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| synthdude |
 Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:52 am Post subject: Wayang kulit master dies... listen to his music here! |
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Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 910
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The music of the legendary Dollah Baju Merah at i-bands (recorded on a field trip early this year):
http://www.i-bands.net/audiovault/play.php?band_id=2061&song_id=4888&mode=song_lofi
http://www.i-bands.net/audiovault/download.php?band_id=2061&song_id=4888&mode=song_lofi
| Quote: |
<b>Wayang kulit master Dollah dies</b>
KOTA BARU: The struggle to keep alive Malaysia’s traditional arts has been dealt
One of the country’s last shadow puppet masters, Dalang Dollah Baju Merah, died at 3pm yesterday. He was 67.
Dollah, whose real name was Abdullah Ibrahim, was warded at the Kota Baru Hospital on Monday night for asthma and complications from a stroke suffered in 2000.
Eddin Khoo, a former journalist with The Star, who had been Dollah’s student for nearly a decade, was devastated at the news.
“A very real light has passed from my life. There was so much more to learn from him,” he said.
Dollah began performing the Wayang Kulit Siam at 13 and became well-known for designing puppets with modern attire.
He used current references in comic relief scenes and was immediately recognised in his favourite show time garb – a rebellious red T-shirt.
His spirited nature helped him persevere when the PAS-led Kelantan government banned the art form in 1990, a move that caused many wayang kulit troupes to fold up.
Although none of his 10 children (from two marriages) followed in his footsteps, Dollah worked with Pusaka – a non-profit organisation set up by Khoo – to research and document traditional art forms.
Dollah was buried at the Ketereh Muslim cemetery near his home in Kampung Batu Tinggi. - The Star
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Interview with Pak Dollah |
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| Raggy |
| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:47 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 196
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| It really saddens me to see that such true practitioners of the arts are not appreciated by our society nowadays and their craft is being left to die out. |
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| totziens |
| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 27 Feb 2005
Posts: 1210
Location: Petaling Kurang Berjaya
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| Yeah, it's sad that certain people even tries to get rid of local traditional art such wayang kulit in this country and make a big fuss trying to link an art to a religion. This form of art should be considered a more pure traditional Malay culture than any Arab elements which these people try to implement in the Malay culture. |
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| kalium |
| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:48 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 218
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| kalium |
| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:58 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 05 Oct 2005
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| totziens wrote: | | Yeah, it's sad that certain people even tries to get rid of local traditional art such wayang kulit in this country and make a big fuss trying to link an art to a religion. This form of art should be considered a more pure traditional Malay culture than any Arab elements which these people try to implement in the Malay culture. |
There isn't really any "pure" Malay culture (with exception of some of the animistic cultures of the indigenous bumis). Wayang Kulit stories are from the Hindu Mahabharata & Ramayana and can be seen from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia down to the Java islands.
"Malay" culture and language is blended from Hindu and Arabic cultures.
Since most Malay's are muslim and it is the "official" religion, there is a tendancy to assimilate more Arabic culture (in most cases there is a blurring between Arabic culture and the Islamic religion) and purging the Hindu/animistic components.
Wayang kulit and the bersanding wedding ceremony are the typical ones.
The old P Ramlee movies are full of pseudo Arab lampoons.
Ali Baba was probably one of the most memorable ones.
This is what compelled us to write "I wanna be an Arab".
Last edited by kalium on Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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| totziens |
| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 27 Feb 2005
Posts: 1210
Location: Petaling Kurang Berjaya
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Yeah, I know wayang kulit stories are hindu but I think its' not right to deny something which has been around as part of the culture for so long.
I think somehow these days...certain parties are trying to deny or get rid of the hindu influences. I think all these are unnecessary, u can't deny the history. We should learn from the history...not denying it. It's just like the Japanese Imperial army/Nazi trying to deny their fault for man-slaughter in World War 2. |
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| adzakael |
| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 18 Jan 2004
Posts: 386
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i was chased by a possesed man while he was in the Barongan play.
since then i was determined to purge every single ritual in any play that is not parallel to Islam.
Among other reasons why i think the mystical ritual of the plays must be remove from our culture is simply because its syirik.
I hv no problem with the play,but i do have problem with the rituals before the play.
we can't deny the hindu influence in the play but we can purge that influence out from the play.
Art is dynamic.It must evolve and change as time goes by.
Main la wayang kulit,main la dikir barat,main la wau bulan,main la kuda kepang dan barongan,main la makyong,aku tak kisah.
tapi jangan la main puja2 semangat.
bukan benda yg bagus dan best pon. |
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| Jeff |
| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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Mod Squad
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 551
Location: Land of the Head Hunters
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hmm..this issue reminds me of a book i half read in abook store a few years ago. Damn, i should of bought that book...i forgot what it was called, but its generally a book about how the Islamic world has changed human lives. The foreword asserts itself as being UNIBIASED in its findings, though most of them were highly critical...i remember one chapter distinctly..
it was an interview with an Indonesian chinese who had converted to Islam. It talked about how he believed and still does, that he made the right choice in becoming a muslim..however, he talked of how he continued his tradition as a Chinese decendent and how he was critisized consistently by his muslim peers, yet the traditions and culture of the Arab people were forced upon him and those cultures and tradtions supercedes any of his own. This includes clothes, speech, etc..basically his way of life.
Lastly, he solemly stated that when he converted to Islam, he didnt expect himslef to convert into an Arab too.
Ive debated with myself with the issues talked about here, as in how much of my religious practice was influence by the culture of the Arab ppl, rather than being the actual tenents of my religion. Having grown up abroad, and lived with arab ppl, im afriad i have my reservations. I foudn them not to be the proud, righteous and altruistic ppl i was told to believe. Atleast not anymore. Heck, i almost married a Syarifah (which is descendent of our Prophet) ... long story short, i bailed out,.cos u see, after the dazzle of religious talk, to which i will supposedly be belonging to a REAL arab clan, and having children born to a superior genetic strain (decendents of the Prohpet they say), in the end i found the person that i was going to marry...disappointing. Sigh..she was realy beautiful though...
well thats enough bad memories for today i think. |
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| adam |
| Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:40 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 15 Jul 2004
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| totziens |
| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 27 Feb 2005
Posts: 1210
Location: Petaling Kurang Berjaya
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| adzakael wrote: |
Main la wayang kulit,main la dikir barat,main la wau bulan,main la kuda kepang dan barongan,main la makyong,aku tak kisah.
tapi jangan la main puja2 semangat.
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I agree....sometimes things can be modified according to the modern age. |
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| kalium |
| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 05 Oct 2005
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| adam wrote: | | theres no descendent of the prophet isnt there? isnt Syarifah/Syed arab traders? |
They claim to be decendants of prophet Mohamad and are a very closed community. Their cultural practices, weddings etc are Arab based. |
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| adam |
| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 15 Jul 2004
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| kalium |
| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 05 Oct 2005
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| adzakael wrote: | i was chased by a possesed man while he was in the Barongan play.
since then i was determined to purge every single ritual in any play that is not parallel to Islam.
Among other reasons why i think the mystical ritual of the plays must be remove from our culture is simply because its syirik.
I hv no problem with the play,but i do have problem with the rituals before the play.
we can't deny the hindu influence in the play but we can purge that influence out from the play.
Art is dynamic.It must evolve and change as time goes by.
Main la wayang kulit,main la dikir barat,main la wau bulan,main la kuda kepang dan barongan,main la makyong,aku tak kisah.
tapi jangan la main puja2 semangat.
bukan benda yg bagus dan best pon. |
To define Syrik - Activities that go against the fundamental Islamic belief in a single god who is worshipped based on a set of accepted rituals and rules - tauhid & fiqh.
wrt Wayang: The Hindu worship aspect is not just in the pre play puja. The entire Wayang is based on Hindu religious text, characters are based on the pantheon of Hindu gods and their stories that are a basis of the Hindu religion. The Wayang is a form of ritual prayer to the Hindu pantheon.
Hence, it's defined as syrik and banned by PAS.
It will only be non syrik when if the storylines are changed. But then it wouldn't be Wayang any more.
Cultural heritage if considered syrik, has no place in the implementation of the religion, the when the prophet called for the destruction of all idols, he didn't check with the archeology department or Arab Smithsonian or think, let's preserve a couple of these as they have aesthetic value.
This is the basis of the destruction of the centuries old giant buddhas by the Taliban. |
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