Traditional Music of Malaysia

Moreover Malay music, Chinese and Indian Malaysians have their own types of music and the local people of Peninsula and East Malaysia have special traditional instruments.

source of picture: www.malaysia.com

Traditional Malay music and performing arts emerge to have created in the Kelantan-Pattani area with effects from India, Thailand, China and Indonesia. The music is based around drum instruments, the greatest significant of which is the gendang (which is the drum). There are at least 14 types of traditional drums. Drums and other traditional drumming instruments are often created from natural materials. Moreover drums, other drumming instruments (some are made of shells) include the rebab (a bowed cord instruments), the serunai (a double-reed oboe-like instrument), the seruling (known as flute) and trumpets. Music is traditionally used for storytelling, celebrating life-cycle occasions and times like harvest. This was once used as a form of long-distance communication.

In east Malaysia, gong-based musical groups such as agug and kulintang are usually used in ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. These groups are also familiar in the neighbouring areas such as the Kalimantan in Indonesia, Brunei and southern Philippines.

The Malays of Kelantan and Terengganu are culturally connected to tribes from the South China Sea region and are quite diverse from the west coast of Malaya. The martial art of silat Melayu established in the Malay Peninsula since the beginning of the common period and it is also well-known in Malaysia, while essentially still important as a branch of the self-defense type. Similar to t’ai chi, however of independent origin, this is a mix of martial arts, dance and music typically followed by the gongs, Indian oboes and drums.

The indigene of the Malay Peninsula played in small groups known as kertok, which performed swift and rhythmic xylophone music that led to the development of dikir barat. In the present years, the Malaysia government has supported this Kelantanses music form as a national cultural icon.

Johor art performance such as Zapin and Hamdolok as well as musical instruments include Samrah and Gambus have clear Arab and Persian effects. The Arab-derived zapin music and dance is well-known all over Malaysia and it is usually followed by a gambus and some drums. Ghazals, which is from Arabia are common in the markets and malls of Kuala Lumpur and Johor and musicians like Kamariah Noor are very successful. Ronggeng in Malacca is the leading type of folk music. It is also played with drums, button accordion, violin and a gong instruments. Another style is Dondang Sayang, which is slow and intense; it combines influences from India, Arabia, China and Portugal with traditional elements.

The Hua Yue Tuan or new Chinese group is made up of mix of western and traditional Chinese musical instruments. The music itself mixes western polyphony with the Chinese melodies and scales. Though the bulk of its collection comprises of music imported from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, many local Chinese groups also regularly perform Malay folk tunes with different local composers creating a definite effort to absorb elements of surrounding musical customs, especially Malay into their compositions. In Malaysia, Chinese groups exist nationwide in the urban places that have large concentrations of Chinese Malaysians. And it is sponsored by large different Chinese organizations including schools and Buddhist societies; a typical group consists of between 12 to 50 members.

The group is usually comprised of four sections;

·         Bowed string instrument

·         Plucked string comprising various sized lutes

·         The wind section

·         Percussion section

There is no lack of virtuoso artists in the Chinese classical culture in Malaysia. Advanced training is though not currently available with most Malaysians virtuoso artists obtaining their advanced training either in Singapore or China. Different professional and semi-professional Chinese groups ate in existence. Malaysian western trained classical conductors are employed full-time. All most all the music played is imported from China. There are thought some accomplished Malaysian composers fir this medium such as Saw Boon Kiat and Chew Hee Chiat.

The current generations of Chinese singers are more into pop music and they include Lee Sin Je, Z Chen, Fish Leong, Eric Moo, Penny Tai and lately Daniel Lee.

The Indian music is strongly associated with religious culture and faith. As its roots from India, there are two systems of traditional or classical Indian music in Malaysia they include Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Since Tamils which is from south India are the main group among the Indian populace in Malaysia, it is the South Indian Carnatic music which leads. Frankly speaking, Hindustani classical music is more lyric-oriented, while Carnatic classical music emphasizes on musicals structure.

Indian classical music as it is seen in Malaysia has remained true to its source. There is practically no other cultural effect other than reflecting Indian life; the determination of Indian classical music is to improve the soul.

The basic elements of Carnatic music are tala and raga. A raga is a scale of notes, while tala is the time-measure. A Carnatic music show usually begins with a composition with lyrical and passages in a particular raga. This will be accompanied by a few major and subsequently some minor compositions.

In Malaysia, the traditional or classical Indian music are studied and performed by the Malaysians of Indian ethnic origin with information that comes from India. The musical productions are primarily in the form of dance dramas incorporating instrumental bands, vocal music and dance and the musical instruments used during the performances are imported from Indian.

Over the periods, Punjabi music has developed itself in Malaysia. One instance of popular Punjabi music is bhangra. Many Malaysian songs now have the Punjabi influence. For instance, the sound of dhol, an instruments used primarily by the Punjabis have been incorporated in many Malay, Chinese and Indian songs in Malaysia. The enlarge interest in Punjabi music have led to the formation of Malaysia’s very first urban Bhangra themed group known as Goldkartz.

The ethnic music has also found a modern and active following, with world music festival like the Rainforest world Music Festival that due held yearly since 1998 in a scenic open-air setting in Sarawak. The first Malaysia ethnic combination group to play on this international platform was Akar Umbi comprising Temuan ceremonial singer Minah Angong from 1930 to 1999, Antares and Farique Rashid. Regrettably, the charismatic Minah Angong who is known as Mak Minah died just three weeks after winning over the hearts of a whole new spectator at the RWMF in 1999. This left Akar Umbi with only one later released CD to its name (songs of the Dragon, Magick River 2002).