Browsing by Author "Shah, Abdul Azeem"

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Dabus Variant: The Acclimatization of Dabus in Malaysian Political Landscape
(Department of fine arts, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Shah, Abdul Azeem
Dabus is a ritual art form practiced by communities in both Malaysia and Indonesia. Its arrival in Malaysia over 300 years ago, has seen various adaptations made to adapt it to the Malaysian context. Policies such as the National Culture Policy, which incorporate the role of Islam in their design, have influenced both music and dance heritage in Malaysia. Since rituals are forbidden in Islam, art forms are either excluded from performing or must undergo a filtering process by state agencies before they are allowed to be performed. Therefore, state policy has forced ritual art forms such as dabus and others to conform. This form of scrutiny towards marginalized ritual performances also comes from locals, largely practicing Muslims, who prefer to exclude rituals from their heritage. This adaptation has led to a new identity of dabus that differs from that of its counterpart in Indonesia. Compared to Malaysia, Indonesia has more flexibility in performing ritual performances. Ritual art forms and practices such as kuda lumping and debus can be freely performed without much scrutiny. While dabus in Malaysia revolves heavily around music and dance, its neighbor focuses on the feat of strength made possible by ritual practices within the art form, such as eating glass or placing heavy stones on the body. Since dabus is believed to have originated from Indonesia, the different approach of Malaysian dabus is indicative of a softer approach to the art form. The differences in approach between the two communities reflect the need for the Malaysian dabus to adapt to its locale.
Identities of Diaspora and Translocality: Music and Minorities in Malaysia
(Department of fine arts, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Santaella, Mayco A.; Nithyanandan, Jotsna; Chih, Samuel Tan Hsien; Shah, Abdul Azeem
Malaysia is a multicultural nation located at the nexus of “mainland” and “island” Southeast Asia. Through maritime links, communities from the region, Asia, and Europe participated in mercantile activities and eventually settled in British Malaya. Despite the cultural diversity, the British developed racial classifications that were institutionalized after independence in 1957. Thus, Malaysia was increasingly divided into racial categories of Malay, Chinese, and Indian and agglomerated numerous cultural groups under the category of “other”. Revisiting governmental regulations and national cultural policies, this panel examines diaspora, ethnic vis-à-vis national identities, and translocality in relation to music and minorities in Malaysia. In the first presentation, Santaella examines a Javanese performance heritage in Johor, Malaysia as an early diaspora and contemporary translocality. In the second presentation, Nithyanandan looks at the cultural intersections of Malaysian composers of diverse backgrounds and the ways in which they navigate personal identities within national categorizations. In the third presentation, Samuel Tan investigates the Malaysian Chinese art song as a genre that is product of multiple diasporas and reflects alternative forms of translocality. Finally, Azeem Shah discusses the dabus heritage as a genre that emerged from an earlier diaspora and was adopted by the Malay national majority to celebrate state cultures. The panel addresses all Malaysian racial categorizations and discusses the production of (trans)locality through the performing arts in the 21st century.