is then pushed up to the mouth, resulting in the cheeks remaining
constantly puffed out. Thus as the player blows, he also inhales using his
belly. This technique is employed by all traditional wind-instrument players,
as exemplified by the pi player in the traditional Thai musical ensemble.
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