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• Bergendang (Drumming)
• Wayang Kulit (Shadow Play)
• Maggagong (Gong Ensembles)
• Bunga Malai (Garland Making)
• Sumpit (Blow Pipe)
• Silat (The Malay Art of Self defense)
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In
the traditional musical performances of the Malay community in Sarawak,
it is the womenfolk who play the gendang or drums. Seated behind a screen,
they drum out their beats in rhythm to songs sung by young maidens and
dances performed by men.
Wayang
Kulit is a traditional theater art-form using puppets and shadow-play
to tell the epic tales of the Ramayana. The puppets are made of buffalo
hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. There may be as many as 45 puppets
- handled entirely by a single master puppeteer, known as the Tok Dalang.
Brass
or bronze gong ensembles form an inherent part of Sabah's ethnic music.
The melody varies from district to district. The Kadazan Dusun group include
six songs and a drum called the sopogogungan (Penampang) in their musical
composition while the Bajau from Kota Belud add kulintangan, a set of
kettle-bedded gongs.
Flowers
form an integral part of the cultural heritage of Malaysian Indians for
religious occasions, weddings, moving house, or welcoming an important
guest. Flowers, holy basil, and the leaves of the margosa or mango tree
are strung together to form a malai or garland. They are done in different
styles to suit each particular occasion.
The
tribal people of Sarawak are known for their magnificent hunting skills.
They are aided by the sumpit, a six-foot long wooden blowpipe with a poisoned
or a barbed tip. One quick puff sends the dart (sometimes twenty-yards
away) to the victim, usually a wild pig, deer, or bird.
Silat,
the Malay art of self-defense combines a series of supple movements, which
enables a person to defend himself under provocation. The aim of silat
is to instill confidence in oneself in the face of adversity. Occasionally,
a keris (small dagger) may be used.