RESOUND a QUARTERLY of the Archives of Traditional Music Volume I, Number 4 October, 1982
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
RESOUND A QUARTERLY OF THE Archives of Traditional Music Volume I, Number 4 October, 1982 principal contributing puppet masters and their troupes are the Dalang (puppet master) Harnzah bin Awang Amat of I arrived from Rio de Janeiro to take other countries in a variety of ways. Kampung Gerong and the Dalang Yusuf up the Directorship of the Archives of During the next few months I shall Hassan of Kampung Mesira. The Traditional Music just as this issue of be giving considerable thought to ways musical repertoire is as complete as pos Resound was going to press. I am still in which the Archives can be further sible a collection of pieces used for the finding my way around the subterran improved, building on the great con old style of performance of the Wayang ean labyrinth with a bit of difficulty tributions of its previous directors, Siam shadow play in Kelantan today. and have just begun my "applied an George Herzog, George List, and The author's field research was en thropology" of Indiana University and Frank Gillis, as well as those of Acting riched by two additional years of em North American Academe, which Director Ronald Smith. If you have ployment in the Malaysian Ministry of could not seem other than exotic after suggestions about the role of this kind Culture, and it was during this time that seven years at the National Museum in of institution in general, or specific a variety of other traditional Malay Rio de Janeiro. Although new to the ideas for the improvement of this musics were recorded. The additional job, I have long been acquainted with Archives, I would appreciate hearing Kelantanese materials include recordings the Archives, first visiting it in 1968 from you. I may be sought out at the of performances of the berjamu for the and then depositing my field tapes in annual meetings of the American Folk Wayang Siam (a special "feasting" of the 1973. I have already encountered lore Society, the Society for Ethno spirits ceremony), the Wayang Jawa problems of space, equipment, and musicology, and the American An (another type of Malay shadow puppet finances that are quite familiar from thropological' Association. Addition theater also known as Wayang Kulit my chairmanship of the Department of ally, I plan to visit some institutions Melayu), the Main Puteri-Mak Yang Anthropology at the National Museum similar to the Archives of Traditional (the shaman exorcism ritual and the where I was ultimately responsible for Music in order to meet with colleagues Malay dance-drama used together for the cataloging and preservation of over and discuss common issues. I also healing purposes), the Dikir Barat 70,000 artifacts in all areas of anthro welcome letters, tapes, songs, or other (group singing-call and response style pology. forms of communication from anyone. -of popular texts with the accompani The Archives of Traditional Music is Finally, upon my arrival, I learned ment of gong, small rebana drums and an extremely valuable resource for that Resound was started with a small handclapping), the Gendang Silat (music ethnom usicologists, folklorists, grant that ends with this issue. I hope to accompany the Malay art of self anthropologists, and other academics, you will respond to the appeal for defense known as bersilat), the Rebana and is also of interest to musicians and support, not only for this publication, Besar (group singing with the accom interested non-specialists. I believe it but for our activities in general. paniment of drumming on the very large can serve the state, the nation, and rebana drums), and the Manora-Mak Yang (a mixed theater form utilizing the Southern Thai and Malay dance ~..q-.~ From the Field ~~ of Kelantan, Malaysia. Approximately dramas). Other West Malaysian field forty hours of wayang kulit perform recordings include three pi~ces from the ances provided the recorded documen Jaget Gamelan (court dance) tradition of Music from Malaysia tation for the author's doctoral disserta Trengganu and Pahang, and a Wayang tion in musicology which was submitted Siam type of shadow play performed by Some sixty-five hours of musical per to the University of Michigan in an "urban" dalang in Kuala Lumpur. formances constitute a collection of January, 1980. The recorded shadow The East Malaysian materials, col audio tapes recorded in the field by play performances include several com lected in 1978, consist of approximately Patricia Matusky in both West and East plete stories as well as specific portions five hours of music from Sabah on the Malaysia from 1976 through 1978. * This of performances. northeast coast of Kalimantan. Under collection is focused on the music of the The geographical area represented in the sponsorship of the Sabah Cultural Malay shadow puppet theater (known the Wayang Siam collection is limited to Office and the Sabah Foundation several as Wayang Kulit Siam or Wayang Siam) the Tumpat District of Kelantan, and the types of music were recorded in the .