TENG, teng, teng! The chimes came from the triangle, a small musical instrument played by a boy of 7.
The shrill resonance from the triangular metal rose above the sounds of a tambourine and ukulele played by the other two members of the band, another boy and an adult. Together, the trio produced a lilting, upbeat music that sounded like traditional Malay joget tunes to my ears.
I was at the lobby of Temasek Hotel near Malacca’s Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir to watch a performance that is unique to Malacca, the Serani Teng Teng.
The band played short and lively instrumental music. I recognised one of the tunes. It was the popular Jinkli Nona, the unofficial “anthem” for the Malacca Serani or Eurasians of Portuguese descent, also known as the Kristang people.
Serani is a Malay term, which is a contraction of the Arabic Nasrani, meaning followers of Jesus the Nazarene.
We can easily confuse the Kristang folk music called branyo as joget. The tunes and even the dance moves are similar. In fact Malay joget music and dance are believed to have originated from the branyo. Jinkli Nona is a branyo tune.
The adult in the band that played at the hotel turned out to be Martin Theseira, a popular and vocal figure in the Malacca Portuguese Eurasian community. Calling himself a heritage motivator for the Portuguese Settlement, Theseira is now reviving his community’s tradition of performing the Serani Teng Teng.
He said the tradition started back in the day when poor Serani children performed during Chinese New Year to collect ang pau, the red money packets given by the Chinese during the festival.
The Serani kids went to perform in front of the houses of the Chinese and the Peranakan (Baba and Nyonya) communities particularly in Ujong Pasir and Tanquerah. The tradition picked up over time, with many locals looking forward to the infectious melodies of the Serani Teng Teng during Chinese New Year. For the band members, it was the time to earn some extra pocket money.
Theseira said the idea for the performance started a long time ago when three Serani friends spontaneously played traditional Kristang music during Chinese New Year. Their appreciative audience handed them ang pau packets.
“It was the Baba and Nyonya who coined the name Serani Teng Teng,” said Theseira, adding that the poor Kristang women those days used to work for the richer Nyonyas.
Music seemed in-born. The Kristang are the result of intermarriages. Their Portuguese ancestry mixed with others (Dutch, British, Chinese, Indian and Malay) and makes them a colourful lot. Their cultures are intertwined and their looks exotic. Many can sing and dance naturally.
Their roots in Malacca date back to the 16th and 17th centuries with the great wave of sea expeditions from Portugal. Malacca was then a major trading port in this part of the world. The Portuguese conquered the port in 1511 and ruled for 130 years. The Dutch and the British later colonised the city. Not all the Portuguese soldiers, sailors, traders and others returned to their home country. Those who stayed formed a minority community, marrying local women and settling mostly in Ujong Pasir, eventually forming the Portuguese Settlement.
It was hard for them to eke out a living and many became fishermen in the early days. I can imagine that they might even have been ostracised by the locals who detested the “invaders”. They settled down over time but many still lived in poverty. It is no wonder that they turned to music to soothe and entertain themselves.
Theseira said the Serani Teng Teng died a natural death over time. He could not remember exactly when this happened. He now has a new mission, to revive the Serani Teng Teng and through this, to get more Kristang kids to play musical instruments, appreciate and promote folk rhythms. Serani Teng Teng groups usually use three instruments , the triangle, harmonica and tambourine.
“Sometimes, we have members who play the ukulele and the trumpet. The music performances open doors in the neighbourhood. We also get to bond with one another. We get good response from families especially those who remember the tradition from back in the day,” he said.
I also met Colin Goh, who manages 8 Heeren Street, a restored 18th century Dutch shophouse that characterises Malacca’s colonial past.
“I am a mix of Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and God only knows what else,” said Goh with a grin.
He said the Serani Teng Teng probably dates back to the 1950s. “I saw it performed when I was about 6 or 7. That would be in 1952 or 1953,” said the 70-year-old Goh.
He said the sum collected from the house-to-house performance was merely RM1 per house, but for poor kids, it meant a lot.
“Their audience, the Chinese and the Baba and Nyonya, loved the performance as the loud musical sound was in tune with the Chinese tradition of merry-making during Chinese New Year,” he recalled.
He believed that the tradition died eventually because of improved livelihood and education of the Kristang community.
Witnessing the revival of the long-lost tradition of Serani Teng Teng at the Temasek Hotel lobby that day sent chills down my spine. The Malacca Kristang is a unique Malaysian community with a precious heritage, which is part of this country’s history. It cannot be erased.
The Malacca Kristang is also regarded as the “the last bastion” for the Asian-Creole languages. A good way to preserve these is through songs and music.
For Putri Zanina, the joy and depth of life come from encounters with experiences in both old and new places. Reach her at traveltimes@nst.com.my