Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) organized an event in honor of an exhibit at the Kelantan State Library sponsored by the French Embassy and UMK highlighting the early research of French Ethnologist Jeanne Cuisinier in Kelantan.  The event began with a lecture by Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli, a well-known Malaysian performing artist and Head of Faculty of Film, Theater, and Animation at University Technology Mara (UiTM), entitled “Transformasi Makyung, Teater Tradisional Negeri Kelantan”.

Photo from left to right: Nisah binti Mamat, Wan Marzuki bin Wan Midin, Nur Alisa Amani binti Eddy, Dr. Patricia A Hardwick, Mohamad Khairul bin Sezali, Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli, Tengku Muhamad Satar bin Tengku Muhamand Atan Rahman, Tengku Sadiah binti Tengku Muhamad Satar, Nina. Photo Credit: Patricia Hardwick 2019

Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli, Tengku Sadiah binti Tengku Muhamad Satar, Nina, and Dr. Patricia Hardwick

Dr. Raja Iskandar bin Raja Halid (event coordinator for UMK), Muhamad Satar bin Tengku Muhamand Atan Rahman (ketua kumpulan Sanggar Teater Warisan  Mak Yong) , Dr. Patricia Hardwick. Photo Credit: Patricia Hardwick, 2019

I then gave a lecture entitled “Sebutir Pinang Muda Belah Dua, Di Bagi Empat: Mak Yong in Transnational Perspective”.  After my lecture, the Indonesian mak yong troupe Sanggar Teater Warisan Mak Yong from Bintan, KEPRI performed.

A portion of the lecture delivered in Malay can be viewed in this youtube video and in this facebook post 

Sanggar Teater Warisan Mak Yong then hosted a two-hour workshop for UMK students in the dancing, music, and acting techniques of the KEPRI mak yong tradition.  The UMK event was well attended by UMK students, UMK faculty, Malaysian cultural officers, and interested members of the public.  Members of Sanggar Teater Warisan Mak Yong were supported by Malaysian mak yong performers who attended the lectures, performance, and workshop.

Photo of KEPRI Mak Yong UMK Performance. Photo Credit: Zafrani Arifin, 2019

Photo of KEPRI Mak Yong UMK. Photo credit: Zafrani Arifin, 2019

Videos of portions of the workshop are available here and here

The UMK workshop ended with a moving performance of the Menghadap Rebab from the Kelantanese mak yong tradition led by Wan Mohd Azmi bin Wan Abdul Rahman (rebab) and  Nisah binti Mamat (Pak Yong) with  Rohimah binti Zakaria, Noor Hayati binti Zakaria, Noor Amiera Saila binti Ramlee, Nik Nurul Hidayah binti Nik Mat,  Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli, myself, Wan Midin bin Wan Majid, Awang bin Mat Ali, Mohamad Khairul bin Sezali, and UMK students.

Photo of KEPRI Mak Yong UMK Workshop. Photo Credit: Zafrani Arifin, 2019

Photo of KEPRI Mak Yong UMK Performance, Photo Credit: Zafrani Arifin, 2019

Audience KEPRI Mak Yong UMK Performance. Photo Credit: Zafrani Arifin, 2019

The following day, Teater Warisan Mak Yong worked with traditional rebabist Awang bin Omar, mak yong performer Wan Midin bin Wan Majid, and traditional musicians Awang bin Mat Ali, Mohamad Khairul bin Sezali, and Mohd. Nizam bin Othman to experiment with recreating the rebab melodies of the Riau Islands mak yong tradition using methods derived from the oral tradition of Kelantanese mak yong.

After this event concluded, Wan Mohd Azmi bin Wan Abdul Rahman, a lecturer in Traditional Theater at UiTM and a UMK Master’s Student and rebabist, gave a private lesson in rebab theory to members of Sanggar Teater Warisan Mak Yong. The event facilitated many meaningful academic and artistic exchanges between students, UMK staff, and mak yong performers from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Che Amat (Awang bin Omar) from Kelantan and Tengku Sadiah binti Tenku Muhamad Satar from KEPRI at the rebab workshop at the home of Mohd. Nizam bin Othman.

Nina and Ramli from Sanggar Teater Warisan Mak Yong (KEPRI) learn rebab technique from Che Amat (Awang bin Omar) from Kelantan.

Thank you AMINEF! (With Wan Marzuki bin Wan Midin)