IINTRODUCTION

Music and Dance in Malaysia

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multicultural country that features people of different religion, country and race live in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. The eclectic culture of the country is reflected through the Arts and Crafts in Malaysia. Two integral aspects of the culture of Malaysia are the Music and Dance in Malaysia. Both the music and dance of Malaysia have evolved from more basic needs into the spellbinding, complex art forms they are today.
Music in Malaysia was born out of necessity. In order to live comfortably in an age where there was no phone and fax, musical instruments like rebana ubi, or giant drums were used as tools of communication. Music in Malaysia bears the influences of Indonesian, Thai, Portuguese, Filipino and Chinese music. Malaysian traditional music is revolves round the gamelan, which is a stringed instrument from Indonesia with an ethereal, muffled sound. Gamelan is generally accompanied by the lilting, mesmerizing beats of Malaysian drums. Different provinces of the country are inhabited by people from dissimilar cultural backgrounds and musical taste. As the result of this, the music of the country varies from region to region. For example Ghazals from Arabia are popular in Kuala Lumpur and Rongeng and on the other hand a kind of folk music, is preferred in Malacca. There are also some forms of music, which are popular throughout the country like Zapin music and dance originating from Arabia and Donadang Sayang. Apart from these, Malaysian music has also been considerably influenced by European and American music and therefore Malaysia has witnessed the uprising of numerous pop singers and rock bands in the recent years.
Dance forms in Malaysia are also diverse like the music of country. The country boasts of numerous traditional dance forms. Some of the popular traditional dance forms are Joget, Inang, Silat, Shadow Plays and Datun Julud. Joget is a traditional dance form that is generally accompanied by flute and dance, Inang is a Malay folk dance performed in front of royal guests. Other performing arts include Shadow Plays performed to commemorate special occasions like marriage and birth. Silat is a form of martial art but then, it is also considered as a performing art since it is accompanied by drums and gongs and performed during weddings and other noteworthy occasions. The Datun Julud is another traditional dance form, which enjoys popularity in Sarawak. This form of dance exemplifies the age-old tradition of storytelling in dance and narrates the story of the happiness of a prince when blessed with a grandson.