Wayang Kulit Siam

In contrast, the type of shadow puppet theatre known as wayang kulit Siam is a product of the Malay villages and is the pre-eminent form of shadow puppet theatre in Peninsular Malaysia. In the states of Kedah and Kelantan, the form is still performed, although a stedy decline in the number of practising dalang and musicians has been evident over the past several years. Wayang kulit Siam, however, remains the most widely performed and most popular type of wayang kulit in Malaysia. Its distribution and popularity extend to the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and at one time Perak and Pahang. In addition, It is performed by Malay-speaking peoples of the south-eastern Thai provinces, namely Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat. Interestingly, the name by which one refers to the wayang kulit Siam changes from place to place, reflecting aa strong sense of regionalism in the tradition. The Kelantanese, for example, call their type of shadow play wayang kulit Siam, while in the southern Thai states the Kelantan type is sometimes referred to as wayang Kelantan or wayang Siam Kelantan. In addition, the wayang kulit Siam was performed by Kelantanese migrants in the state of Pahang in the late 1970s and, at that time, was billed as wayang Pahang. Although certain aspects of performance technique, language, dramatic repertoire, puppet design, and music are common to the wayang kulit Siam performed in these areas, regional differences exist, and it is the various regional styles which comprise what Sweeney has called a 'complex' of wayang kulit Siam types. The stylistic differences seem to be particularly evident with regard to language, dramatic repertoire, orchestration, and music. There are no extensive comparative studies of the regional similarities and differences in this type of shadow play; however, it is still possible to note that a basic wayang kulit Siam style is identifiable in any given location. The ideas of regionalism in shadow play and other types of theatre is still very strong throughout Malaysia, and specific regional subtypes or styles are identified and acknowledged by the people who perform them.

From a musical point of view, in Kelantan alone at least two or three styles were distinguishable by the late 1970s, and in the districts of Tumpat, Kota Bharu, and Bachok, for example, certain differences in musical style were acknowledged and performed by the dalang and musicians in those areas. The number of drums or gongs used from one ensemble to another across districts varied, and occasionally a dalang in one location used musical pieces not commonly known to a dalang from another district. Some puppeteers to the east of Kota Bharu, for example, frequently used musical piece entitled 'Seri Rama Bersiram' (the bathing scene for Seri Rama) and another known as 'Hanuman' (for the appearance of the character Hanuman). While these pieces were known and popular in the eastern districts of Kelantan, they were not familiarly used by the dalang from the western districts of the state. Certain dalang, too, might change or modernize the pieces, punctuating the music with onlyone hanging gong much in style of popular social dance music known as joget. Siamese, Hindi,or popular Malay tunes may de played on traditional instruments with drum and gong accompaniment, and the extent to which these modern element are used depends on taste and inclination of dalang in each specific district or region.

This work focuses on music of wayang kulit Siam as performed in the Tumpat District to the north-west of Kota Bahru, the state capital. The musical and theatrical style discussed here is acknowledged by the dalang and musicians in the region to a very old style which can be traced back to Tuk Dalang Awang Lah (1898 - 1973), who was recognized as one of the most skilled and popular dalang in the Tumpat District during his time.

[Wayang Kulit Jawa][Wayang Kulit Gedek][Wayang Kulit Melayu]
[Wayang Kulit In Kelantan][Wayang Kulit In Malaysia][Main]
[Songket][The State Of Kelantan]

Source : Malaysian Shadow Play And Music : continuity of an oral tradition, by Patricia Matusky.