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BEATS OF MALAYSIA
Beat it! It is what hands are all about, and with that, we will introduce to you
some of Malaysia’s most popular musical instruments, especially percussionbased instruments. These musical instruments of Malaysia can be classified
into four different artistic categories namely Aerophone, Chordophone,
Idiophone and Membranophone.
Aerophone denotes wind instruments such as the harmonica, flute and
saxophone. Next is Chordophone which relates to stringed instruments which
need to be plucked or bowed to play it. The guitar, sitar and zither are examples
of stringed instrument. Percussion instruments which are struck or shaken are
from the Idiophone family. The tambourine, maraca and the triangle are among
the famous Idiophone musical instruments. Then there is the Membranophone.
This is the largest group of drums named from the skin of membrane which is
stretched over the instrument. It will produce sound whenever it is struck no
matter slow or hard.
Hand percussion is part of the performing arts in Malaysia, which is home to a
heritage of colourful cultures and customs that mirror the beauty of the arts and
people. Malaysians are highly creative in artistic drum performances that echo
the various influences of the multi-ethnic community of Malaysia.
Unique and harmonious with the concept of 1Malaysia, the influences of these
an amazing combination of Malay, Chinese and Indian shows harmonies joint
in one rhythm that portrays the integration of multicultural and racial in Malaysia.
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Types of Ethnic of Drums
Have you ever heard about a small percussion named Kompang? It is one of
famous musical instruments among Malaysians. The other name for Kompang
is Rebana. It is also known as small Rebana to differentiate it with the other
Rebana. The percussion is played with rhythmic motions to accompany vocal
renditions. The kompang is normally played in a large group of kompang
ensemble. It has become the culture of Malay to play kompang especially in
every wedding ceremonies.
Here comes the Rebana. It is usually played with mallets and with the performer
seated and the Rebana placed on the ground. On some large ceremonies, the
Rebana may be played while standing. There are many types of Rebana, and
the Rebana Ubi is one of the popular ones in Malaysia, widely used by the
Malay and Chinese communities in weddings and festive occasions. The
Rebana Ubi is the only Rebana with a decorative pattern on the body and face.
The Gamelan is a set of brass percussion instruments often used in orchestras.
Made from chrome, the Gamelan is usually used in cultural events.
Different from the Gamelan, the Gong is commonly found in Southeast Asia. It
is a hanging instrument, round and looks like a big brass tray with a protruding
navel at its centre. The centre is where the Gong produces a loud sound when
struck.
Marwas is another type of percussion instrument that is struck using one hand
to accompany the Zapin dance which is popular in Johor and is also used in
cultural performances alongside with Gendang beats.
Gendang or directly translated as drum, comes in varying sizes and is made
from buffalo or cow hide. The uniqueness of the Gendang is that it can produce
different kind of sounds depending how hard it is struck.
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The only difference is that it is covered on both ends of the hollow wooden
cylinder. The way to play it is by striking it with mallets just like the Rebana Ubi
but it comes with a very different shape and size.
Geduk is played in pairs with a larger version known as the ibu and a smaller
version known as the anak. Different from the Geduk, the Gedombak is another
drum musical instrument but with only one side covered and the other left open.
Gedombak is normally played while seated with the instrument tucked under
one arm. It is played by hitting the top side with the hand in a style where people
will enjoy playing it; somewhat similar to the conga and djembe.
The Tabla is a popular Indian percussion instruments and is always seen in
Indian musical performances. This instrument consists of a pair of hard drums
which comes in different sizes and timbres. The name Tabla is derived from an
Arabic word tabl which means drum.
Last but not least, the Chinese drums, often seen in lion dance performances.
It is also known as 24 Seasons of Festive Drums. This kind of drum is used in
performances for homecoming and sports events. It produces a loud sound
when. This drum creates a percussion ensemble that plays a MalaysianChinese style of music.
Just beat it!
Look out for musical extravaganza during the Malaysia Year of Festivals,
MyFEST 2015, and see if you can identify any of the instruments used?
Penang World Music Festival 2015
Date: 11 – 12 April 2015
Location: Quarry Park, Penang Botanic Gardens
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Sunset Music Fest
Date: 5 – 6 June 2015
Location: Tip of Borneo, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, Kudat, Sabah
Rainforest World Music Festival
Date: 7 – 9 July 2015
Location: Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching, Sarawak
Penang Lion & Dragon Dance
Date: 12 & 13 September 2015
Location: Penang Megamall, Seberang Perai, Penang
Perak Rebana Festival
Date: 19 – 20 September 2015
Location: Dataran Ipoh, Ipoh, Perak
World Gamelan Festival 2015
Date: 24 – 26 October 2015
Location: Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
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For more information or enquiries, please contact Visit Malaysia Year
Secretariat, at 03-8891 7000 or log on to www.myfest2015.com.my.
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