Throughout the 16th ICA Congress several Malaysian cultural activities are being held in room 301 KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. These include demonstrations on Dikir Barat (Malay traditional dance) and Traditional Theatre called Wayang Kulit (Shadow Play).

Dikir Barat
Dikir Barat is a traditional practice that is usually performed as ritual or celebration of the rice harvest season but today it served more for entertainment purposes. Dikir Barat is generally performed in groups of not less than 10 people each. The main character in this performance is the Tok Juara and Tukang Karut. Tok Juara serves as the head of the group and usually sings a long song, while the Tukang Karut sing songs in short bursts.

While singing, group members are called ‘Awok-Awok’ (meaning ‘you all’) to do certain actions, especially handclapping and body movement following the rhythm of the music. All this activity is accompanied by five or so people playing instruments called the Rebana Ibu (drum), Rebana Anak (a small version of the Rebana Ibu), Gong, and Canang (smaller versions of the gong).

The costumes traditionally worn are the Malay Baju Melayu for men and the baju kurung for women.

Some reactions from participants...

Cheryl Stanborough, from Micronesia said, “this is a wonderful dance with quite easy steps. I really enjoyed it.”

Yulu Griffith Klein, from St Vincent & the Grenadines said “I will introduce this wonderful dance to my friends. It has certain kind of feeling and we can use any kind of music to match the rhythm of the instruments”.

Wayang Kulit
The Wayang Kulit or Shadow Play is a traditional theatre form involving a puppet show. At its origin it is believed to have a strong Javanese and Hindu influence. In Malaysia, it is most popular in Kelantan.

This unique theatre utilizes the principles of light and shadow to bring its characters to life. The puppets are carved out of cow or buffalo hide with very fine tools and then painted by hand. Each puppet is given a distinctive appearance and, not unlike its string puppet cousins, has jointed "arms".

The master responsible for breathing life into the puppets is known as Tok Dalang and acts as the storyteller for the shadow play. A Tok Dalang must be able not only to control the movement of the puppet but also to provide its voice and song.

The audience sees only the shadow and not the figures itself. The Tok Dalang sits behind the semitransparent white cloth that acts as a screen. Oil lamps illuminate the screen from behind, projecting he puppet’s silhouette to the audience.

Some reactions from participants...

Erja Maenpaa from Finland said, “It was a very interesting performance that I never heard of before. The puppets also were very wonderful and full of color. I really enjoyed it although can’t understand the language.”

Magdan Van Der Heyden from Belgium, “This is my first time seeing it in real life. Before this I’ve only seen it on television and books. The unique thing about this performance is that only one man controls and gives his voice to all the puppets.”

Siti Kamaliah Madil