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Mak Yong: Context and currency

Pusaka has embarked on a year-long Mak Yong Community Empowerment and Cultural Heritage Project to revitalise the ancient dance-drama tradition of Mak Yong, writes Pauline Fan

IN the seaside village of Kampung Pengkalan Atap in Kuala Besut, Terengganu, a group of young women move gracefully to the melancholic tones of the rebab (spiked fiddle). They are rehearsing the Mak Yong, an ancient dance-drama tradition found in Kelantan, northern Terengganu and southern Thailand.

The Mak Yong lineage of this community reaches back seven generations, and culminated with the legendary Mak Yong actress Che Ning, known for her unrivalled charisma and intensity. Che Ning founded and led Kumpulan Mak Yong Cahaya Matahari, an itinerant troupe that rose to prominence performing throughout Kelantan, Terengganu and Narathiwat in the decades spanning the 1960s to 1990s, until her passing in 1995.

Kumpulan Mak Yong Cahaya Matahari is now helmed by Che Ning’s closest friend, Che Siti Dollah, her brother Pak Su Kadir, and Che Ning’s three granddaughters, Rohana Abdul Kadir, 34, Che Yom Abdul Kadir, 40, and Che Esah Abdul Kadir, 44.

In the hope of revitalising and passing down the deep knowledge of the Mak Yong tradition in the community of Kampung Pengkalan Atap, the cultural heritage organisation Pusaka has embarked on a year-long Mak Yong Community Empowerment and Cultural Heritage Project with the support of the Asia Foundation.

The project actively empowers and encourages local community involvement in the practice, transmission and conservation of the ancient Mak Yong tradition, while creating a comprehensive archive — through audio, visual and written material — of the stories, instruction process and performative aspects of the Mak Yong tradition of Kelantan.

Exploring the historical significance of the Mak Yong tradition, and its contribution to the development of a national and cultural identity, the project employs an anthropological and ethnographic approach to contextualise the Mak Yong tradition to its community of origin, and investigate its evolution through multiple cultural waves, innovations in its promotion and preservation, and its present day practice and expression in local communities.

The project also hopes to educate the wider Malaysian public about the Mak Yong community, through regular showcase performances for urban audiences, workshops and talks, as well as the publication of audio-visual and written material about the Mak Yong tradition based on research and documentation conducted during the project.

THE ROOTS OF MAK YONG

Mak Yong is a Malay dance-drama tradition found primarily in Kelantan, northern Terengganu and the greater Pattani region of Thailand. The performance tradition consists of dancing, acting, singing, and storytelling.

In Mak Yong, women have major roles including playing male characters, while men participate in minor roles and as musicians. The principal roles are pak yong (lead male character), mak yong (lead female character) and peran (clown or attendant).

The repertoire consists of 12 main stories that narrate the adventures of mythical heroes, including Dewa Muda, Dewa Pechil and Anak Raja Gondang. The stylised movements involve subtle gestures of hand and arm, soft hand positions, slow steps and graceful turns.

The most elaborate sequence in a Mak Yong performance is the opening song, Menghadap Rebab, during which the dancers face east in salutation to the rebab before the main story unfolds. The rebab is related to the origins of the Mak Yong and so possesses sacred significance.

The stories of the Mak Yong are rooted in the mythology of the old Kelantan and Pattani Sultanates, and back to the Srivijaya Empire (7th-13th centuries). Most of the stories are based on the adventures and destinies of mythical royal-celestial figures, while a few are derived from Buddhist Jataka tales.

Others claim that the tradition originated from Che Siti Wan Kembang, the legendary Queen of Kelantan who was said to have reigned during the 14th century. Mak Yong is, in fact, a folk tradition that enjoyed the patronage of the Kelantan Sultanate until the 1920s. In the process, it absorbed and retained many of the refinements of palace arts, including the elaborate costumes and the use of Bahasa Istana (court language) for characters of royalty. While it is impossible to pinpoint the date and place of origins of the Mak Yong, it is clear that the tradition is distinctive to the Kelantan-Pattani region and has few influences from the larger Malay archipelago.

THE STORY OF DEWA MUDA

Tonight Kuala Lumpur audiences will have a chance to witness the ancient art of the Mak Yong at Pusaka Evenings at Publika, featuring Kumpulan Mak Yong Cahaya Matahari performing The Story Of Dewa Muda.

Dewa Muda is said to be the story of Mak Yong’s origins.

The Dewa Muda was a prince, who was urged by an elderly person in his dream to hunt for a golden roe deer in the ancestral forest. His failure to do so would bring calamity to the lands. Upon awakening, Dewa Muda summons his caretakers, Peran Tua and Peran Muda, to interpret his dream. Both are unable to divine its meaning.

Dewa Muda then summons the royal astrologer, Tok Nujum, who advises him to follow the instructions. Dewa Muda and his two caretakers then embark on a mission into the forest. They catch a glimpse of the golden roe deer but it suddenly vanishes. In their pursuit, they stumble upon a beautiful lake. As Dewa Muda is washing his face, a golden waterlily rises from the centre. In it is a message from Puteri Ratna Emas, calling him to the celestial heavens. The story then follows Dewa Muda in his quest, traversing the realms of the heavens and earth to unite with the princess.

Tonight’s performance will be preceded by a workshop in the afternoon, introducing the basics of a Mak Yong performance to the public, and a pre-performance talk by Pusaka’s Eddin Khoo, in conversation with Mak Yong custodian, Che Siti Dollah.

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