MEK MULUNG (BANGKITNYA WARISAN TURUN-TEMURUN) - PERCUMA

NUR IZZATI JAMALLUDIN

Cetakan Pertama/First Print 2023 ©Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Kementerian Pelancongan Seni dan Budaya Malaysia Teks ©NUR IZZATI JAMALLUDIN 2023

Hak Cipta Terpelihara. Tidak dibenarkan mengeluar ulang mana-mana bahagian teks, ilustrasi, dan isi kandungan buku ini dalam apa juga bentuk dan dengan apa jua cara sama ada secara elektronik, fotokopi, mekanik, rakaman, atau cara lain kecuali dengan keizinan bertulis daripada Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Kementerian Pelancongan Seni dan Budaya Malaysia.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing National Department for Culture and Arts, Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture Malaysia.

Diterbitkan di Malaysia oleh/Published in Malaysia by: Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara Tkt. 16,18,19,26,27,30 & 34, Menara TH Perdana, Lot 1001, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dengan kerjasama/In Collaboration With: Konservatori Muzik, Kolej Pengajian Seni Kreatif, Hub Media & Teknologi Kreatif Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Reka Bentuk Buku/Book Design: UiTM Press Penterjemah /Translator: Afiqah Aisyah Saiful Bahar Fotografi/Photography: Oh Chin Eng, Muhammad Asyraf Rezali, Kandungan Augmented Reality (AR)/Content of Augmented Reality: DreamEDGE Sdn. Bhd. Buku Audio/Audio Books: Prodigital Lab Sdn. Bhd. Dicetak Oleh/Printed by: UiTM Press Kompleks Usahawan 40450 Shah Alam Selangor Malaysia

Data Pengkatalogan-dalam-Penerbitan Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Rekod katalog untuk buku ini boleh didapati dari Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia ISBN 978-967-5552-87-8 (hardback)

ISI KANDUNGAN CONTENTS vi vii viii ix x xii xiv xvi xviii xx

PERUTUSAN MESSAGE KATA PENGANTAR I FOREWORD I KATA PENGANTAR II FOREWORD II PRAKATA PREFACE PENGHARGAAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1

BAB CHAPTER

105

BAB CHAPTER

03

TEATER DAN ASPEK PENGGAYAAN DALAM PERSEMBAHAN MEK MULUNG THE THEATRE AND STYLISTIC ASPECTS OF THE MEK MULUNG PERFORMANCE 157

BAB CHAPTER

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MUZIK MEK MULUNG THE MUSIC OF MEK MULUNG

01

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DARI WANG TEPUS KE BANDAR : MENITI EVOLUSI MEK MULUNG FROM WANG TEPUS TO THE CITY : TRACING THE MEK MULUNG EVOLUTION 63

BAB CHAPTER

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PENJAGA-PENJAGA TRADISI GUARDIANS OF THE TRADITION

BAB CHAPTER

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USAHA-USAHA PELESTARIAN DAN PROMOSI MEK MULUNG SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS AND PROMOTION OF MEK MULUNG 269

BIBLIOGRAFI BIBLIOGRAPHY

PERUTUSAN

Usaha mendokumentasi dan menerbitkan buku berkaitan Mek Mulung ini merupakan satu usaha penting untuk mengangkat salah satu seni warisan yang berharga milik negara. Terima kasih kepada Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia (MOTAC) kerana telah mengambil inisiatif untuk memperkasakan Sektor Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan melalui Projek Khas bagi Inisiatif Pendigitalan IR 4.0. Selaras dengan pembangunan dunia dan teknologi masa kini, bidang penerbitan turut berkembang selari dengan transformasi ini. Mek Mulung merupakan salah satu warisan seni tertua negeri Kedah yang diwarisi semenjak Kerajaan Kedah Tua. Lantaran sifatnya yang unik dan istimewa ini, Mek Mulung telah diangkat sebagai salah satu Warisan Kebangsaan pada tahun 2015. Usaha mengangkat martabat Mek Mulung ini diteruskan lagi melalui pencalonan bagi mendapatkan pengiktirafan UNESCO di bawah List of Intangible Cultural Heritage: In Need of Urgent Safeguarding pada tahun 2019 yang akan dinilai pada tahun 2023. Daripada sebuah pementasan teater bangsal di Kampung Wang Tepus Jitra Kedah, kini Mek Mulung berjaya diangkat ke mata dunia. Pendokumentasian seni budaya ini mencerminkan usaha kita menghargai ilmu dan untuk memastikan ia terus kekal sebagai warisan dan rujukan generasi akan datang. Penerbitan ini juga dilihat sebagai nilai tambah dalam menyokong pelestarian seni Mek Mulung ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi. Selain sebagai inisiatif pendigitalan, penerbitan bahan rujukan ilmiah dalam bentuk komprehensif secara fizikal dan

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digital dwi-bahasa ini dilihat mampu memenuhi keperluan sumber rujukan masa kini. Saya percaya penerbitan ini akan menjadi salah satu rujukan istimewa kepada semua pencinta seni dan budaya tempatan dan antarabangsa satu masa nanti. Syabas dan terima kasih kepada Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN) selaku jabatan di bawah MOTAC yang sentiasa komited dalam menyemarak dan melestarikan seni budaya negara. Terima kasih juga kepada Kolej Pengajian Seni Kreatif UiTM dan Penerbit UiTM, atas kerjasama dalam menerbitkan bahan kajian ilmiah ini untuk tatapan semua. Tanpa usaha dan sokongan semua pihak, mustahil dapat kita hasilkan penerbitan edisi istimewa ini dalam bentuk bahan bertulis sebagai bukti kewujudan tamadun seni budaya sesuatu bangsa yang kekal terpelihara di Malaysia.

Salam Hormat,

YB DATO’ SRI TIONG KING SING MENTERI PELANCONGAN, SENI DAN BUDAYA MALAYSIA

MESSAGE

Efforts to document and publish a book on the traditional Malay theatre called Mek Mulung is crucial to raising awareness on and celebrating one of the country’s most valuable heritage arts. I would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture (MOTAC) for taking the initiative to empower the tourism and culture sector through the Digital Initiative Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0). With various breakthroughs in technology and development, technological advancements in terms of book publication too, are moving at a greater pace. Mek Mulung is one of Kedah’s oldest performing art forms that is thought to have been passed down from generations since the early Kedah civilization. In 2015, the performance has been declared a national heritage as it reflected a unique heritage potential. Efforts to promote and provide Mek Mulung with the proper recognition continue through the nomination submission of UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage: In Need of Urgent Safeguarding motion which will be evaluated in the year 2023 From its humble beginnings as a folk theatre, Mek Mulung will now be known to the rest of the world.

This cultural documentation reflects our efforts to appreciate this knowledge and to ensure that it continues to be known as an important cultural heritage as well as to be a reference guide to the younger generation This publication also aims to create an added value to support the revitalization of Mek Mulung to greater heights.

Aside from the digitalization initiative, this book will be viewed as a comprehensive academic reference that is available in both

physical and digital formats. The bilingual advantage will fulfil the need for a diverse audience. I strongly believe that this publication will become a distinct reference source for performing arts and culture enthusiasts both locally and abroad in the future. I would like to congratulate and acknowledge the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) as a department under MOTAC that is consistently committed to the revitalization efforts of our arts and culture. I would also like to thank Universiti Teknologi MARA’s College of Creative Arts as well as UiTM Press for this collaboration. Without effort and support from all our collaborators, this special edition of publication will not be able to be materialized as written evidence to reinforce the long-lasting historical evidence of a nation’s culture that survived in Malaysia to this very day.

Greetings,

YB DATO’ SRI TIONG KING SING MINISTER OF TOURISM, ARTS AND CULTURE MALAYSIA

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KATA PENGANTAR I

Tahniah kepada semua pihak yang telah menggembleng tenaga di atas usaha mengangkat kesenian Mek Mulung sebagai salah satu projek di bawah Pemerkasaan Sektor Kebudayaan di bawah inisiatif pendigitalan bahan penerbitan sebagai sebuah penerbitan yang berautoritatif. Mek Mulung merupakan salah satu aset seni budaya kita yang harus diberi perlindungan dan dikekalkan sebagai milik kita bersama. Penerbitan ini akan menjadi bahan rujukan bernilai tinggi yang akan diwarisi oleh generasi akan datang.

Sebagai sebuah kementerian dan juga agensi yang bertanggungjawab dalam usaha memulihara, memelihara dan mengembangkan seni dan budaya negara, langkah menerbitkan bahan dokumentasi ini adalah bertepatan untuk mengisi keperluan bahan rujukan selari keperluan hari ini khususnya dalam seni budaya. Atas komitmen ini, MOTAC telah mewujudkan inisiatif digital bagi Projek di bawah Pemerkasaan Sektor Pelancongan sebagai usaha dan sokongan kerajaan dalam memperkasakan aspek seni budaya melalui pendigitalan bahan.

Tamadun sesebuah negara itu pasti terkandung nilai seni dan budaya masyarakatnya tersendiri. Kita seharusnya berbangga kerana pernah memiliki dan mewarisi kekayaan seni budaya yang unik yang tidak terdapat di negara lain malah di seluruh dunia sekalipun.

Semoga bahan bacaan komprehensif yang julung kali diterbitkan oleh JKKN ini menjadi penanda aras ke arah penghasilan bahanbahan rujukan seni budaya yang bermutu tinggi pada masa akan datang.

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Terima kasih kepada JKKN yang telah menjayakan penerbitan ini.

Tidak lupa kepada Kolej Pengajian Seni Kreatif UiTM dan Penerbit UiTM yang sama-sama berganding bahu memberikan hasil yang terbaik sebagai tanda penghargaan kepada seni budaya tercinta ini.

Akhir kalam, sekali lagi saya merakamkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada semua pihak yang telah berkongsi maklumat, menyumbangkan idea, masa dan tenaga dalam memastikan penerbitan ini berjaya direalisasikan sebagai bahan yang berkualiti dan menjadi rujukan para pembaca dan pengkaji di luar sana.

Mekar berseri bunga kesidang Menghiasi laman dengan bauan Mek Mulung warisan seni gemilang Menjadi kebanggaan zaman berzaman

Selamat Maju Jaya

DATUK HAJAH SARAYA BINTI ARBI KETUA SETIAUSAHA KEMENTERIAN PELANCONGAN SENI DAN BUDAYA MALAYSIA

FOREWORD I

I would like to congratulate everyone who has invested their efforts in this project to revive Mek Mulung as an important heritage under the Cultural Sector Empowerment Project through the digital publication initiative. This manuscript will provide readers with a reliable source of information about Mek Mulung. Mek Mulung is one of the nation’s valuable cultural assets that require attention to be preserved as shared community ownership. This publication aims to become the main reference point that will be inherited by the future generation.

As a ministry department as well as an agency that is responsible to conserve, preserve and assess the health of our country’s arts and culture, the act of publishing this documentation corresponds to our aspirations to improve the need for adequate resources in today’s era, particularly within the realm of art culture. MOTAC is committed to driving this digital initiative for projects under the Tourism Sector Empowerment scheme as an effort to support the government to foster arts and cultural activities via product digitalization.

A nation’s civilization encompasses its unique cultural values that are expressed in society. We ought to be proud of being a part of and inheriting a unique tradition that is not available elsewhere.

I believe that this comprehensive reading material is the first of its kind, and it would be a quality benchmark for other arts and culture references published in the future.

Thank you to JKKN for the success of this publication.Not to forget Universiti Teknologi MARA’s College of Creative Arts and UiTM Press in their great efforts to advocate for the arts and to make this project a success.

Finally, yet importantly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone involved, informants, who contributed their ideas, time and energy to ensure that this publication is a success and produced to its highest calibre as a resource for readers and researchers alike

Mekar berseri bunga kesidang Menghiasi laman dengan bauan Mek Mulung warisan seni gemilang Menjadi kebanggaan zaman berzaman

I wish you all the best of luck.

DATUK HAJAH SARAYA BINTI ARBI HEAD SECRETARY MINISTRY OF TOURISM ARTS AND CULTURE MALAYSIA

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KATA PENGANTAR II

Alhamdulillah, marilah kita panjatkan kesyukuran ke hadrat Allah SWT kerana dengan limpah kurnia dan izin-Nya, dapat kita menyempurnakan penerbitan yang begitu lengkap dan padat iaitu buku Mek Mulung: Bangkitnya Warisan Turun-Temurun melalui suntikan insentif Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia (MOTAC) di bawah Projek Khas bagi Inisiatif Pendigitalan IR 4.0.

Untuk menghasilkan sebuah buku yang baik bukanlah satu tugas mudah. Penglibatan dan kerjasama semua pihak amatlah penting, bermula daripada idea penulis menjadikannya sebuah manuskrip sehinggalah berjaya diterbitkan dalam bentuk penerbitan seperti ini dan seterusnya akan melestari dan menyemarakkan lagi industri perbukuan tanah air.

Sesungguhnya industri perbukuan perlu disemarakkan dengan bahan-bahan penerbitan seni budaya yang akan kekal menjadi khazanah warisan negara. Asimilasi seni budaya banyak mempengaruhi seni budaya kita dari semasa ke semasa, namun dengan adanya bahan rujukan daripada generasi sebelumnya, diharap mampu menjadi asas rujukan yang terbaik untuk dikekalkan keasliannya sampai bila-bila.

Saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk merakamkan ucapan penghargaan dan terima kasih kepada semua pasukan yang terlibat khususnya JKKN dan UiTM melalui gandingan kerjasama Kolej Pengajian Seni Kreatif UiTM dan Penerbit UiTM yang bertungkus lumus menyiapkan penerbitan ini. Jalinan

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kerjasama JKKN-UiTM ini merupakan satu langkah tepat dalam usaha JKKN menghasilkan bahan-bahan berbentuk penyelidikan ilmiah seni budaya yang berkualiti dan berimpak tinggi. Jaringan kerjasama ini adalah selari teras kelima Pelan Strategik JKKN 2021-2025 iaitu memperkukuhkan jaringan kerjasama kebudayaan bagi kecemerlangan budaya. Sokongan dan komitmen ini amat bermakna sekali kepada JKKN dan diharap dapat diteruskan padai masa-masa akan datang.

Selaras Inisiatif Transformasi Digital JKKN masa kini, penerbitan bahan dalam bentuk digital telah memenuhi salah satu daripada 12 klasifikasi inisiatif utama yang telah dirangka, iaitu mewujudkan e-pusat sumber dan penerbitan.

Transformasi Digital ini adalah seiring dan memenuhi keperluan semasa yang membolehkan seni budaya kekal relevan dalam apa jua keadaan apatah lagi di saat seluruh dunia mengalami ”transformasi sosio budaya” berikutan pandemik COVID-19.

Penggunaan medium digital telah menjadi sebahagian daripada budaya dalam kehidupan kita masa kini dan akan datang.

Justeru, penerbitan ekslusif Mek Mulung dalam dwi bahasa secara fizikal dan digabungkan dengan teknologi Augmented Reality (AR) ini bakal menjadi perintis dan penanda aras kepada JKKN dalam menghasilkan bahan-bahan rujukan ilmiah yang berkualiti tinggi. Saya amat yakin, dengan semangat kerja berpasukan kita pasti berjaya menghasilkan sesuatu yang lebih baik lagi selepas ini.

Akhir kata, saya merakamkan ucapan penghargaan kepada seluruh pengurusan tertinggi MOTAC kerana telah memberikan kepercayaan kepada JKKN untuk menerbitkan buku ini. Penerbitan ini sedikit sebanyak akan membantu dan menyokong usaha MOTAC dalam mengangkat martabat seni Mek Mulung bagi mendapatkan pengiktirafan di bawah badan dunia UNESCO. Terima kasih kepada Dr Nur Izzati Jamalludin, Pensyarah Kanan Kolej Pengajian Seni Kreatif UiTM, dan seluruh pihak yang telah menyumbangkan masa, tenaga dan idea secara langsung atau tidak langsung dalam menghadirkan buku ini dan seterusnya memperkayakan sumber rujukan ilmiah seni budaya di Malaysia dan dunia amnya.

Semoga dengan usaha murni semua pihak ini akan beroleh keberkatan dan menjadi sumbangan berharga kepada negara dalam usaha melestarikan Mek Mulung sebagai khazanah warisan istimewa dan terus kekal gah di persada seni tradisional dalam kelasnya yang tersendiri.

”Semarakkan Seni Budaya” ”Transformasi digital JKKN”

HAJI MESRAN BIN MOHD YUSOP KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN KEBUDAYAAN DAN KESENIAN NEGARA (JKKN)

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FOREWORD II

Praise to God. Let us take this opportunity to express our blessings to The Almighty, that, if it is not for His Grace, this publication of Mek Mulung: A Heritage Rediscovered will not be as immaculate and overfilled with valuable information.

This project is made possible through the funds of the Digital Initiative IR 4.0 under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC).

To produce a credible book like this is not a task that should be taken lightly. The involvement of various agencies is critical.

It begins with a seed of an idea from the writer, which then develops into a manuscript up till its final published form as this book. This monumental work will revitalize and become a benchmark for future local publications. I believe that the publishing industry should be more involved in advocating arts and culture to safeguard our national heritage. Although the assimilation of foreign arts and culture towards our current society has infiltrated and influenced existing local cultures for many years, this book will hopefully become a prolific reference point for future readers.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone involved, especially from the team at JKKN and UiTM through the collaboration with the College of Creative Arts and UiTM Press that has worked very hard in the making of this publication. This collaboration between JKKN and UiTM is an excellent move in producing high-quality and high-impact cultural publications. This engagement aligns with our JKKN Long-Term Strategic Plan 2021-2025 which is to strengthen

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cultural partnerships to enhance cultural excellence. The support and commitment from everyone involved are undoubtedly meaningful for us at JKKN and I strongly hope that this relationship will last for many years to come.

To coincide with our JKKN Digital Transformation Initiative, publications in digital formats have fulfilled one of the twelve main initiatives that have been drafted in this initiative, that is, it would include digital libraries publications. This digital transformation corresponds to the current need to ensure that documentation of arts and culture remains relevant in today’s society especially after the world has experienced a “sociocultural transformation” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of digital mediums has become part of our lives and culture in today’s world and would certainly be in the future.

Therefore, this exclusive publication on Mek Mulung encompasses bilingual documented material in both Malay and English. It will also incorporate Augmented Reality which will be a pioneering feat and will set a new benchmark for JKKN and for its future academic high-quality publications. I am absolutely certain, with the confidence in our teamwork, that in the following years we will definitely produce better publications.

Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge MOTAC’s top administrative for entrusting JKKN in carrying out this project.

This publication endeavours to help and support MOTAC’s efforts in promoting Mek Mulung to be acknowledged under UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage.

I’d also like to thank Dr Nur Izzati Jamalludin, Senior Lecturer from the College of Creative Arts and her team, as well as everyone who has invested their time, efforts and resources directly or indirectly towards the making of this manuscript. Your contributions will enrich our existing documentation on arts and culture as a whole.

I hope that with everyone’s contribution to our nation’s efforts of preserving the performing arts, Mek Mulung will continue to strive beyond our expectations and continue to live on and be honoured as a cultural heritage for generations to come.

“Semarakkan Seni Budaya” “JKKN’s Digital Transformation”

HAJI MESRAN BIN MOHD YUSOP HEAD DIRECTOR, NATIONAL DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE AND ARTS (JKKN)

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PRAKATA

Mek Mulung, dalam bentuk moden dan pementasan secara konsert, telah mendapat sambutan yang baik sejak awal tahuntahun 2000-an apabila dipersembahkan di dewan-dewan besar di kawasan bandar, di institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi, di berbagai-bagai majlis rasmi dan sosial, malah pernah mengambil bahagian dalam pameran, acara, dan pertandingan di peringkat antarabangsa. Kesedaran terhadap Mek Mulung semakin meningkat berikutan pengisytiharannya sebagai warisan seni persembahan bagi negeri Kedah pada tahun 2014. Sebagai sebuah persembahan dramatari rakyat yang berakar umbi di kampung Wang Tepus, persembahan Mek Mulung pada satu ketika dahulu merupakan sumber hiburan utama yang sangat ditunggutunggu oleh masyarakat setempat. Pada masa ini, sungguhpun persembahan Mek Mulung versi bandar menerima sambutan yang sangat menggalakkan daripada penonton bandar, keadaan yang sama tidak diperoleh Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan di bangsal di Wang Tepus. Pelbagai perubahan sosio-ekonomi telah menyumbang kepada kurangnya kepentingan seni tradisi Mek Mulung dalam kehidupan penduduk luar bandar.

Buku ini ditulis berdasarkan kajian saya mengenai Mek Mulung selama lebih 10 tahun untuk memenuhi keperluan dua ijazah lanjutan di dua buah universiti yang berbeza. Saya sangat beruntung mendapat peluang untuk mengkaji dan mendokumentasikan evolusi persembahan Mek Mulung sehingga kepada statusnya pada masa ini. Saya sangat berbesar hati berkesempatan mengenali dan berinteraksi dengan tokohtokoh yang sentiasa bersedia menjadi pakar rujuk dan memberi inspirasi sepanjang kajian ini, walaupun ramai antara mereka tidak lagi bersama-sama kita untuk melihat sumbangan mereka terhadap penghasilan buku ini. Sungguhpun kandungan buku

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ini berorientasikan kajian akademik, gaya penulisannya telah disesuaikan supaya ia boleh mencapai sasaran pembaca yang lebih meluas dan mudah diterima untuk tatapan umum. Laporan akademik kajian Mek Mulung sebagai tesis Doktor Falsafah saya boleh dimuat turun melalui laman sesawang institusi pengajian saya, iaitu King’s College London.

Manuskrip asal buku ini ditulis dalam Bahasa Inggeris dan diterjemahkan dalam Bahasa Melayu. Ia memberi peluang untuk mendengar bahan-bahan audio yang diterbitkan bersama buku ini berserta dengan komponen realiti pengantara (AR) untuk pendekatan yang berinteraktif dan lebih menyeronokkan kepada pembaca/pendengar. Komponen audio bagi buku ini telah dirakam khas di sebuah studio oleh penyanyi dan pemuzik profesional, bersama-sama kehadiran dua orang tokoh pemuzik Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus, dan bukan rakaman persembahan secara langsung di sebuah pementasan di lapangan. Selain itu, buku ini juga diterbitkan dalam bentuk buku audio sebagai suatu alternatif kepada pembaca/pendengar untuk menikmati dan lebih menghargai Mek Mulung. Kemajuan teknologi terkini sememangnya dapat memperkasakan seni tradisi supaya lebih mudah dan ramai boleh mendapatkannya. Projek buku ini bertujuan supaya usaha-usaha ke arah menggalakkan keterangkuman kelompok masyarakat yang mempunyai kemampuan penglihatan yang berbeza mendapat peluang untuk menikmati dan menghayati persembahan Mek Mulung.

Saya berharap pembaca/pendengar merasa gembira dan berpuas hati dengan kandungan buku ini sebagaimana saya mendapat kepuasan menulisnya serta berkongsi pengalaman saya dengan Mek Mulung dalam konteks gaya persembahannya

di kampung Wang Tepus dan pementasan di bandar-bandar. Saya percaya format baharu penulisan buku yang memasuki elemen interaktif serta memberi perhatian kepada isu keterangkuman dapat memberi ilham kepada penulis-penulis berkolaborasi untuk menampilkan gaya baharu penulisan buku bagi menggantikan gaya tradisional dalam usaha mempromosi seni persembahan tempatan. Dalam masa yang sama, saya juga berharap penghasilan buku akan mencetuskan minat pembaca untuk memulakan kajian sendiri mengenai sesuatu seni persembahan. Akhir sekali, saya juga berharap buku ini dapat menjadi sumber rujukan bukan sahaja kepada penjaga-penjaga tradisi di Wang Tepus pada masa kini, tetapi juga bagi pewaris-pewaris tradisi akan datang yang boleh membawa Mek Mulung kembali kepada aras kegemilangannya.

Nur Izzati Jamalludin

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PREFACE

Mek Mulung, in its modern and concertized form, has enjoyed much popularity since the early 2000s, when performed on urban stages in large concert halls, in higher learning institutions, at various official and social functions, and even participated in international exhibitions, events and competitions. It received an added boost when it was declared as a state performing arts heritage by the Kedah state government in 2014. As a tradition that is rooted in the rural village of Wang Tepus, Mek Mulung performances in the past were highly anticipated as one of the main sources of entertainment for the village community. Despite the current popularity enjoyed by the urban version, the same is not accorded to the original village version. Various social-economic changes to rural life have contributed to it being less sought out to meet the needs of the rural folks, and thus becoming overshadowed by its urban-version counterpart.

This book is based on my research on Mek Mulung for two cycles of my graduate studies in two different countries spanning 10 years. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to investigate and document the Mek Mulung performance evolution and how it has developed into its present status. I am grateful to those whom I have met and known, served as informants, and provided inspiration throughout the process, and sadly many of whom are now deceased. Although the book content is research-oriented, much of its academic scaffoldings have been appropriately removed to serve a larger audience. The academic version of the Mek Mulung doctoral research is available for download through my alma mater’s website (King’s College London).

The original manuscript of this book was written in English and then translated in Bahasa Melayu. It provides readers with audio files and augmented reality (AR) components that I hope its interactive

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approach would bring more enjoyment to readers. All recordings are of studio-quality involving professional singers and musicians, under the watchful eye of two traditional performers from Wang Tepus instead of live performance recordings in the field. In addition, an audio format of this book is made available as an alternative way to provide readers/listeners further enjoyment and appreciation for Mek Mulung. Recent technological breakthroughs have certainly brought greater empowerment towards making traditional arts more widely accessible. As demonstrated in this special book project, inclusivity efforts are being addressed specifically to meet the needs of the visually impaired to enjoy and appreciate the traditional arts, such as Mek Mulung.

I sincerely hope readers will enjoy the book as much as I have enjoyed writing it and sharing my experiences with Mek Mulung within its contexts, both rural and urban performance styles. I believe that this new format of book writing will inspire other writers and performers to collaborate and push the boundaries of traditional book writing towards promoting performing arts. At the same time, it is my wish that this book effort will spark curiosity among many of you readers to start your inquiry into a particular performing art, and it is also my hope that this book will be beneficial to the younger beholders of the tradition in Wang Tepus to bring Mek Mulung to greater heights.

Nur Izzati Jamalludin

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PENGHARGAAN

ALHAMDULILLAH Projek penulisan buku ini adalah suatu yang amat mencabar; namun begitu ia memberi kepuasan yang sangat besar setelah berjaya menyiapkannya tidak lama setelah cadangannya dikemukakan. Buku ini tidak mungkin dihasilkan tanpa kerjasama daripada pelbagai pihak dan individu-individu tertentu yang telah menyumbang idea, memberi galakan dan kata semangat, serta memberi pelbagai bentuk sokongan. Saya ingin isikan bahagian ini untuk memberi penghargaan kepada kelompok-kelompok dan individu-individu yang bersama-sama menjadikan projek ini suatu pengalaman yang tidak boleh dilupakan.

Pertama sekali, saya ingin merakam ucapan terima kasih kepada penaja buku ini, iaitu Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN), Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya, Malaysia (MOTAC). Melalui sokongan kewangan dan kepercayaan keatas saya sebagai penulis, saya sangat berterima kasih mempunyai peluang untuk berkongsi penghasilan buku ini dengan orang ramai.

Saya juga ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia yang membiayai sepenuhnya pengajian saya di peringkat Doktor Falsafah, walaupun pada masa itu negara sedang berhadapan dengan cabaran kepada mata wang Ringgit.

Penghargaan tulus ikhlas yang tidak terhingga ditujukan kepada ayah dan ibu saya, Jamalludin Sulaiman dan Salma Ishak, yang merupakan sumber inspirasi dan tidak kurang juga sumber kritikan sepanjang pengajian akademik saya. Menjadi satu kebiasaan apabila perbalahan di meja makan umpama sebuah perbincangan projek kuliah. Mereka adalah segala-galanya bagi saya.

Kepada mantan penyelia-penyelia di peringkat pengajian pasca siswazah, Profesor Dr. Mohd Anis Md Nor di Universiti Malaya (kini di Nusantara Performing Arts Research Center, NusPARC),

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Dr Katherine Schofield dan Profesor Dr. Martin Stokes di Kings College London, saya berterima kasih atas kebijaksanaan, bimbingan serta kesabaran mereka membaca dan memperbaiki penulisan saya. Terima kasih juga kepada mentor-mentor yang lain, Prof. Dr. Patricia Matusky di Universiti Malaya (kini di Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan, ASWARA) dan Prof.

Dr. Tan Sooi Beng di Universiti Sains Malaysia, yang sentiasa memberi tunjuk ajar yang sangat berharga. Kepada bantuan yang diberikan oleh Dato’ Dr. Anabel Gallop daripada British Library London, saya ucapkan terima kasih atas khidmat nasihat beliau untuk memperkenalkan saya kepada pakar-pakar rujuk yang telah membantu mengembangkan makalah ini.

Saya sangat terhutang budi kepada tokoh-tokoh daripada Wang Tepus yang sudi meluangkan masa dan berkongsi maklumat dengan saya. Terima kasih kepada Pak Saad (Saad bin Taib) dan keluarga, Abang Mat (Ahmad bin Shahadan) dan keluarga, dan Pak Awie (Senawi bin Omar) dan keluarga. Mereka semua telah menerima saya dengan hati yang terbuka, dan kembalinya mereka ke Rahmatullah merupakan satu kehilangan yang besar kepada tradisi Mek Mulung dan komuniti Wang Tepus. Saya harap legasi yang ditinggalkan dapat diteruskan melalui buku ini.

Kepada Pak Dan (Ishak bin Man), Pak Din (Kamarusdin bin Debak) dan Pak Ya (Che Ya @ Yahya bin Dohat), terima kasih kerana terus menghidupkan tradisi ini dan memberi inspirasi kepada saya untuk menulis buku ini. Walaupun saya telah mengikuti perkembangan Mek Mulung dan persembahannya untuk beberapa tahun, namun saya sentiasa mempelajari banyak perkara baharu. Setiap kali kita berjumpa dan berbincang mengenai persembahan Mek Mulung, ada perkara-perkara baharu yang muncul. Saya juga ingin menyatakan terima kasih saya kepada Kak Zam (Zamzuriah Zahari) dan suaminya Abang Baiesah (Kamarulbaiesah Hussin) kerana membantu saya memahami aspek-aspek lain mengenai Mek Mulung dan hubungannya dengan genre-genre persembahan yang lain yang terdapat di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Saya berterima kasih kepada rakan sekerja saya, Puan Afiqah Aisyah Saiful Bahar, selaku pembantu penyelidik saya, yang bekerja keras membantu saya dalam menterjemahkan versi asal

laporan ini dalam Bahasa Inggeris kepada versi terkini dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Tanpa bantuan beliau, projek ini mungkin tidak dapat digerakkan seperti yang diinginkan. Terima kasih kerana sentiasa bersemangat dan memberi galakkan untuk membuat tugasan ini dengan sebaik mungkin. Kepada rakan penterjemah saya, yang menterjemahkan teks-teks lagu Mek Mulung ke Bahasa Inggeris, Encik Liew Zhe Rong, jasamu akan sentiasa dikenang. Beliau melihat bagaimana saya melalui kesukaran mencari penyelesaian terhadap tuntutan-tuntutan daripada projek penyelidikan peringkat pengajian Sarjana saya, dan dalam masa yang sama anda juga sedang menyiapkan projek beliau sendiri. Namun, beliau bersedia untuk membantu dalam memberi konteks kepada teks-teks lagu Mek Mulung yang agak sukar. Oleh itu, saya amat berterima kasih.

Ucapan terima kasih yang istimewa kepada semua yang telah memberi sumbangan dalam pelbagai bentuk untuk menghasilkan buku ini. Terdapat seorang penyelidik yang di sebut-sebut orang kampung seorang Marie yang pernah datang dan tinggal di Wang Tepus. Tokoh-tokoh ini kerap kali menyebut “pernah dulu ada pompuan Mat Saleh nama Mary/Marie, biasa mai kampung ni, tapi tak tau dia pi mana”. Mulalah saya menghantar email kepada beberapa Marie dan Mary dan akhirnya seorang Dr. Marie-Andrée Couillard dari Kanada telah memberi balasan. Pada awalnya beliau menyatakan bahawa beliau tidak pernah mendengar atau melihat persembahan Mek Mulung. Setelah beberapa pertukaran emel, dan saya hampir putus asa, saya bernasib baik kerana beliau masih menyimpan gambar-gambar lama ketika beliau membuat kerja lapangan beliau. Tanpa menyedari, beliau berkongsi gambar-gambar yang diambil pada tahun 1980-an di Wang Tepus yang mengandungi beberapa keping gambar persembahan Mek Mulung yang digunapakai dalam penulisan ini.

Satu penemuan yang menarik baru-baru ini adalah apabila saya mendapat tahu bahawa bekas pengetua sekolah menengah saya, Datin Zaleha Abdul Hamid, merupakan seorang informan yang saya cuba jejaki, setelah saya membaca penulisan latihan ilmiahnya mengenai Mek Mulung yang pada tahun 1970-an. Beliau pernah menyaksi satu persembahan Mek Mulung semasa menjalankan

kajiannya dibawah penyeliaan seorang pakar antropologi, Dr. Amin Sweeny pada masa itu di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, yang dilaporkan pada tahun 1975. Kajiannya telah memberi satu sinaran baru dengan mengingatkan semula cerita-cerita Mek Mulung yang telah dilupai.

Penghargaan saya juga ditujukan kepada rakan-rakan saya Mohd Nordin Abdul Latip, Hairi Safwan Adnan, Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad, Danesh Raj Nagarajan; kenalan-kenalan daripada Nyala Dance Theatre, Pixelah, The Actors Studio, Jabatan Warisan Negara (JWN), Muzium Negeri Kedah, dan Cawangan Dokumentasi dan Penerbitan Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN) terutamanya Puan Zubariah binti Abdullah dan Encik Ali bin Ariff atas kesudian mereka memberi kebenaran menggunakan gambar-gambar serta melihat beberapa dokumen penting mengenai Mek Mulung yang berada di dalam koleksi mereka.

Tidak dilupakan kerjasama yang diberikan oleh kumpulan penerbitan buku ini daripada Penerbit UiTM, Puan Diana Semaon dan Encik Mohd Nor Firdaus Mohd Isa, unit realiti pengantara daripada DreamEDGE Sdn. Bhd. Encik Muhammad Aiman Muhd Zubir, staf Pusat Pengurusan Penyelidikan UiTM, dan studio GreenWave, yang bersabar dengan kemajuan saya dan juga semakan-semakan semula keatas manuskrip ini sehingga ke bentuknya yang terkini. Anda semua adalah satu pasukan yang luar biasa dan saya sangat menghargai peluang bekerjasama dengan semua.

Akhir sekali, saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada ahli keluarga luas saya yang sangat saya kasihi, rakan-rakan seperjuangan pelajar pascasiswazah di Kings College London, rakan sekerja dan pelajar-pelajar, di Kolej Pengajian Seni Kreatif UiTM, semua yang secara tidak langsung terlibat dalam projek penulisan ini, dan semua pembaca buku ini. Saya berterima kasih atas dorongan dan sokongan anda semua. Saya berharap akan terus meningkatkan kesedaran komuniti-komuniti yang telah saya kenali semasa menjalankan kajian ini dan juga menaruh harapan supaya tradisi ini terus kekal untuk tahun-tahun mendatang.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Praise be to God. Writing this book has been a very challenging project, but nonetheless the most rewarding to have it realized within a short period following its proposal. This book would not have materialized without the cooperation from various groups and individuals who have contributed ideas, given encouragement and provided support in many ways. I dedicate this section to these notable groups and individuals who have made this project a memorable experience.

Firstly, I would like to thank the sponsor for this book, The National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Malaysia. With the available funding and the belief in me as a writer, I am most grateful to have the opportunity to share this work with everyone. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Higher Education for providing financial support throughout my entire doctoral studies when it was a challenging time for the Malaysian currency.

My most heartfelt appreciation goes to my parents, Jamalludin Sulaiman and Salma Ishak, who are my inspiration as well my two biggest sources of critiques in my entire academic career. On any given day, they make conversations at the dinner table feel like class project discussions. I love you both to the moon and back.

To my former postgraduate supervisors, Professor Dr Mohd Anis Md Nor formally of Universiti Malaya (currently in Nusantara Performing Arts Research Center, NusPARC), Dr Katherine Schofield and Professor Dr Martin Stokes of Kings College London, I thank you for your wisdom and guidance as well the many hours of re-reading my work. To my other mentors Prof. Dr Patricia Matusky, formally of Universiti Malaya (currently at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage, ASWARA) and Prof. Dr. Tan Sooi Beng

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of Universiti Sains Malaysia, who were ever willing to provide the needed support and guidance. And to my most helpful support from the British Library in London, Dato’ Dr Anabel Gallop, thank you for helping me getting connected to the right people.

I am very much indebted to the wonderful informants who have shared their time and knowledge with me. Thank you to Pak Saad (Saad bin Taib) and family, Abang Mat (Ahmad bin Shahadan) and family, and Pak Awie (Senawi bin Omar) and family. You have graciously welcomed me into your homes and your passing is such a loss to the community. I hope the legacy you left behind will live on in this book. To Pak Dan (Ishak bin Man), Pak Din (Kamarusdin bin Debak) and Pak Ya (Che Ya @ Yahya bin Dohat) thank you for keeping this tradition alive and giving me the inspiration to write this book.

Although I have been following Mek Mulung and its performances for many years, I continue to learn many new things. Each time we get together to talk about Mek Mulung performances, something new lights up. I would also like to thank Kak Zam (Zamzuriah Zahari) and her husband Abang Baiesah (Kamarulbaiesah Hussin) for helping me understand other aspects of Mek Mulung and their relationships to other performance genres in peninsular Malaysia.

I am grateful to my colleague, Madam Afiqah Aisyah Saiful Bahar, as my project assistant, for her hard work in assisting me with the translation work of the original English version into the final Bahasa Melayu version. Without her help, this project would be like pushing a sleeping mammoth. Thank you for keeping us both energized to get the work done. To my other translator friend, Mr Liew Zhe Rong, who did the English translations of the Malay song texts, I will be forever indebted for your help. You have seen me going through the difficult times in trying to find solutions to the demands of my Master’s research project, while at the same time you were

completing yours. Nonetheless, you were gracious enough to help give contexts to some very difficult Mek Mulung song texts. I cannot thank you enough.

Special thanks to all who have contributed in some form or other towards this book. To Dr. Marie-Andrée Couillard whom I have sent cold emails in the beginning, I was at my wit’s end figuring out who is this mysterious person whom my informants kept mentioning that “there was a lady, named Marie/Mary, who previously came to the village, but no one knows where she went”, which miraculously turned out to be Dr. Couillard who is currently residing in Canada.

After a couple of email exchanges, it was my good fortune that she had in her possession many valuable photos of Mek Mulung performances in the early 1980s.

Another interesting recent discovery was realizing that my former high school principal, Datin Zaleha Abdul Hamid, was actually the person whom I was trying to establish contact after having read her academic report of a study on Mek Mulung in the 1970s. She had actually seen a Mek Mulung performance while carrying out a study under anthropologist Dr. Amin Sweeny of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, which she reported in 1975. Her study shed a whole new light by recalling some of the Mek Mulung stories that have been forgotten.

I would also like to express my appreciation to friends Mohd Nordin Abdul Latip, Hairi Safwan Adnan, Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad, Danesh Raj Nagarajan; contacts from Nyala dance theatre, Pixelah, The Actors Studio, The Department of National Heritage (JWN), the Kedah State Museum, and the Documentation and Publication

Division of JKKN, especially Madam Zubariah binti Abdullah and Mr Ali bin Ariff. Thank you for allowing me access to photographs and other documentations of Mek Mulung from your collections. Also, to my photographer friend, Oh Cheng Eng, who agreed to come down with us to Wang Tepus to capture the village life from his lenses. For that I thank you.

Not forgetting members of the book’s production team from UiTM Press, Madam Diana Semaon and Mr Mohd Nor Firdaus Mohd Isa, the Augmented Reality unit from DreamEDGE Sdn. Bhd. Mr Muhammad Aiman Muhd Zubir, staff of UiTM’s Research Management Centre, and the studio at GreenWave, for being patient with my progress and many revisions of this manuscript into the form it is today. You are all a truly remarkable team and it has been such a pleasure to have the chance to work with you.

Lastly, I would like to thank various members of my wonderful extended family, fellow graduate students at King’s College London, my work colleagues and my wonderful students at the newly formed College of Creative Arts, at UiTM, everyone who was a part of this project indirectly, and potential readers of this book. I thank you so much for your encouragement and support. I hope to continue to further enlighten the communities that I have encountered as part of the research and hopefully the tradition will be able to sustain itself for many years to come.

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01 BAB CHAPTER

DARI WANG TEPUS KE BANDAR: MENITI EVOLUSI MEK MULUNG FROM WANG TEPUS TO THE CITY: TRACING THE MEK MULUNG EVOLUTION

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JAMUAN YANG DITUNGGU-TUNGGU: SATU PENDAHULUAN Suasana kawasan persekitaran rumah Pak Saad riuh-rendah dengan kehadiran penduduk kampung. Setiap orang mempunyai peranan masing-masing yang berbeza dalam proses menyediakan makanan untuk majlis jamuan yang akan didakan pada hari itu.

Pada awal pagi lagi, seekor lembu telah selesai ditumbangkan untuk lauk-pauk jamuan tersebut. Kaum wanita kelihatan sibuk menyediakan bahan-bahan masakan. Bunyi hentakan pisau di atas papan pemotong, kulit-kulit bawang yang dikupas, dan suara bualan para wanita sambil mereka bekerja memenuhi ruang sekeliling. Bunyi riuh rendah ini diselangi dengan bunyi desiran daun-daun yang ditiup angin pagi di Kampung Wang Tepus, Jitra, Kedah.

A FEAST WITH ANTICIPATION: A PREAMBLE There was a big commotion at Pak Saad’s house. Everyone had a role to play; a large feast was being prepared. Earlier in the morning, a cow had been slaughtered. The women in the village were busy with the food preparation. The clanging of knives on chopping boards, peeling of onion skins and chattering of the neighbourhood gossips were among the sonic ambient sounds with some occasional rustling of leaves on a cool morning in kampung Wang Tepus, Jitra, Kedah.

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Kaum wanita menyediakan bahan-bahan jamuan.

Women folks preparing food for the big feast.

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Kaum lelaki melapah daging lembu yang disembelih pagi itu.

Men folks preparing the slaughtered cow.

Bagaikan satu pasukan dalam sebuah kilang, penduduk kampung bergerak dengan lancar untuk mencapai sasaran tertentu. Setiap individu secara tersendiri tahu apa yang perlu dilakukan serta tugasan yang dilaksanakan.

Kaum lelaki melaksanakan tugas memasak dengan menggunakan periuk-periuk besar serta kawah yang ditempatkan di atas bara kayu api, dan mengacau masakan dengan senduk-senduk yang saiznya persis pendayung.

Kedengaran seorang wanita berumur 40-an berkata, “Rasa macam hang nikah!” Sememangnya ia seolah-olah suasana biasa yang dapat dilihat sekiranya ada majlis kenduri, ataupun persiapan yang selalu diadakan bagi meraikan majlis pernikahan, majlis berkhatan, atau majlis kelahiran yang dikenali sebagai aqiqah. Namun begitu, pada hari ini, tiada sesiapa yang akan melangsungkan pernikahan mahupun menyambut kelahiran. Malam ini adalah malam yang ditunggu-tunggu oleh seluruh penduduk kampung, iaitu malam terakhir persembahan Mek Mulung.

It was like some sort of a large assembly line involving kampung folks meeting their production target for the day. Everyone knew their roles and everything moved accordingly. The men did most of the cooking. Large pots or kawah were laid on open wood fire; large ladles almost like paddles were used to stir the large meat dish. A woman in her forties shouted, “It’s like your child is getting married!”.

Indeed, this would be a typical scene of a village kenduri or a feast activity that usually accompanies various rites of passage like weddings, circumcisions, or a celebration of a child’s birth or aqiqah. But today no one is getting married and neither a birth of a child. Tonight is the night that the whole kampung folks are waiting with anticipation. It is the final night of a Mek Mulung performance.

Aktiviti berkongsi cerita sambil menjamah makanan ringan apabila tugasan hampir selesai.

Exchanging stories and having snacks when their work was almost finished.

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Kanak-kanak melihat seekor ayam yang akan disembelih bagi kegunaan majlis.

Children watching a chicken ready to be slaughtered as an offering.

Kaum lelaki memasak menggunakan kawah di atas api di atas tanah.

(Gambar ihsan daripada Marie-Andre Couillard, 1980-an).

Men folks cooking in the kawah over open fire.

(Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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Di kawasan berhampiran, iaitu di rumah Pak Mat, seorang wanita berusia yang memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai Tok Chah, menyediakan beberapa jenis manisan. Tidak seperti suasana riuh-rendah seperti sebuah kenduri, Tok Chah menjalankan tugasnya secara bersendirian dalam keadaan yang tenang. Dia menyediakan setiap manisan ataupun kuih dengan penuh teliti dan dedikasi. Salah satu hidangan ialah pulut kacau atau wajik, iaitu beras pulut yang dimasak bersama gula merah yang dicairkan dan perlu dikacau pada setiap masa di atas dapur sehingga ia menjadi pekat dan likat. Tenaga yang diperlukan ternyata luar biasa, terutama datangnya daripada seorang wanita yang telah berusia untuk menyediakan hidangan yang memerlukan usaha dan kesabaran supaya hidangan pasti tersedia untuk majlis nanti. Dari semasa ke semasa, dia akan membawa sedikit hasil masakannya untuk mendapatkan pendapat Pak Mat, “Besaq ni ka?”, “Maneh sangat ka?”. Pak Mat, yang berusia pertengahan 50-an sedang berehat sebelum persembahannya pada sebelah malam nanti.

Next door, in Pak Mat’s house, an elderly lady who addressed herself as Tok Chah was preparing several dishes of sweet treats. Unlike the busy and loud atmosphere of the kenduri, Tok Chah was quietly working alone. She was making each treat or kuih with such care and dedication. One particular dish, the pulut kacau or wajik, which is made from glutenous rice cooked with palm sugar caramel needed constant stirring on the stove until it thickens. No ordinary strength, especially from an elderly lady, could put up with the patience and effort to ensure that the food would be ready for the feast. From time to time, she would bring some of the kuih to get Pak Mat’s opinion, “Is this size okay?”, “Is it too sweet?” Pak Mat, a man in his late fifties, was resting before the night’s performance.

Tok Chah menyediakan makanan bagi upacara penyembahan.

Tok Chah preparing food for offerings.

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Apabila kesemua hidangan telah selesai dimasak, secara teliti Tok Chah menyusun pelbagai manisan yang disediakannya itu di atas sebuah dulang bulat yang besar yang dialas dengan daun pisang. Setelah meletakkannya di tempat yang selamat, dia duduk berehat di atas sebuah kerusi malas, sambil menyalakan sebatang rokok. Dia berkata, “Bila dah letak ataih para, jangan ada dok usik”.

Seperti sedia maklum, manisan ini bukan untuk dihidangkan kepada para tetamu majlis, tetapi ia mempunyai peranan yang penting dalam persembahan Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus.

Apabila semua hidangan utama telah selesai dimasak, pada waktu tengah hari peduduk-penduduk kampung datang untuk menjamu selera.

When the food was cooked, Tok Chah carefully arranged the sweet treats on a large round tray which she had lined with banana leaves. She put them aside and sat on a lazy chair for a good rest. She lighted up a traditional cigarette while uttering, “When it is placed at the altar, no one can touch this”. Indeed, the sweet treats were not meant to be served at the main feast; they had a special role in the Mek Mulung performance in Wang Tepus. The offerings placed on the para (altar) in the bangsal.

When all the food was cooked and served, during the afternoon, the villagers and their families came out to enjoy the feast.

Komuniti Wang Tepus bertukar-tukar berita terkini sambil menikmati makanan yang telah mereka sediakan.

The Wang Tepus community keeps up with the latest news while enjoying the food they helped prepare earlier.

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Tidak jauh di pinggir sawah padi yang menghijau, terdapat sebuah bangsal yang dibina khas bagi tujuan pementasan persembahan Mek Mulung. Bangsal itu dihias menggunakan surat khabar serta kertas pelbagai warna. Persembahan Mek Mulung telah berlangsung dua malam sebelumnya, dan malam ini adalah malam yang paling ditunggu-tunggu. Penduduk kampung ternanti-nanti untuk menyaksikan persembahan yang kebiasaannya diadakan hanya sekali dalam setahun.

Kanak-kanak bermain dengan meriah di persekitaran bangsal yang sudah lama tidak dihias sebegitu warnawarni. Di bangsal, Pak Saad memeriksa peralatan persembahan bagi memastikan ianya tersedia dan diletakkan pada posisi yang tepat. Beberapa orang penduduk kampung telah mula berkumpul di kawasan perkarangan bangsal.

Overlooking the green paddy fields, a sight not to be missed was the bangsal, the specially-built structure for staging the Mek Mulung performance. It was highly decorated with newspaper and colourful decorative paper. The Mek Mulung performance had already commenced the previous two nights, and tonight was the highly anticipated final night. The village community looked forward to witnessing the performance which normally would take place once a year. Curious young children played around the bangsal since it has been a while that it was this colourful. At the bangsal, Pak Saad checked to make sure the instruments were ready and placed in the right positions. Some of the villagers have started to gather around the bangsal area.

Pak Saad menyediakan alat-alat muzik di dalam bangsal Pak saad getting the music instruments ready in the bangsal

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Menjelang senja, apabila riuh-rendah menyediakan jamuan mula reda, di sudut para di bahagian belakang bangsal menjadi tumpuan utama apabila diletakkan bahan-bahan sajian yang disusun rapi bersama-sama manisan yang disediakan oleh Tok Chah. Selain itu, tembikar-tembikar yang diisi air turut diletakkan di atas para juga, sebagai bahan sajian. Ketika ini, di rumah Pak Saad, pasukan persembahan sibuk bersiap mengenakan pakaian untuk persembahan. Salah seorang daripada penari, iaitu Nurul, telah disolek dan dihias rambutnya oleh salah seorang makciknya.

At sunset, when the hype of the feast had died down, the altar section of the bangsal became the major attraction with food offerings being laid out, including the sweet treats prepared earlier

by Tok Chah. Pots filled with water were also part of the offerings.

In Pak Saad’s house, the performers were busy donning their attire for the night. One of the dancers, Nurul, had her hair decorated with flowers and makeup was done by one of her aunts.

Bahan-bahan untuk majlis penyembahan telah siap diletak di atas para bangsal berserta dengan topeng-topeng yang akan digunakan untuk persembahan.

The food offerings are all ready on the altar in the bangsal, including the masks to be worn for the performance.

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Pada masa yang sama, Pak Saad mengambil kesempatan untuk melakukan ritual ke atas peralatan muzik yang akan digunakan semasa persembahan pada malam itu. Bahan-bahan yang digunakan oleh Pak Saad untuk upacara penyembahan diletakkan di dalam piringpiring yang disusun di atas dulang. Bahanbahan ini termasuk lilin, minyak, set sirihpinang, dan duit pengeras untuk diberikan kepada Binjai yang melaksanakan upacara tersebut.

In the meantime, Pak Saad took care of the rituals on the instruments to be played during the night’s performance. The items used by Pak Saad for the rituals in individual plates were placed on a tray, which include candles, oil, a set of areca nut, betel leaves, and their usual accompaniments (referred to as the bekas pinang), and small, fixed token payment for the Binjai or person conducting the ritual (referred to as the duit pengeras).

Pak Saad melakukan ritual ke atas peralatan muzik.

Pak Saad performing rituals on instruments.

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Bahan-bahan digunakan oleh Pak Saad untuk ritual ke atas peralatan muzik dan bahan-bahan penyembahan.

Paraphernalia used by Pak Saad for the rituals on musical instruments and props.

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Selepas waktu solat Isyak, kebanyakan ahli kumpulan persembahan tiba untuk mengambil tempat masing-masing di bangsal dan mula memainkan lagu instrumental Mek Mulung yang pertama, iaitu Bertabuh, untuk memberitahu bahawa persembahan akan bermula dalam masa yang terdekat. Tiupan serunai yang memecah keheningan malam menarik perhatian penduduk kampung sebagai tanda persembahan telah bermula.

After the last mandatory prayers of the night, most of the performers have arrived at the bangsal and the musicians started playing the first instrumental piece of the Mek Mulung repertoire, the Bertabuh, to indicate that the performance was about to begin.

The mighty blow of the serunai got the villagers’ attention that performance has begun.

Kumpulan pemuzik bersiap sedia untuk memulakan persembahan.

Musicians ready to begin the performance.

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PEMETAAN MEK MULUNG

MAPPING MEK MULUNG

Mek Mulung adalah satu bentuk drama-tari tradisional yang menggabungkan elemen-elemen dialog, lakonan, nyanyian, tarian serta muzik instrumental yang menjadi tunggak utama dalam sesuatu persembahan Mek Mulung. Ia juga mempunyai elemenelemen menurun apabila ritual rawatan atau penyembuhan digabungkan dalam sebuah persembahan. Mek Mulung adalah sebuah tradisi yang berasal daripada Kampung Wang Tepus dan tidak diketahui kewujudannya di tempat lain. Sehingga kini, persembahan ini masih dipraktikkan dalam bentuk tradisional dan asal seperti yang terdapat pada beberapa generasi terdahulu.

Di kampung inilah terletaknya asas/tapak pengasas tradisi yang menganggap diri mereka sebagai penerus atau penjaga warisan ini. Majoriti pengamal Mek Mulung datangnya daripada susur galur keluarga ahli persembahan yang sama, di mana ilmu persembahan tradisi ini diturunkan daripada satu generasi ke generasi berikutnya.

Mek Mulung is a traditional form of dance-drama which incorporates elements of dialogue, acting, singing, dancing, and instrumental music as the core of the performance in a single presentation. It even includes a trance component, when a healing ritual is combined into the performance. It originates in the village of Wang Tepus and is not known to exist elsewhere. It is still practiced here in its traditional form which dates back to several generations.

It is here that the original and current performers, who consider themselves as the guardians of the tradition, make their home.

Mek Mulung practitioners come from the same family lineage of performers which are passed down from one generation to the next.

Kampung Wang Tepus Wang Tepus adalah sebuah kampung di dalam daerah Kubang Pasu di bahagian utara negeri Kedah di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Ia dianggarkan terletak 30km dari bandar Alor Setar, ibu negeri Kedah.

Ia merupakan sebuah kampung kecil yang dikelilingi oleh sawah padi, ladang-ladang pokok getah dan kebun buahbuahan. Penduduk-penduduk di sini bergantung kepada aktiviti pertanian untuk menampung kehidupan mereka, seperti sumber pendapatan daripada penanaman padi, menoreh getah, dan menternak haiwan ternakan. Pelbagai buah-buahan bermusim daripada kebun kepunyaan keluarga memberi pendapatan sampingan kepada mereka. Kampung Wang Tepus terletak lebih kurang 30 minit perjalanan dari bandar Alor Setar melalui lebuhraya utama Utara-Selatan.

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Kampung Wang Tepus Wang Tepus is a kampung (village) located in the district of Kubang Pasu in the northern state of Kedah in Peninsular Malaysia. It is approximately thirty kilometres northeast from Alor Setar, the Kedah state capital.

It is a quiet village surrounded by padi fields, rubber plantations, and orchards. The villagers in this area rely mainly on agriculture for their main subsistence, namely from padi farming, rubber tapping, or livestock rearing. Various seasonal fruits harvested from their family orchards provide additional income to the village folks.

Wang Tepus can be reached from Alor Setar within about a halfhour’s drive using the main North-South expressway.

Lebuh raya dari Alor Setar menuju ke susur keluar Wang Tepus.

Highway from Alor Setar leading to Wang Tepus exit.

Lokasi Kampung Wang Tepus di Kedah.

Location of Kampung Wang Tepus in Kedah.

Lokasi Wang Tepus dari bandar Alor Setar Kedah.

Location of Wang Tepus in relation to Alor Setar, Kedah.

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Apabila menyusur keluar di Bandar Darul Aman, iaitu sebuah kawasan pinggir bandar Alor Setar yang baru dibangunkan, terdapat satu jalan raya dua-hala sepanjang lingkungan 10km, menuju ke Wang Tepus. Di kiri dan kanan jalan terdapat pemandangan indah daripada sawah padi yang terbentang luas yang diselitkan dengan kediaman-kediaman penduduk setempat.

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Exiting at Bandar Darul Aman, a newly developed suburb of Alor Setar, an approximately 10-kilometer-long two-way traffic road lined by scenic views of trees, padi fields, and spots of local community dwellings would lead to the village of Wang Tepus.

Pemandangan sepanjang jalan utama ke Wang Tepus yang dikelilingi bukit-bukau serta sawah padi.

A typical scene along the main road to Wang Tepus, surrounded by low hills and paddy fields.

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Satu pemandangan pokok getah di tepi sebatang jalan di Kampung Wang Tepus.

A scene of a rubber tree-lined path in the village of Wang Tepus.

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Pemandangan kampung ini tidak banyak berbeza daripada pemandangan kampung-kampung lain yang terdapat di kawasan pertanian di Kedah. Suasana sunyi, tenang, segar dan udara sejuk kawasan perkampungan sekali-sekala mengalami keadaan yang kurang selesa pada musim tengkujuh daripada hujan yang kadang kalanya mengakibatkan banjir di beberapa kawasan rendah.

Sebatang jalan yang agak sempit yang masuk dari jalan utama membawa ke kawasan perkampungan di mana terdirinya bangsal yang digunakan sebagai tempat pementasan persembahan Mek Mulung dan lain-lain aktiviti keraian.

The village scenes are not much different from the typical agricultural villages in Kedah. The serenity of the quiet, peaceful, fresh, and cool air of the village may once in a while be inconvenienced by the seasonal monsoon rains which may cause occasional flooding in low-lying areas.

A narrow road off the main trunk road would lead into the village to the bangsal area where the performance and related festivities were carried out.

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Antara laluan-laluan sempit yang menyambung jalan utama ke lokasi persembahan.

Narrow road leading to performance location in the village.

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Kedah: Satu Perspektif Sejarah Budaya Kawasan Semenanjung Malaysia mempunyai populasi pelbagai etnik, yang menjadi faktor penyumbang kepada kepelbagaian dan kekayaan tradisi muzik dan budaya. Jenis persembahan tradisional terdapat mengikut lokasi berdasarkan kawasan penempatan yang dipilih oleh kumpulan penduduk sebagai kediaman tetap mereka. Oleh itu, bentuk persembahan yang terdapat di suatu lokasi mungkin tidak terdapat di kawasan lain; dan sekiranya ada, bentuk persembahannya mungkin mempunyai variasi yang berbeza khusus bagi kawasan tersebut (Rahmah, 2005). Pelbagai bentuk persembahan seni tradisional yang boleh dikenalpasti berasal daripada kawasan barat laut Semenanjung Malaysia, khususnya negeri-negeri Kedah dan Perlis. Ini termasuk penceritaan Awang Batil, pertunjukan Wayang Kulit Gedek, pelbagai bentuk tarian seperti Terinai, Joget, dan Hadrah, persembahan teater seperti Mek Mulung, Menora, Makyung, Jikey, dan Gendang Silat iaitu permainan muzik yang mengiringi seni pertahanan diri. Walaupun terdapat sedikit-sebanyak persamaan ciri-ciri hasil daripada interaksi dalam kalangan mereka serta faktor-faktor berkaitan asal-usul sejarah tempatan, setiap persembahan mempunyai ciri-cirinya yang tersendiri.

(Madiha & Quayum, 2010; Matusky & Chopyak, 2008).

Terkenal sebagai sebuah entiti politik tertua di Malaysia, Kedah dikenali dalam penulisan sejarah sebagai Queddah, Kheddah, Kataha/Kadara serta Kadaram/Kalagam, yang terakhir ini mempunyai pengaruh Sanskrit dan Tamil (Andaya & Andaya, 1982; Jabil, Nooriah & Ahmad Tharmizzie, 2010). Kesan-kesan arkeologi yang memberi bukti ketamadunan Hindu ditemui daripada hasil penggalian di Lembah Bujang di bahagian tengah negeri Kedah. Bahan-bahan dan kesan-kesan kemusnahan yang dijumpai di Lembah Bujang dipercayai sebagai peninggalan kuil Hindu-Buddha abad ke-tujuh dan abad ke-lapan, iaitu sebahagian daripada Kerajaan Srivijaya yang meliputi kawasan yang luas dari Jawa sehingga ke Siam pada abad ke-enam (Hooker, 2003).

Berdasarkan faktor ini, Kedah dianggap sebagai tamadun tertua di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu semenjak abad ke-tujuh lagi.

(Ahmad Farhan, 2012; Mohd Sukki & Adi Yasran, 2012).

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Menurut Andaya (2001), di antara abad ke-lima dan awal abad ke11, kawasan utama negeri Kedah adalah Sungai Mas di Lembah Bujang; yang kemudiannya secara perlahan-lahan berpindah ke Pengkalan Bujang, di mana ia mengekalkan kuasanya sehingga penghujung abad ke-14. Bukti-bukti daripada kajian arkeologi menunjukkan perkembangan ekonomi yang amat pesat di Kedah hasil daripada aktiviti-aktiviti pertanian, perdagangan dan pengedaran bahan-bahan tempatan. Seperti yang dibincangkan oleh Andaya dan Andaya (1982), pedagang-pedagang tertarik kepada Kedah sebab mereka mempunyai akses kepada pelbagai jenis kemudahan yang boleh diharapkan daripada pusat-pusat perdagangan Melayu, iaitu penduduk tempatan yang mesra terhadap warga asing, perkhidmatan kargo yang cekap dan boleh dipercayai, pelbagai produk yang sedia ada dan boleh dibeli, serta perkhidmatan pentadbiran yang bersikap positif.

Malahan, menurut Falarti (2014), Kedah mempunyai akses perjalanan melalui air dan darat yang meletakkannya di kedudukan strategik yang menggalakkan banyak peluang untuk melakukan pertukaran aktiviti-aktiviti seperti tradisi, sumber-sumber kesusasteraan, pendidikan, bahasa, sains, dan ciptaan-ciptaan dengan lebih lancar dan kerap. Oleh itu, suasana budaya di Kedah sebahagian besar terbentuk daripada pengaruh aktiviti-aktiviti perdagangan dan kemasukan pendatang luar. Ghulam-Sarwar (2008) berpendapat perubahan kepada amalan beragama merupakan di antara faktor-faktor utama yang membawa kepada pembaharuan dan perubahan kepada bentuk seni Melayu tradisional sepanjang beberapa abad. Di kawasan Kedah, terdapat perubahan-perubahan kepada sistem kepercayaan, daripada animisme kepada HinduBuddha, dan kepada Islam. Dengan kehadiran agama Islam, terdapat keperluan untuk membuat perubahan kepada tradisitradisi persembahan yang mungkin melibatkan kompromi, pengubahsuaian, mengetepikan beberapa elemen kontroversi, ataupun membuang keseluruhannya.

Ada kemungkinan aktiviti-aktiviti riadah tertentu dalam kalangan penduduk di kawasan sempadan dipengaruhi budaya orang Thailand, terutamanya yang ada kaitan dengan upacara

Kedah: A Cultural History Perspective Peninsular Malaysia has a diverse multi-ethnic population which contributes to the variety and richness of its musical and cultural traditions. Traditional performances are localized according to where the different indigenous groups establish their residence.

Thus, performances found in one place may not be found in other areas; and if they are, they may occur in variations peculiar to that particular region only (Rahmah, 2005). Various forms of traditional performing arts practices are known to be identified with the northwestern states of Kedah and Perlis in Peninsular Malaysia. These include storytelling (Awang Batil), shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit Gedek), different forms of dance (Terinai, Joget, Hadrah), theatres (Mek Mulung, Menora, Makyung, Jikey), and music accompanying martial arts (Gendang Silat). Despite sharing some common characteristics as a result of interactions among the participants as well as factors related to their historical origins, each has its distinct characteristics (Madiha & Quayum, 2010; Matusky & Chopyak, 2008).

Known to be the oldest political entity in Malaysia, Kedah has been referred to in historical sources as Quedah, Kheddah, Kataha/ Kadara, and Kadaram/Kalagam, the latter bearing Sanskrit and Tamil influences (Andaya & Andaya, 1982; Nabil, Nooriah & Ahmad Tharmizzie, 2010). Archaeological remains providing evidence of Hindu civilization were discovered from excavation works at Lembah Bujang (the Bujang Valley) in the central region of the state of Kedah. Ruins and relics found in the Bujang Valley are believed to be seventh- or eighth-century remains of Hindu-Buddhist temples which were part of the Srivijaya Empire that spanned Java and Siam dating back to the sixth century (Hooker, 2003). It is for this reason that Kedah is considered the oldest discrete civilization in the Malay Peninsula, dating back to the seventh century (Ahmad Farhan, 2012; Mohd Sukki & Adi Yasran, 2012).

According to Andaya (2001), the centre of Kedah between the fifth and early eleventh centuries was Sungai Mas in the Bujang Valley; but then it shifted slowly to Pengkalan Bujang, which maintained its

dominance until the end of the fourteenth century. Archaeological evidence indicated a thriving economy in Kedah largely based on agriculture, trade, and the distribution of local products. As Andaya and Andaya (1982) point out, merchants were attracted to Kedah because they had access to a whole range of facilities that could be expected from the typical Malay trading states: locals who were hospitable to foreigners, reliable and efficient cargo discharging services, availability of desired products which could be purchased and an administrative service with a positive attitude.

Kedah’s sea and overland routes put it in a strategic position which encouraged opportunities for a regular and smooth exchange of activities such as traditions, literary sources, education, languages, sciences, and inventions (Falarti, 2014). Thus, Kedah’s cultural scene was very much shaped by influences from its trading activities and the influx of migrants. According to Ghulam-Sarwar (2008), changes in religion were among the principal factors that brought innovations and change into the Malay traditional art forms over the centuries. In the Kedah region, there were changes in the belief systems, from animism to Buddhism-Hinduism, to Islam. With the coming of Islam, there was the necessity for changes in performing traditions that required some sort of compromise, readjustment, or even removal of certain controversial elements, if not its total abandonment.

It is likely that certain leisure activities of the border population being influenced by Thai culture, especially those related to the celebration of certain festivities which are popular in the northern region, such as occasions that mark the end of the harvest season, rites of passage, and warding off bad spirits from the village. For instance, Miller (2008) noted that musical instruments such as the bamboo clappers used in the Mek Mulung ensemble (called kecerek) were also used in the Thai music ensemble (where they are called Khrap). Other leisure activities such as kite-flying, cock-fighting, bull-fighting, and horse racing were popular among villagers on both sides of the border (Augustine, 1996). According to Abu Talib (2010), the existence of a bull-fighting ring in Anak Bukit, the royal town of Kedah, which could accommodate up to 4000

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sambutan perayaan tertentu yang amat terkenal di kawasan utara, seperti upacara sambutan penghujung musim menuai, pencapaian tahap umur tertentu, dan perlindungan kepada kampung daripada gangguan makhluk halus. Sebagai contoh, Miller (2008) mendapati peralatan muzik seperti pengetuk buluh dalam ensemble muzik Mek Mulung, yang dikenali sebagai Kecerek, juga terdapat dalam ensemble muzik Thai, yang digelar sebagai Khrap. Aktiviti-aktiviti riadah lain seperti bermain layanglayang, sabung ayam, lawan lembu dan lumba kuda merupakan aktiviti yang digemari penduduk kampung di kedua-dua belah sempadan (Augustin, 1996). Menurut Abu Talib (2010), wujudnya gelanggang lawan lembu di Bandar DiRaja Anak Bukit di Kedah yang mampu menampung 4000 penonton membuktikan ia merupakan satu sukan yang popular sebelum ianya diharamkan pada tahun 1936.

Selain itu, satu ritual dalam kalangan orang Thailand yang dikenali sebagai Wai Khru, yang diamalkan sebagai tanda hormat kepada para guru, merupakan salah satu elemen terpenting dalam budaya Thailand. Ritual upacara Sambut Guru yang terdapat dalam pelbagai persembahan tradisional Melayu seperti persembahan Mek Mulung, Wayang Kulit dan Jikey, mungkin mempunyai persamaan dengannya (Miller, 2008). Namun begitu, walaupun epik-epik tempatan seperti Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa yang membuktikan awalnya kehadiran Islam di Kedah, beberapa amalan lama yang terdapat sebelum ketibaan Islam masih lagi dipraktikkan dalam pelbagai bentuk hiburan kebudayaan di kampung-kampung masa kini.

SUASANA SENI PERSEMBAHAN DI KEDAH Pelbagai bentuk seni persembahan yang sedia wujud dalam komuniti Melayu boleh dikategorikan sama ada ianya muzik istana atau persembahan rakyat. Di bahagian utara Semenanjung Malaysia, muzik istana yang dipersembahkan dalam bentuk ensembel Nobat, dimainkan di Balai DiRaja Kedah dan Perak.

Nobat dipercayai mempunyai pengaruh muzik Timur Tengah dan Asia Selatan yang wujud sejak Kesultanan Melaka pada tahun 1453 (Tunku Nong Jiwa, Raja Badri Shah & Sheppard, 1962). Menurut

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Raja Iskandar (2015) ensembel Nobat dan persembahannya sejak abad ke-tujuh lagi mempunyai lebih pengaruh tradisi muzik istana berdasarkan Islam berbanding elemen-elemen Hindu. Malahan ensembel ini turut disebut dalam Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa dan beberapa penulisan-penulisan kolonial waktu penjajahan.

Persembahan Nobat kebiasaannya menjadi petanda kepada beberapa upacara DiRaja, selain ia dimainkan pada bulan Ramadhan sebagai penanda untuk waktu berbuka puasa. Di Kedah, peralatan ensembel Nobat disimpan rapi di tingkat atas sebuah menara berdekatan dengan istana Sultan terdahulu.

Ia dikenali sebagai Balai Nobat, di mana ianya dibina khas bagi penyimpanan peralatan-peralatan tersebut.

Sementara itu, persembahan rakyat yang ketara dapat dilihat di bahagian utara ialah Wayang Kulit, Menora, Gendang Silat, Mek Mulung, Hadrah, dan Awang Batil (Ahmad, 1976). Menurut Rahmah (1979), Kedah mempunyai genre seni persembahan yang kedua terbesar di Semenanjung Malaysia selepas Kelantan. Mek Mulung merupakan antara bentuk persembahan teater muzikal yang terawal di Kedah selain Menora, Makyung, Wayang Kulit, Hadrah, dan Jikey. Persembahan rakyat Melayu selalunya dikaitkan dengan penduduk luar bandar, yang kebiasaannya diadakan di kawasan kampung dan menggalakkan penyertaan penduduk setempat.

Persembahan ini diadakan sebagai satu bentuk hiburan setelah sepanjang hari bekerja di sawah/ladang, atau sambutan upacara atau majlis khas, atau ritual penyembuhan bagi pelbagai jenis penyakit, atau upacara menolak kesan buruk yang mungkin akan merosakkan hasil tanaman. Persembahan Menora masih lagi aktif di beberapa kawasan utara, sementara persembahan Jikey semakin lenyap. Namun begitu, persembahan Makyung telahpun pupus sepenuhnya di kawasan Kedah dan Perlis.

Persembahan rakyat di kawasan utara ini meliputi pelbagai genre, antaranya ialah berbentuk teater seperti Mek Mulung, Jikey dan Makyung Laut. Persembahan ini mempunyai beberapa ciri yang sama, iaitu ceritanya, jenis peralatan muzik yang digunakan, dan jenis bahan persembahan seperti topeng, keris, dan rotan berai (rattan whip). Malahan, ketiga-tiga persembahan ini turut mempunyai kaedah nyanyian dalam gaya sahutan. Sebagai

spectators was indicative of its popularity as a sport, before it was finally banned in 1936.

The Thai ritual, Wai khru, which is performed to give honour to teachers, is a very important element in Thai culture. The Sambut Guru ritual in many Malay traditional performances, including Mek Mulung, Wayang Kulit, and Jikey are very likely its equivalent form.

(Miller, 2008). Although local epics such as the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa show evidence of Islam’s early presence in Kedah, old practices that were observed before the arrival of Islam are still present in many types of cultural entertainment in today’s villages.

THE PERFORMING ARTS SCENE IN KEDAH Various forms of performing arts have been in existence within the Malay community, which can be grouped into either court music or folk performances. In the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia, court music, in the form of the Nobat ensemble, was played in the royal courts of the states of Kedah and Perak. The Nobat is known to have influences from Middle Eastern and South Asian music and dates back in Southeast Asia to the Sultanate of Melaka in 1435 (Tunku Nong Jiwa, Raja Badri Shah & Sheppard, 1962). Raja Iskandar (2015) has noted that the Nobat ensemble and its performance are more influenced by Islamic court traditions rather than Hindu elements, dating back to the seventh century. This ensemble was also mentioned in the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, as well as in other colonial accounts. Nobat performances usually explicitly mark certain royal occasions, as well as being played during the month of Ramadhan to mark the breaking of the fast. In Kedah, the Nobat ensemble is stored on the top floor of the tower building adjacent to the Sultan’s former palace, which is popularly referred to as the Balai Nobat (Nobat Hall) and built specifically for its safekeeping.

Among the folk performances that are notable in the north are Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppets), Menora, Gendang Silat, Mek Mulung, Hadrah, and Awang Batil. Rahmah (1979) noted that Kedah has the second largest number of performing arts genres in

Peninsular Malaysia after Kelantan. Mek Mulung is considered to be among the earliest forms of traditional musical theatre in Kedah alongside others which are generally better known in the northern region, such as the Menora, Makyung, Wayang Kulit, Hadrah, and Jikey. Malay folk performances are usually associated with the rural population, which is village-based and encourages community participation. These performances are held to provide entertainment after a hard day’s work in the fields, as celebrations for special occasions/events, as rituals for healing various kinds of ailments or to ward off bad omens that might affect crop yields.

Menora is still active in the northern states while Jikey is barely surviving. Makyung Kedah and Perlis have gone extinct.

These various forms of folk performance genres include theatrical forms like Mek Mulung, Jikey, and Makyung Laut, which share certain things in common: their stories, the types of instruments used, and types of props used such as masks, daggers, and rattan whips. All these three performances also involve singing in a responsorial style. In addition to the three theatrical forms mentioned above, Awang Batil, which is a form of storytelling, also utilizes coloured wooden masks for certain characters. Masks painted red are usually worn by comic characters, while black ones are used for the old sage. In terms of the storyline, the popular Puteri 12 Beradik appears in both the Mek Mulung and Wayang Kulit Gedek theatre performances. Occurrences of crossdressing among the performers, whereby male actors put on female costumes to perform female characters, are found in both the Hadrah and the Mek Mulung theatre performances.

These performing arts groups can be found in various locations in the northern region. Some of the northern Malay folk performing arts are unique to a particular location. Apart from Menora and Gendang Silat, which are practised across the state, the only existing Mek Mulung group performs exclusively in the village of Wang Tepus, Kedah. There is only one Wayang Kulit Gedek, which is performed in the village of Asun in Kedah, not very far from the Thai border. In the village of Chuping, in the neigbouring state of Perlis,

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tambahan kepada tiga persembahan teater yang disebut di atas, Awang Batil, iaitu satu persembahan dalam bentuk penceritaan, turut menggunakan topeng kayu bagi beberapa watak. Topeng yang kebiasaannya di cat merah dipakai oleh watak-watak yang bersifat lucu, manakala topeng hitam pula kebiasaannya dipakai oleh watak orang tua yang bijaksana. Dari segi jalan cerita, persembahan Puteri 12 Beradik yang popular terdapat dalam kedua-dua persembahan teater Mek Mulung dan Wayang Kulit Gedek. Berlakunya pelakon-pelakon lelaki memakai pakaian wanita untuk membawa watak wanita terdapat dalam kedua-dua persembahan teater Hadrah dan Mek Mulung.

Kumpulan-kumpulan seni persembahan boleh didapati di beberapa lokasi di kawasan utara. Sesetengah seni persembahan rakyat Melayu di utara pula adalah unik/khusus pada sesuatu lokasi. Berlainan dengan Menora dan Gendang Silat yang terdapat di seluruh negeri, persembahan Mek Mulung dipersembahkan secara eksklusif hanya di Kampung Wang Tepus, Kedah. Begitu juga dengan persembahan Wayang Kulit Gedek yang hanya terdapat di Kampung Asun, Kedah yang terletak tidak jauh dari sempadan Malaysia-Thailand. Persembahan Awang Batil pula hanya terdapat di kampung Chuping di negeri jiran, Perlis.

Bagaimana fenomena pemencilan ini hanya berlaku di kawasankawasan utara Malaysia tidak diketahui asal usulnya.

Bagi kebanyakan daripada persembahan-persembahan ini, Serunai iaitu sebuah peralatan erofon pipit-bebas, digunakan bagi permainan melodi; manakala peralatan kardofon, Rebab, iaitu peralatan muzik yang digesek, kebiasannya lebih digunakan bagi persembahan-persembahan di negeri-negeri di Pantai Timur. Persembahan Mek Mulung, Jikey, Makyung Laut, Wayang Kulit Gedek dan Menora juga menggunakan sepasang Kecerek sebagai sebahagian daripada ensembel mereka.

Pada tahun 2014, Mek Mulung telah diberi pengiktirafan oleh kerajaan negeri Kedah sebagai warisan seni persembahan tradisi. Walaupun negeri Kedah mempunyai pelbagai bentuk seni persembahan, Mek Mulung telah diberi status sebagai satu warisan negeri memandangkan ia mempunyai persembahan

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yang sangat unik bagi negeri Kedah. Mek Mulung boleh dibezakan daripada bentuk teater muzikal tradisional yang lain berdasarkan muziknya yang tersendiri, walaupun ada beberapa pendapat yang mengatakan ianya mempunyai pengaruh-pengaruh Makyung dan Menora. Namun begitu, terdapat pendapat-pendapat bahawa asal usul persembahan Makyung, Mek Mulung dan Menora datangnya daripada negara Thailand (Madihah & Qayyum, 2010; Rahmah, 1979). Keunikan persembahan Mek Mulung adalah ciriciri permainan muzik instrumental serta gaya nyanyian yang mengandungi elemen-elemen tarian, jenaka, dialog/drama.

Sebuah cerita yang dipilih daripada satu repertoir standard dipersembahkan oleh pelakon-pelakon dan penyanyi-penyanyi yang boleh berlangsung terus-menerus sehingga enam jam pada satu malam.

ASAL-USUL DAN MITOS MEK MULUNG Tiada rekod formal yang menerangkan asal-usul Mek Mulung (Matusky & Tan, 2012) walaupun ianya diketengahkan oleh pelbagai sumber, serta turut dipercayai oleh pembawa-pembawa tradisi sendiri, bahawa ianya telah berhijrah lebih kurang 500 tahun dahulu dari suatu tempat bernama Ligor yang terletak di Selatan Thailand. Sebelum kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung memutuskan untuk menetap di Wang Tepus, Jitra, Kedah, ia telah tinggal di beberapa tempat di Kedah. Namun begitu, masalah penerimaan penduduk tempatan telah mengakibatkan mereka berpindah-randah untuk terus mencari tempat tetap yang terbaik untuk didiami.

Bertentangan dengan pendapat di atas, terdapat tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung sendiri yang percaya bahawa tradisi Mek Mulung berasal daripada Kedah, yang mana pada suatu ketika, ianya dibawa ke Ligor, yang kini dikenali sebagai Nakhon Si Thammarat, di Selatan Thailand (Zamzuriah, 2009; Eddy Aizad, 2011). Teori ini mencadangkan bahawa Mek Mulung telahpun wujud lebih daripada 500 tahun dan Ligor adalah tempat di mana Mek Mulung dipercayai diperkembangkan kepada bentuk persembahan teater yang lengkap (Mohd Nazri, 1998; Mohamad Luthfi, 2011, 2016) sebelum ianya kembali semula ke Kedah. Tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung

there is only one Awang Batil. It is not known why such isolated phenomena occur like this in the northern states of Malaysia.

For most of these performances, the serunai, which is a freereed aerophone, is used for playing the main melody, whereas the rebab, a three-stringed spike fiddle, is more commonly used for performances in the east coast states. Mek Mulung, Jikey, Makyung Laut, Wayang Kulit Gedek, and the Menora also make use of a pair of bamboo clappers as part of their ensemble.

In 2014, Mek Mulung was given recognition by the Kedah state government as a “traditional arts heritage”. Although the state has many other performing arts forms, Mek Mulung was accorded state heritage status in consideration that its performance is unique to Kedah. Mek Mulung can be distinguished from other forms of traditional musical theatre by its distinctive music, although there have been suggestions that there are influences from Makyung and Menora. Nonetheless, it has been suggested that Makyung Mek Mulung, and Menora have Thai origins (Madihah & Quayum, 2010; Rahmah, 1979). The unique characteristics of the Mek Mulung performance are its instrumental music and singing style which incorporates elements of dancing, comedy, and drama/dialogues.

A single-story selected from a standard repertoire is presented by the actors and dancers in a performance that can last for up to six hours in a night.

MEK MULUNG ORIGINS AND MYTHS There is no definite record of Mek Mulung’s origin (Matusky & Tan, 2012), although it has been pointed out by various sources, and the tradition bearers themselves believe, that it had travelled from a place called Ligor in South Thailand approximately 500 years ago.

Before the Mek Mulung troupe finally settled in Wang Tepus, in Jitra, Kedah, it had several places in Kedah as its base. However, problems with acceptance by the community made them continually search for a better place to settle.

According to the elders in the Mek Mulung performance troupe, the Mek Mulung tradition is believed to have its roots in Kedah, but at one point in time, it was brought to Ligor, what is now known as Nakhon

Si Thammarat, in southern Thailand (Zamzuriah, 2009; Eddy Aizad, 2011). This theory suggests that it has existed for more than 500 years and that Ligor was the place where Mek Mulung is believed to have developed into its proper theatre form (Mohamad Nazri, 1998; Mohamad Luthfi, 2011, 2016) before it made its return to Kedah. The elders believe that when the Kedah-Siam war broke out in 1821, the Mek Mulung troupe returned to Kedah, settling temporarily in several places along the way before finally making their permanent home in Wang Tepus. According to written accounts, on his way back from Bangkok in 1865, the Kedah ruler, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin II, travelled to Ligor to meet and help facilitate the return of Kedah Malays who had been deported there earlier by the Raja of Ligor (Gullick, 1985). Another suggestion is that Mek Mulung could have originated from Pattani, Southern Thailand which has a large Malay population.

Lacking any clear evidence to support the villagers’ contentions about its origins, various myths have been associated with Mek Mulung concerning its origin and historical background, how it has evolved, its current state, and the likelihood that it would soon become extinct. Mek Mulung performances ordinarily portray stories depicting local legends and myths. A variety of versions have emerged to explain the true origin of Mek Mulung (Mohamad Luthfi, 2011). Mohd Ghouse (2003) noted six different versions, with a common thread among them which is a family whereby music is an important aspect of their young daughter’s life.

One popular version related by Pak Leh, who was then one of the elders and a member of the troupe, the story of Mek Mulung’s origin involves a couple who had been childless for a very long time. After years of longing for a child, their prayers were finally answered when the wife finally became pregnant. On the day the wife was to deliver her baby, the husband went out to seek the help of a midwife.

Knowing that the child to be born would possess magical powers, a midwife known as Tok Bidan Ketujuh (The Seventh Midwife) suddenly appeared and offered to help deliver the baby. As the child was growing up, she showed great musical ability from an early age and a special interest in singing and dancing. The song, Kecil Milik, which she created and sang, was her favourite. The father formed

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ini percaya apabila berlakunya perang Kedah-Siam pada tahun 1821, kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung telah kembali ke Kedah dan menetap secara sementara di beberapa tempat di sepanjang jalan yang dilalui sebelum akhirnya membuat keputusan untuk menetap di Wang Tepus. Menurut laporan-laporan bertulis, di dalam perjalanan pulangnya daripada Bangkok pada tahun 1865, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin II yang merupakan pemerintah Kedah ketika itu, telah pergi ke Ligor untuk membawa pulang rakyat Melayu Kedah yang sebelum itu telah dihalau keluar oleh Raja Ligor. (Gullick, 1985). Ada juga pendapat yang mencadangkan bahawa Mek Mulung mungkin berasal daripada Pattani di Selatan Thailand yang mempunyai sebilangan besar penduduknya berketurunan Melayu.

Berikutan kurangnya bukti untuk menyokong kenyataan penduduk-penduduk kampung Wang Tepus berkenaan asalusul Mek Mulung, pelbagai mitos turut dikaitkan dengan asalusul, latar belakang sejarah, evolusi, keadaan semasa, dan ramalan mengenai kepupusannya. Persembahan Mek Mulung kebiasaannya mengetengahkan penceritaan berkaitan dengan mitos dan legenda-legenda tempatan. Terdapat pelbagai versi yang cuba menerangkan asal-usul sebenar mengenai Mek Mulung. (Mohamad Luthfi, 2011). Mohd Ghouse (2003) mengemukakan enam versi yang berbeza untuk menerangkan asal-usul Mek Mulung, yang mana kesemuanya mempunyai satu pertalian umum, iaitu terdapatnya sebuah keluarga yang mana muzik adalah aspek penting dalam kehidupan anak perempuan mereka.

Salah satu versi yang popular, menurut Pak Leh, seorang tokoh dan ahli kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung, cerita asal-usul Mek Mulung melibatkan sepasang suami isteri yang sekian lama tidak mempunyai zuriat. Setelah lama mengharapkan zuriat sendiri, doa mereka akhirnya dimakbulkan apabila si isteri didapati hamil. Pada hari dijadualkan kelahiran anak mereka, si suami telah keluar untuk mendapatkan bantuan seorang bidan. Mengetahui bahawa anak yang bakal dilahirkan ini mempunyai kuasa sakti, bidan yang digelar Tok Bidan Ketujuh serta-merta tampil untuk menawarkan bantuan dalam proses kelahiran berkenaan.

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Apabila anak perempuan tersebut membesar, ia menunjukkan kebolehan bermain muzik yang hebat dari umur yang masih muda selain mempunyai minat yang mendalam terhadap nyanyian dan tarian. Lagu Kecil Milik, iaitu lagu yang direka dan dinyanyi sendiri adalah lagu kegemarannya. Si ayah telah membentuk satu kumpulan persembahan yang menamakannya kumpulan Mek Mulung supaya anaknya berpeluang untuk menyanyi bersama-sama dalam kumpulan tersebut dan membolehkannya mempersembahkan penceritaan, mitos, dan legenda yang diiringi permainan muzik dan tarian.

Satu versi yang lain (Omar, 1973; Ghulam-Sarwar, 1994) mengaitkan kisah puteri bongsu Raja Ligor yang dibuang ke dalam hutan berikutan kepercayaan bahawa puteri itu membawa malang kepada kerajaan negeri tersebut. Bagi membantu puteri itu mengatasi perasaan sedihnya yang membesar di dalam hutan dan berjauhan daripada keluarga, pengasuh-pengasuhnya menghiburkannya dengan menyanyi dan menari. Puteri itu amat menggemari nyanyian dan tarian yang dilihatnya dan seterusnya telah mempelajari dan bersedia untuk membuat persembahan bersama-sama dengan kumpulan persembahan di merata-rata kampung sepanjang perjalanan mereka. Apabila tiba di Kampung Wang Tepus, puteri dan kumpulan persembahan tersebut amat terharu dengan penerimaan baik daripada penduduk-penduduk kampung dan akhirnya membuat keputusan untuk menetap terus di Wang Tepus.

Satu lagi versi pula (Mohd Ghazali, 1995; Mohd Ghouse, 2003) menceritakan kisah sebuah keluarga petani miskin yang mencari nafkah dengan menghiburkan penonton melalui muzik mereka.

Setiap ahli keluarga menyumbang tenaga secara pembuatan dan permainan peralatan muzik yang berbeza. Pak Mohor, iaitu si ayah, telah mencipta Geduk yang mengeluarkan muzik seakan persembahan Menora. Manakala si ibu telah membuat Gendang, yang mana dimainkannya dengan gaya persembahan Makyung.

Mek Julung pula, iaitu anak perempuan mereka, telah membuat Rebana yang mana ianya dimainkan mengikut gaya Hadrah. Mek Julung sangat gemar memainkan Rebana semasa membuat

a troupe, which he named Mek Mulung, so that she would be able to sing together with others while retelling stories, myths, and legends with the accompaniment of music and dancing.

Another version (Omar, 1973; Ghulam-Sarwar, 1994) involves the tale of the youngest of seven daughters of the King of Ligor who was sent to exile in the forest with the belief that the princess would bring misfortune to the kingdom. To help the young princess overcome her sadness growing up in the forest away from her family, her maids sang and danced as a form of entertainment. The young princess enjoyed the songs and dances which she soon learned and became good enough to be able to perform with the troupe in various villages during their journey. Upon reaching the village of Wang Tepus, the princess and her troupe were so grateful for the warm reception by the villagers that they finally decided to make Wang Tepus their permanent home.

Still another version (Mohd Ghazali, 1995; Mohd Ghouse, 2003) tells the story of a poor farm family who made a living by entertaining audiences with their music. Each member of the family contributed to the performance troupe by making and playing different musical instruments. Pak Mohor, the father, made a Geduk which produced music quite similar to that of the Menora. The mother, on the other hand, built a Gendang which she played following the style of Makyung. Meanwhile, Mek Julung, the daughter, made a Rebana which she played according to the style of the Hadrah. Mek Julung enjoyed playing the Rebana as she travelled all over the village until she landed herself in the forest. It was here in the forest that she stumbled upon a young prince who was in exile. The young prince was so impressed by the music played by Mek Julung that he decided to join her to form a group with the addition of more musical instruments. The group became accepted by the villagers and soon became recognized as the village Mek Mulung group.

Upon their departure from Ligor in Thailand, the Mek Mulung troupe made its earliest performance in Kampung Perit, Mukim Kurung Itam in Kuala Nerang. This was followed by their move to Kampung Belukar Mulung, Kampung Paya Keladi. Its appearance in Kedah can be traced back to about 200 years, specifically as a form of leisure activity among village folks following a hard day’s work in the fields (Ahmad, 1976; Siti Fatimah, 2009). Besides entertainment purposes, Mek Mulung performances also provided opportunities for those who sought treatment for various ailments.

Considering what was going on around the country, it was at this time that Peninsular Malaysia was experiencing various social, economic, and political changes including increased maritime activities at the port of Kuala Kedah in the north. This resulted in an influx of traders from India, China, Portugal, and the Netherlands, and, eventually, Britain (Church, 2006; Mohd Sukki & Adi Yasran, 2012). Located not too far from the port and sharing a common border with South Thailand, the village of Wang Tepus with its Mek Mulung tradition would have felt the effects of the social, economic, and political environment during this period; thus, contributing to its origin and shaping of the Mek Mulung of today.

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persembahan di merata kampung, sehingga akhirnya dia mendapati dirinya berada di dalam sebuah hutan. Di dalam hutan itu, dia telah terserempak dengan seorang putera raja yang hidup dalam buangan. Putera itu amat tertarik dengan permainan muzik Mek Julung dan kemudiannya membuat keputusan untuk turut bersama membentuk sebuah kumpulan persembahan dengan menambahkan peralatan muzik yang lain. Kumpulan tersebut telah diterima oleh para penduduk kampung dan mereka kemudiannya dikenali sebagai kumpulan Mek Mulung bagi kampung itu.

Setelah kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung tersebut meninggalkan Ligor di Thailand, mereka telah membuat persembahan terawal mereka di Kampung Perit, Mukim Kurung Itam di Kuala Nerang. Mereka bergerak seterusnya ke Kampung Belukar Mulung, Kampung Paya Keladi. Penampilan mereka di Kedah dapat dijejak 200 tahun lamanya, yang mana ianya wujud khusus sebagai satu bentuk aktiviti riadah dalam kalangan penduduk kampung setelah seharian bekerja di sawah atau ladang (Ahmad, 1976; Siti Fatimah). Selain daripada tujuan hiburan, Mek Mulung turut dipersembahkan untuk membolehkan sesiapa yang ingin mendapatkan rawatan bagi pelbagai jenis penyakit.

Memandang kepada apa yang berlaku di seluruh negara, pada masa ini juga Semenanjung Malaysia mengalami pelbagai perubahan sosial, ekonomi, dan politik, termasuk peningkatan aktiviti-aktiviti maritim di pelabuhan Kuala Kedah di sebelah utara. Berikutan ini, berlakunya kemasukan pedagang-pedagang secara mendadak dari India, Cina, Portugal, Belanda dan akhirnya Britain (Church, 2006; Mohd Sukki & Adi Yasran, 2012). Terletak tidak berapa jauh dari pelabuhan ini, serta berkongsi sempadan dengan Selatan Thailand, Kampung Wang Tepus dengan tradisi Mek Mulungnya turut terkesan daripada perubahan persekitaran sosial, ekonomi dan politik ketika itu, yang kemudiannya menyumbang kepada asal-usul serta pembentukan Mek Mulung yang terdapat pada hari ini.

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BAHAN-BAHAN ARKIB MEK MULUNG Penerbitan buku ‘Malay Magic’ oleh Walter William Skeat pada tahun 1900 merupakan kali terawal persembahan Mek Mulung disebut dalam bentuk penulisan. Buku ini ditulis ketika Skeat berkhidmat sebagai Penolong Pegawai Daerah, dan kemudiannya sebagai Pegawai Daerah, pada tahun 1891 sehingga tahun 1897 di Selangor, iaitu satu daerah di bahagian tengah Semenanjung Malaysia. (Gullick, 1988). Sumbangan utama Skeat dalam bidang antropologi ketika itu telah menjadi asas kepada pembentukan satu bidang pengajian yang dikenali sebagai Pengajian Melayu di pusat-pusat pengajian tinggi di negara ini.

Secara sistematik Skeat telah menghuraikan pelbagai bentuk seni persembahan yang terdapat di Semenanjung Malaysia melalui hubungannya dengan seorang kenalannya bernama Che Hussin dari Pulau Pinang (Skeat, 1900; Cohen, 2002). Berdasarkan wujudnya persamaan peralatan muzik yang digunakan dalam persembahan Makyung, Skeat menyatakan bahawa Mek Mulung (yang ditulis sebagai Mek Mulong) berkemungkinan mempunyai asal-usul dari Siam. Ada dinyatakan penggunaan alat yang sama dengan Makyung, tetapi Rebana menggantikan Rebab, Gendang dan satu peralatan yang dikenali sebagai B’reng-b’reng. Terdapat seramai lapan hingga 15 lelaki dan wanita yang membuat persembahan di bahagian luar panggung. Hanya dua cerita yang disebut adalah Malim Bongsu dan Awang Selamat.

Satu lagi catatan awal mengenai persembahan Mek Mulung telah didokumentasikan apabila Mek Mulung diarahkan oleh Sultan Abdul Hamid, iaitu Sultan Kedah, untuk dipersembahkan sebagai suatu program persembahan asli di Pameran MalayaBorneo di Singapura pada tahun 1922. Pameran itu berlangsung pada 31 Mac 1922, dan Mek Mulung tergolong dalam genre-genre persembahan lain yang dikemukakan oleh negeri Kedah, seperti Wayang Kulit dan Hathera (kemungkinan merujuk kepada Hadrah).

Menurut program yang disenaraikan di dalam akhbar Straits Times bertarikh 5 April 1922. Mek Mulung telah dipersembahkan pada jam 7.10 malam dengan bayaran masuk sebanyak 20 dan 30 sen.

MEK MULUNG ARCHIVAL MATERIALS The earliest mention of a Mek Mulung performance in written sources is in Walter William Skeat’s Malay Magic published in 1900. This book was written during Skeat’s service as an Assistant District Officer, and then District Officer, from 1891 to 1897 in Selangor, a district in central Peninsular Malaysia (Gullick, 1988).

Skeat’s main contribution to the field of anthropology during that period helped shape what today is referred to as the field of ‘Malay Studies’ in institutions of higher learning.

Skeat systematically described various forms of performing arts in Peninsular Malaya based on his relationship with an informant named “Che Hussin” from Penang (Skeat, 1900; Cohen, 2002).

Based on similarities of musical instruments used in Makyung, Skeat described Mek Mulung (written as Mek Mulong) as probably of Siamese origin. There was mention of the usage of the same

‘Program Guide’ untuk Pameran Malaya-Borneo di Singapura.

(Gambar diambil oleh penulis daripada National Library of Singapore, 2017).

The program guide to the Malaya-Borneo Exhibition in Singapore.

(Photograph taken by the author from the National Library of Singapore, 2017).

instruments, but the rebana (a framed drum) was used instead of the rebab (a three-stringed spike fiddle), the gendang (probably a barrel-shaped drum), and an instrument called B’reng-b’reng.

There were eight to 15 males and females who performed outside a panggung (performance hall). Two stories, Malim Bongsu and Awang Selamat, were the only ones mentioned.

Another early record of a Mek Mulung performance is a documented account of Mek Mulung being commissioned by the then Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Hamid, to have it performed as a part of a “native entertainment” program at the Malaya-Borneo Exhibition in Singapore in 1922. The Exhibition opened on 31st March 1922, and Mek Mulung was among other performance genres that were presented by the state of Kedah, such as the Wayang Kulit and Hathera (probably referring to Hadrah). According to the program listed in the Straits Times, dated 5th April 1922, the Mek Mulung was performed at 7:10 p.m. with admission charges of 20 and 30 cents.

Sisipan kandungan mengenai persembahan Mek Mulung Di Pameran Malaya-Borneo di Singapura.

Singapore Free Press, March 9, 1922, p.150.

(Gambar diambil oleh penulis daripada National Library of Singapore, 2017).

An excerpt of the inclusion of a Mek Mulung presentation in the Exhibition. Singapore Free Press, March 9, 1922, p.150.

(Photograph taken by the author from the National Library of Singapore, 2017).

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Di antara tetamu utama yang menghadiri pameran tersebut adalah Putera Wales daripada England. Ini menunjukkan bahawa Mek Mulung telah diberi pengiktirafan oleh pihak pemerintah sebagai satu genre persembahan tradisional Kedah yang mempunyai prestij untuk mewakili negeri kepada pihak berkuasa pemerintah pada ketika itu.

Rekod penulisan mengenai Mek Mulung seterusnya muncul agak lewat berikutan pasca-kemerdekaan Malaysia pada tahun-tahun 1970-an dan 1980-an. Momentum penulisan ini bermula dengan siri-siri editorial di dalam akhbar-akhbar dan majalah-majalah pada awal tahun-tahun 1970-an. Satu artikel pendek dalam Bahasa Melayu di dalam akhbar Berita Harian pada tahun 1971 menyatakan Mek Mulung kerap dipersembahkan dalam kalangan penduduk Kampung Kota Mengkuang di Kubang Pasu, Kedah, daripada satu generasi ke generasi seterusnya. (Jusoh, 1971).

Sehingga kini, masih tiada sumber yang menampilkan bukti lokasi sebenar kampung ini. Namun begitu, berdasarkan maklumat daripada beberapa blogpost bebas, ada kemungkinan bahawa ia adalah sebahagian daripada, ataupun sebenarnya, apa yang dikenali sekarang sebagai Kampung Wang Tepus (Zahari, 2014).

Dokumentasi mengenai Mek Mulung pada tahun-tahun 1970an dan 1980-an kebanyakannya boleh didapati dalam bentuk penulisan artikel dalam akhbar-akhbar, majalah-majalah popular, penerbitan akademik, jurnal, dan bab-bab dalam buku. Penulisanpenulisan berkaitan Mek Mulung pada masa dua dekad ini kebanyakannya memberi pengenalan ringkas terhadap sejarah Mek Mulung, sifat persembahannya, siapa ahli-ahli kumpulan persembahannya, dan huraian tentang peralatan muziknya.

Satu rakaman Mek Mulung yang dilakukan pada tahun 1982 boleh diperolehi daripada arkib digital ‘Ethnographic Video for Instruction and Analysis (EVIA)’. Walaupun dalam bentuk sisipan yang pendek, rakaman ini memberi pemahaman bagaimana Mek Mulung telah dipersembahkan ketika itu.

Penulisan-penulisan awal memberi huraian deskriptif mengenai Mek Mulung, dan kebiasaannya tidak memberi banyak penekanan ke atas persembahannya. Bahan penulisan terkini memberi

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tumpuan kepada muzik, peralatan muzik dan pergerakan. (Toh, 2004; 2006). Pengenalan-pengenalan ringkas terdapat di dalam ‘Encyclopaedia of Malaysia: Performing Arts’ (Ghulam-Sarwar, 2005) dan ‘Garland Handbook of Southeast Asian Music’ (Miller, 2008). Terdapat juga muzik asas dan gerak tarian Mek Mulung di dalam dua buah buku bertajuk ‘Malay Dance’ dan Teater Tradisional Melayu (Mohd Ghouse, 1995; 2000). Satu terbitan terbaru adalah sebuah buku oleh Institut Terjemahan dan Buku Malaysia yang dilancarkan sempena pengisytiharan Mek Mulung sebagai warisan seni persembahan negeri Kedah. (Zinitulniza, 2014).

GAMBARAN KESELURUHAN PERSEMBAHAN Persembahan Mek Mulung adalah sebahagian penting dalam kehidupan penduduk Wang Tepus selama lebih enam generasi (Jabatan Muzium & Antikuiti, 2002). Pada masa kini, terdapat satu kumpulan persembahan yang mana ahli-ahlinya terdiri daripada satu keturunan keluarga yang sama. Suatu persembahan itu dipentaskan oleh, dan untuk, komuniti kampung itu sendiri, kebiasaannya sebagai hiburan dan juga untuk memenuhi fungsi ritual, khusus bagi tujuan penyembuhan penyakit-penyakit.

Persembahan di Bangsal Mek Mulung kebiasaannya dipersembahkan di kawasan luar di atas tanah, di atas pentas terbuka, atau bangsal, yang berbumbung dan mempunyai empat tiang. Tiga daripada bahagian tepinya tidak berdinding bagi membolehkan para penonton menyaksikan persembahan daripada pelbagai arah dan sudut. Pada bahagian hadapan dinding di bahagian belakang pentas terdapat satu para bagi menempatkan bahan-bahan penyembahan untuk upacara Sambut Guru, iaitu satu upacara tahunan sebagai penghormatan kepada nenek-moyang bagi keluarga keturunan Mek Mulung.

Bangsal telah dibina supaya para berada pada bahagian dinding belakang dan menghadap ke arah utara.

Berhadapan para di mana bahan penyembahan disusun rapi, terdapat sebuah tiang yang dipanggil Tiang Seri yang terletak

Among the distinguished guests who attended the Exhibition was England’s Prince of Wales. This demonstrated that Mek Mulung had already been officially recognized by the then ruler as one of the traditional performance genres of Kedah with sufficient prestige to represent the state to the ruling power at that time.

books titled Malay Dance and Teater Tradisional Melayu (Mohd Ghouse, 1995; 2000). The latest addition is a book published in 2014 by the Institut Terjemahan dan Buku Malaysia which was launched in conjunction with the declaration of Mek Mulung as the Kedah state performing arts heritage (Zinitulniza, 2014).

The next group of written records of Mek Mulung appeared very much later, in post-independent Malaysia in the 1970s and 1980s.

The momentum began with a series of newspaper and magazine editorials in the early part of the seventies. A short article in the Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian in 1971 mentioned Mek Mulung being regularly performed among the villagers of Kampung Kota Mengkuang, in Kubang Pasu, Kedah from one generation to another (Jusoh, 1971). At present, there is no source yet to establish evidence of the exact location of this village. However, information from several independent blogposts suggested the possibility that it could have been a part of, or even what used to be, today’s village of Wang Tepus (Zahari, 2014).

A PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

Documentations of Mek Mulung in the 1970s and 1980s have been in the form of articles in newspapers, popular magazines, academic publications, journals, and book chapters. Writings on Mek Mulung during these two decades have dealt largely with brief introductions to the history of Mek Mulung, the nature of the performance itself, who the performers were, and description of the musical instruments. A recording of Mek Mulung made in 1982 is available in the Ethnographic Video for Instruction and Analysis (EVIA) Digital Archives. Although the excerpts were brief, the recordings provided an understanding of how Mek Mulung was performed during that time.

These early writings presented descriptive accounts of Mek Mulung, and usually highlighted only a small portion of the performance. More recent literature has looked into its music, musical instruments, and movements (Toh, 2004; 2006). There are also brief introductions in the Encyclopaedia of Malaysia: Performing Arts (Ghulam-Sarwar, 2005) as well as in the Garland Handbook of Southeast Asian Music (Miller, 2008). Some of Mek Mulung’s basic music and dance movements are described in two

The Mek Mulung tradition has been an important part of the lives of the people of Wang Tepus for more than six generations (Jabatan Muzium & Antikuiti, 2002). At present, a single troupe of performers exists, whose members come from the same family lineage.

The performance was staged by, and for, the rural community itself, largely for entertainment purposes as well as to fulfil ritual functions, specifically for healing purposes.

Performing in the Bangsal Mek Mulung is typically performed outdoors on a ground level, open stage, or bangsal, which consists of a roof and four pillars. Three of its sides are not walled up and thus enabled the audience to view the performance from these directions or angles. In front of the walledup side located at the back of the stage is the para (an elevated platform) on which offerings were placed during the Sambut Guru celebration, which is an annual tribute to the ancestors of the Mek Mulung lineage. The bangsal was constructed such that the platform against the back wall faced in a northward direction.

Facing the platform or the altar where offerings were laid, is the main pillar called the tiang seri , which is located in the center towards the front of this platform. It is believed that it is here where the spirits are located. A mat was spread out in the middle of the stage for the performers to sit as well as perform.

Mek Mulung performers are comprised of male actors who would dress up in female clothing when they were playing the female roles.

The main character was the Raja (King), referred to as Pak Mulung, who usually had three assistants (also known as Awang), namely the Peran Tua, Peran Muda, and Peran Kiau. There was also the fortune teller who was referred to as Tok Wak, an Inang, and several

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Bangsal untuk persembahan.

The bangsal performance space.

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di tengah-tengah bahagian hadapan para tersebut. Dipercayai di sini terdapatnya roh-roh nenek-moyang yang berkenaan. Sekeping tikar dihampar di bahagian tengah pentas sebagai tempat ahli-ahli kumpulan persembahan duduk dan membuat persembahan.

Ahli-ahli kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung terdiri daripada pelakon lelaki yang akan mengenakan pakaian wanita apabila mereka diperlukan memainkan watak wanita. Watak utama adalah Raja yang juga dikenali sebagai Pak Mulung, yang kebiasaannya mempunyai tiga pembantu (ataupun dikenali sebagai Awang) yang digelar Peran Tua, Peran Muda dan Peran Kiau. Terdapat juga seorang penilik nasib yang dikenali sebagai Tok Wak, seorang Inang dan beberapa penari. Puteri, yang juga dikenali sebagai Mek Mulung, kebiasaannya ditemani oleh pembantu-pembantunya, iaitu Inang, apabila dia tampil membuat persembahan. Terdapat juga watak-watak Raja Gergasi atau Raja-raja daripada kerajaan lain yang membuat penampilan dalam cerita-cerita tertentu, yang kebiasaannya melambangkan watak antoganis kepada Raja.

Terdapat tiga alat persembahan utama di dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Selain daripada topeng kayu yang dipakai oleh Peran atau Awang, terdapat juga golok atau parang yang diperbuat daripada kayu, satu rotan berai yang gelar sebagai Rotan Ketujuh, dan satu tongkat kayu yang dipanggil Tongkat Wak. Watak Tok Wak turut memakai topeng kayu; tetapi topeng Tok Wak kebiasaannya berwarna hitam dan menutupi keseluruhan muka. dancers. The Puteri (Princess), who was referred to as Mek Mulung, was usually accompanied by her Inangs (maids) when she made her appearance. There was also the Raja Gergasi (the Ogre King), or kings from other kingdoms, who were the antagonists of the Raja (The King) who made their appearance in some of the epic stories.

Three main props were used in the Mek Mulung performance. Apart from the wooden masks worn by the Peran or Awang, others include a wooden dagger (golok or parang), a whip which was made of a bunch of rattan which was referred to as Rotan Ketujuh, and a wooden walking stick which was called Tongkat Wak. The Tok Wak also wore a mask; however, the Tok Wak’s mask was black and it covered the whole face.

Tiang Seri.

The tiang seri (Main Pillar).

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Penjiwaan Persembahan di Wang Tepus

The Wang Tepus Performance Experience

Ketika memainkan watak mereka, para pelakon tidak bergantung kepada sebarang jenis skrip. Para pelakon kebiasaannya melakukan persembahan berdasarkan ingatan mereka. Dialek Melayu Kedah adalah bahasa utama yang digunakan dalam dialog, diselangi dengan sedikit dialek Melayu Pattani. Kesemua dialog dihasilkan secara spontan dan kebiasaannya telah dibincang dan dipersetujui sebelumnya oleh pelakon-pelakon. Kebiasaannya dialog-dialog ini berdasarkan pengalaman kehidupan seharian.

Situasi-situasi biasa dijadikan sumber-sumber dialog kepada Awang yang dihasilkan bagi menarik minat para penonton. Ini juga menjadi asas kepada elemen jenaka dalam persembahan.

When playing out their roles, the performers did not depend on any scripts. The performers relied on their memory to act out their roles. The Malay Kedah dialect was the main language used in the dialogues, interspersed with some Pattani Malay. All the dialogues were produced spontaneously, but had been discussed and agreed earlier among the performers. They usually consisted of daily life experiences. These familiar happenings would provide the Awangs with sources of dialogues to incite interest among the audience. These also provided sources for comedic elements in the repertoire.

Persembahan biasanya bermula selepas waktu solat Isya’.

Keputusan mengenai kandungan dan bentuk persembahan kebiasaannya dibuat oleh pelakon-pelakon sendiri dan ada kalanya dibuat semasa persembahan sedang berjalan. Bila masa untuk bermula, bila masa untuk berakhir, dan berapa lama masa untuk sesuatu persembahan itu laksanakan seterusnya ditentukan secara kasual. Tidak ada rangka masa yang ketat, dengan itu pelakon-pelakon tidak tahu dari awal lagi berapa lama sebenarnya persembahan itu akan mengambil masa. Walaupun mempunyai jalan cerita yang berbeza, struktur yang sama tetap dikekalkan bagi setiap persembahan seperti yang ditunjukkan di dalam gambar rajah di bawah.

Fasa pra-pembukaan persembahan ini mengandungi pelbagai ritual untuk memohon kebenaran daripada nenek-moyang untuk ahli-ahli kumpulan melaksanakan persembahan dan memastikan keselamatan mereka ketika pementasan berlangsung. Ritual prapembukaan ini dilengkapi dengan penyediaan barang-barang penyembahan dan kebiasaannya dilaksanakan oleh ketua kumpulan di rumahnya. Apabila ketua memberi tanda bahawa persembahan akan bermula, para pelakon mula bergerak untuk mengambil tempat di ruang persembahan.

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A performance would normally begin sometime after the Isya’ evening prayers. Decisions about the content and the form of the performance were usually made by the performers themselves, and sometimes these were made as the performance moved along. When to begin, when to end, and how long a performance would go on would be determined in a casual manner. There was no rigid time frame, so the performers would not know beforehand exactly how long a performance would last. Despite differences in the storylines, the structure was maintained for each performance as shown in the diagram below.

The Pre-Opening phase consisted of various rituals to seek permission from ancestors for the performers to carry out the performance and to ensure their safety while performing. These pre-performance rituals usually took place at the home of the leader of the troupe, which sometimes may be restricted to the presence of certain members only. When the leader gave the signal that the performance was ready to begin, the performers could now enter the performance space.

The Opening phase began with the entrance of the musicians and the performers who would take their positions. They would sit in a semi-circle formation at the periphery of the stage, normally towards the walled side at the back of the bangsal. Their backs would be facing the tiang seri (main pillar) and the para (altar) where the specially prepared offerings were placed. The musicians

Pra-Pembukaan Pre-Opening

Cerita Bermula The story commences

Penutup Closing

Pembukaan Opening

Pembantupembantu dipanggil Servants are summoned

Pasca-Penutup ada atau tiada rawatan penyembuhan Post-Closing with or without Trance Healing

Turutan aliran keseluruhan persembahan seperti dipersembahkan di Wang Tepus.

Sequence of the flow of the overall performance as it was performed in the Wang Tepus Performance.

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Kedudukan ahli-ahli persembahan semasa fasa Pembukaan.

Position of Performers during Opening Section.

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Fasa pembukaan bermula apabila para pemuzik serta ahliahli persembahan lain selesai mengambil tempat mereka dalam bentuk separa bulat di pinggiran pentas, kebiasaannya berhampiran dinding di bahagian belakang pentas. Para pemuzik selalunya ditentukan tempat mengikut lokasi peralatan muzik yang mereka mainkan. Penari-penari serta ahli-ahli persembahan yang lain lazimnya mengambil tempat mereka dalam kalangan pemuzik. Kebiasaannya terdapat seramai 15 sehingga 20 ahliahli persembahan, termasuk pemuzik-pemuzik dalam sesuatu persembahan Mek Mulung di bangsal di kampung.

Ensembel muzik Mek Mulung mengandungi Serunai yang memainkan melodi untuk muzik instrumental. Bahagian ritma mengandungi tiga jenis membranofon, iaitu Gendang yang berlainan saiz. Gendang Ibu memainkan bit yang utama. Dua lagi Gendang kecil yang hampir sama saiznya adalah Gendang Anak dan Semborong yang memberi ritma bertingkah. Dua idiofon adalah Kecerek dan Gong yang berfungsi sebagai penanda masa dalam persembahan.

Setiap pembukaan kepada sesuatu persembahan Mek Mulung mempunyai satu siri lagu-lagu dan tarian-tarian, tanpa mengambil kira cerita yang dibawa. Turutan yang lazim dipraktikkan ialah Bertabuh, Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh, Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang, Sedayung, Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, dan Makan Pinang. Pada fasa pembukaan ini, kesemua ahli persembahan kekal berada dalam posisi duduk mereka sementara lagu instrumental Bertabuh dimainkan. Apabila Serunai dimainkan, ia merupakan tanda bahawa persembahan telah pun bermula.

Setelah permainan lagu instrumental Bertabuh selesai, ahli-ahli persembahan turut menyanyi sebagai sebahagian daripada kumpulan penyanyi korus sambil diiringi oleh pemuzikpemuzik. Tanda memulakan lagu sembah hormat, iaitu Bertabik, diberikan oleh ahli yang memimpin lagu Bertabuh. Pelakon yang memainkan watak Puteri kebiasaannya diberi keutamaan untuk mendendangkan lagu Bertabik. Namun begitu, watak ini mungkin digantikan oleh Raja atau watak-watak lain sekiranya pelakon yang memainkan watak Puteri tidak dapat menyanyi dengan baik. Lagu sembah hormat ini adalah signifikan yang mana ianya dimainkan

sebagai penghormatan kepada semangat dan roh nenek-moyang yang menjaga kawasan persembahan. Gaya nyanyian yang sama kekal sepanjang persembahan di mana penyanyi korus akan mengulangi ayat-ayat yang dinyanyikan oleh penyanyi utama, seakan-akan suatu bentuk nyanyian gaya sahutan.

usually took their positions based on the location of the musical instrument that they would play. The dancers and performers initially take their position among the musicians. Normally, there were about 15 to 20 performers including the musicians in the typical Mek Mulung village performance.

The Mek Mulung music ensemble consisted of a serunai (a free reed aerophone) which plays the melody of the instrumental pieces. The rhythm section is comprised of three types of membranophones, which are framed drums of different sizes.

The largest, the gendang ibu, plays the main beat. The other two smaller ones of about the same size are the gendang anak and the Semborong which provide the interlocking rhythms. The two idiophones are the kecerek or the concussion clappers, and the gong which served as the main timekeeper in the performance.

Every Opening to a Mek Mulung performance consisted of a series of songs and dances, irrespective of the storyline. The usual sequence was the Bertabuh (Drum sequence), Bertabik (Salutation), Gerak Timpuh (Reverential position), Puteri Mabuk (Indulgent/Intoxicated princess), Anak Menora (Descendant from Menora), Gambang (Gambang movement), Sedayung (Sauntering), Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq (Princess bathing), and Makan Pinang (Princess eating betel nut in solitude). During this opening phase, all the performers remained in their sitting positions while the instrumental Bertabuh song, initiated by the serunai (a freereed pipe) player, gave the signal that the performance was beginning. After the instrumental Bertabuh song has been played, the performers become part of the chorus singers accompanying the musicians. The cue for the salutation song, the Bertabik, was given by the performer who led the Bertabik song. The performer playing the Puteri character was usually given priority in singing

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Fasa seterusnya melibatkan watak pembantu-pembantu, khususnya di antara Puteri dan inang, diikuti oleh Raja dengan Awang. Fasa ini berakhir apabila Raja mengumumkan cerita untuk persembahan pada malam tesebut melalui nyanyian Pecah Lakon yang menentukan cerita berkenaan. Bermula dari sini, cerita itu berlangsung dan merupakan komponen utama dalam persembahan teater Mek Mulung. Apabila cerita berakhir, fasa penutup persembahan ditentukan melalui nyanyian Kecil Milik, yang dinyanyikan oleh Puteri ataupun Raja. Ini diikuti oleh elemen ritual pada fasa Pasca-Penutup yang mana ketua menyampaikan ucapan kesyukuran berikutan persembahan itu berjaya dilaksanakan. Sekiranya ia merupakan persembahan Sambut Guru, terdapat ritual tambahan yang mengandungi elemen menurun bagi tujuan upacara penyembuhan.

Persembahan Mek Mulung yang dipentaskan dalam konteks kampung kebiasaannya dilaksanakan secara kasual dan bergerak pada kadar berbentuk riadah. Adalah satu perkara yang tidak luar biasa bagi seorang pemuzik meninggalkan pentas sesuka hatinya dan kembali semula kepada peralatan muziknya sepanjang persembahan itu berjalan. Ia juga menjadi satu kebiasaan untuk seorang pemuzik memberi peralatan yang dimainkan kepada seorang pemuzik lain yang duduk berhampiran dengannya sekira ia boleh memainkan peralatan tersebut. Walau bagaimanapun, sekiranya individu berkenaan tidak dapat memainkan lagu itu dengan baik ataupun melakukan kesilapan apabila mengambil alih memainkan peralatan muzik daripada pemain yang sebenar, individu tersebut tidak akan diketawakan.

Pemuzik-pemuzik juga bebas untuk merokok atau minum air ketika persembahan sedang berjalan. Walaupun begitu, kelonggaran sedemikian rupa tidak diberikan kepada pelakon-pelakon yang memainkan watak-watak utama yang kebiasaannya perlu berada di ruang persembahan. Mereka hanya boleh meninggalkan ruang persembahan apabila perlu menukar pakaian atau apabila mereka diberi masa tertentu untuk berehat semasa sesuatu persembahan. Persembahan santai yang dipentaskan dalam konteks kampung merupakan faktor penting untuk ahli-ahli

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persembahan terus bertenaga untuk membuat persembahan yang mungkin memerlukan masa yang panjang pada sesuatu malam.

Selain itu, suasana kasual dalam pementasan Mek Mulung dalam konteks kampung terus dikekalkan apabila para penonton bebas datang dan pergi mengikut sesuka hati mereka ketika persembahan sedang berlangsung. Para penonton turut bebas menonton persembahan daripada mana-mana lokasi atau sudut pilihan mereka di persekitaran bangsal dan boleh berubah lokasi dari satu tempat ke suatu tempat yang lain untuk mendapatkan lokasi yang terbaik. Sambil menikmati persembahan, mereka bebas bersembang sesama mereka, makan, minum, merokok dan juga tidur. Satu-satunya syarat yang dikenakan pada penonton adalah untuk mengelak daripada duduk di bahagian bendulbendul di tepi bangsal semasa persembahan sedang berjalan. the Bertabik, but she might be replaced by the Raja or another character if the performer playing the Puteri role could not sing.

The salutation song was significant in that it was played to pay tribute to the spirits and ancestors guarding the performance space. The style of singing remained the same throughout the performance whereby the chorus singers repeated the verses of the lead singer, a sort of responsorial style of singing.

The next phase was marked by the involvement of the maids/ servants, specifically between the Puteri and the Inangs which was followed by the Raja and the Awangs. This phase ended when the Raja introduced the story for the night’s performance through the Pecah Lakon song in which the story was established.

From this point onwards, the story would take off and marked the main component of the Mek Mulung theatre performance.

As the story concluded, the Closing section of the performance was marked by the Kecil Milik song, sung by the Puteri or the Raja.

This was then followed by the post-Closing ritual with the leader conveying the group’s gratitude for ensuring that the performance was successfully carried out. In the case of the Sambut Guru performance, an additional ritual could be incorporated to include a trance healing component.

The Mek Mulung performance that was staged in the village context would take place in a casual and at a leisurely pace. It is not uncommon for musicians to leave the stage and return to their instruments as they please throughout the performance. A musician might also pass on the instrument that he was playing to another person sitting close to him whom he knew could play the instrument. However, the person would not be ridiculed if he was not able to play certain songs or if he made mistakes when taking over the instrument from the regular musician.

Musicians were also free to smoke cigarettes or drink water in the course of the performance. However, such freedom was not accorded to the main characters, who were expected to remain in the performance space.

They could only leave when it involved a costume change or whenever there were the occasional short breaks during performances. The relaxed manner in which the performances were staged within the village context is an important factor to performers in sustaining their energy to perform for very long periods through the night.

The casual atmosphere of the village staging of Mek Mulung was further maintained when audiences also come and go as they pleased during the performance.

The audience was also free to observe the performance from any location around the performance space and move from one location to another to get the best spot to watch the performance. While enjoying the performance, they could talk among themselves, eat, drink, smoke, and even sleep. The only restriction to the audience was to avoid sitting on the low beams supporting the bangsal when the performance was being staged.

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Penonton sedang menonton persembahan dari lokasi yang mereka pilih.

Audience watching from their preferred spots.

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EVOLUSI MEK MULUNG VERSI BANDAR Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan dengan jayanya di kawasan bandar seperti Alor Setar dan Kuala Lumpur telah melalui proses evolusi yang ketara daripada bentuk asalnya yang terdapat di Wang Tepus. Terdapat pelbagai adaptasi kepada bentuk asal yang menghasilkan perubahan berdasarkan latar belakang penonton, yang kebiasaannya terdiri daripada penduduk bandar yang mempunyai sifat ingin tahu terhadap budaya dan kesediaan meluangkan masa dan wang untuk menonton Mek Mulung pada waktu lapang mereka. Malahan, penonton-penonton yang berciri pengguna ini, berupaya menentukan corak pembentukan Mek Mulung bandar.

EVOLUTION OF THE URBAN VERSION Mek Mulung that has been successfully staged in urban environments, such as in Alor Setar and Kuala Lumpur, has evolved greatly from its predecessors originating from Wang Tepus. Many of the adaptations to the original form have resulted from the changes of the type of audience, who were urban, curious about culture, and willing to spend their time and money to watch Mek Mulung during their spare time. These consumer audiences to some extent determined how the urban Mek Mulung was constructed.

Persembahan di atas pentas Prosenium.

(Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Performance on the proscenium stage.

(Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Ke Arah Mek Mulung Moden/Bersifat Pementasan Mulai tahun 1980-an, Mek Mulung dilaporkan telah dipersembahkan di atas pentas di beberapa tempat dalam bentuk persembahan asalnya, dan tidak hanya di dalam lingkungan Kampung Wang Tepus sahaja.

Sebaliknya, ia telah berjaya keluar dari Wang Tepus dan membuat persembahan di bandar-bandar dan bandaraya. Daripada persembahan tradisionalnya di dalam bangsal, ahli-ahli persembahan Mek Mulung mendapati diri mereka membuat persembahan di pentas besar, dewan dan di auditorium. Adaptasi perlu dilakukan oleh ahli persembahan untuk disesuaikan mengikut tempat dan ruang persembahan yang baharu dan juga jangkaan daripada penonton. Lazimnya terdapat bilangan ahli persembahan yang ramai sehingga mencecah 20 orang penari di atas pentas pada satu masa. Kostum yang dikenakan juga lebih bergaya berserta alat-alat pementasan yang lebih menarik untuk penonton bandar dan bersifat kosmopolitan.

Towards a Concertized Mek Mulung From the 1980s onwards, Mek Mulung performances have been reported to have been staged elsewhere in its original form, and were no longer restricted to only within the confines of the village of Wang Tepus. Instead, it has ventured out of Wang Tepus and performed in various towns and cities. From its traditional bangsal presentation, Mek Mulung performers found themselves performing on proscenium stages in large halls and auditoriums.

Adaptations have to be made by the traditional practitioners to accommodate to the new venue and performance space as well as the audience’s expectations. There was a larger cast of performers which comprised of up to twenty dancers on the stage at a time. The performers wore elaborate costumes with fancy props to look appealing to the urban audience.

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Penonton duduk di dalam dewan besar. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Audience seated in large hall. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Persembahan oleh lebih ramai penari. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

More dancers performing on stage. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Bilangan ahli persembahan yang lebih besar. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Presenting a larger cast of performers. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Usaha-usaha awal untuk membawa keluar Mek Mulung daripada berbentuk persembahan bangsal dan memindahkannya ke pentas-pentas besar telah dilakukan oleh kerajaan negeri Kedah, seperti yang dilaporkan di dalam akhbar New Straits Times (Mohd Ibrahim, 1996). Satu persembahan konsert Mek Mulung telah dipersembahkan di bandar Alor Setar oleh ahli-ahli persembahan yang merangkumi kumpulan asal daripada Wang Tepus. Menurut penulisan itu, ia tidak mendapat perhatian dan tindak balas seperti persembahan Mek Mulung yang kemudian dipentaskan di Kuala Lumpur oleh Kumpulan Seni Persembahan Petronas – KSPP (lebih dikenali sebagai Petronas Performing Arts Group – PPAG), yang terdiri daripada ahli persembahan profesional yang sudah biasa dengan persembahan di atas pentas di dewan-dewan besar, dengan kehadiran penonton yang ramai dan mempunyai latar belakang bandar, kosmopolitan, dan daripada kalangan kelas sosial pertengahan. Satu cabaran utama di dalam proses menghasilkan persembahan versi pertunjukan di pentas adalah untuk mempersembahkan kepada penonton sebagai satu persembahan teater moden dan dalam masa yang sama supaya tidak lari jauh daripada versi asalnya, iaitu sebuah teater rakyat tradisional.

The first effort to take Mek Mulung away from the bangsal performance and transfer it to the proscenium stage was undertaken by the Kedah state government, as reported in a review in the New Straits Times (Mohd Ibrahim, 1996). An early concertized Mek Mulung performance was staged in Alor Setar by performers comprising members of the original Wang Tepus troupe. According to the review, it did not get the kind of attention and response as when Mek Mulung was later performed in Kuala Lumpur by the Petronas Performing Arts Group (PPAG), which comprised of professional performers who were familiar with performing on the proscenium stage in large halls, in front of a larger audience of urban, cosmopolitan and middle-class backgrounds. A major challenge in the process of staging a concertized version was to present to the audience what is Mek Mulung as a modern theatre presentation but at the same time ensuring that it did not depart from its original traditional folk theatre version.

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Pengunaan kostum yang lebih bergaya. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Display of elaborate costume. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Pada tahun 2002, kumpulan PPAG telah mempersembahkan Mek Mulung dalam bentuk konsert moden di pentas Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) di ibu kota, Kuala Lumpur. Persembahan ini mendapat sambutan baik daripada penonton bandar yang kebanyakannya sebelum ini tidak pernah didedahkan kepada Mek Mulung. (Ellyana, 2002; Siti Syakila, 2011). Mek Mulung: Cahaya Bulan adalah persembahan yang menghiburkan dan penggunaan dialek utara dalam persembahan tidak terlampau asing untuk difahami penonton. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat banyak pengubahsuaian dan adaptasi yang hakikatnya perlu diterima oleh pengamal-pengamal Wang Tepus untuk membolehkan PPAG mencapai hasrat besar mereka mengetengahkan sebuah persembahan Mek Mulung yang bercirikan pementasan konsert moden. Berbanding dengan versi kampung di Wang Tepus, persembahan konsert ini melibatkan lebih ramai ahli persembahan yang berhias dan mengenakan kostum yang lebih menonjol selain daripada peralatan pementasan yang canggih dan mewah, serta penggunaan pelbagai media bagi tujuan promosi. Namun, pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus sepatutnya merasa bangga dengan kejayaan PPAG kerana mereka juga memainkan peranan yang signifikan untuk menjadikan persembahan itu suatu kenyataan. Semasa di peringkat perancangan dan penghasilan pementasan sulungnya, PPAG telah melantik pengamal-pengamal Wang Tepus ini sebagai pakar rujuk kepada projek besar ini.

In 2002, the PPAG embarked on presenting a modernized-concertized form of Mek Mulung at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. It was very well received by the urban, cosmopolitan audience who, before this, had never heard of Mek Mulung (Ellyna, 2002; Siti Syakila, 2011). Mek Mulung: Cahaya Bulan was entertaining and the northern dialect used in the performance was not difficult for the audience to follow. However, there were many adjustments and adaptations that have to be made, which the Wang Tepus practitioners have to come to terms with, to achieve the PPAG’s grand design of an urban concert presentation of Mek Mulung. In comparison to the village version in Wang Tepus, this concertized performance involved more performers who wore extravagant costumes, included fancy props, and made use of various media for its promotion.

Nonetheless, the Wang Tepus practitioners should take pride also in the PPAG’s success as they had a significant role in making the performance a reality. In planning and final production of the debut performance, the PPAG commissioned the village practitioners as consultants for the grand project.

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Penggunaan kesan-kesan khas. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Use of special effects. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Persembahan sulung oleh kumpulan PPAG ini dituruti oleh tiga lagi persembahan dalam jangka masa 10 tahun sebelum kumpulan ini dimansuhkan pada tahun 2011.

Namun begitu, kumpulan PPAG dianggapkan sebagai perintis yang membawa tradisi Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus untuk diperkenalkan kepada dunia luar dan telah menghasilkan satu rangka persembahan Mek Mulung bagi kumpulankumpulan seni persembahan sebagai panduan apabila membuat persembahan Mek Mulung pada masa akan datang. Ia telah mewujudkan satu arah tuju bagi satu versi Mek Mulung yang ‘baharu dengan penambahbaikan’, menghasilkan suatu standard baharu bagi persembahan daripada aspek penggunaan skrip, membuat serta menyimpan rekod persembahan supaya memudahkan perancangan persembahan pada masa hadapan. Satu identiti Mek Mulung yang tersendiri telah diperlihatkan kepada penduduk bandar di Kuala Lumpur. Dalam hal ini, PPAG telah menjadi penggerak kepada kumpulan-kumpulan seni persembahan lain. Namun begitu, beberapa perubahan kecil telah dilakukan oleh kumpulan-kumpulan seperti Angkatan Penggerak Seni Budaya Kedah (AKRAB) dan Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) di dalam persembahan mereka berdasarkan perbezaan ruang persembahan, memenuhi keperluan kumpulan sasar penonton yang berlainan, selain mewujudkan identiti persembahan mereka yang tersendiri.

This first performance by the PPAG was followed by three more performances within ten years before the PPAG ceased to exist in 2011. However, the PPAG was a pioneer in getting the Mek Mulung tradition known to the world outside of Wang Tepus and establishing a template for future Mek Mulung performances by other performing arts groups that were to follow in subsequent years. It sparked a new direction for a “new and improved” version of Mek Mulung, established a new standard for performance with scripts, and made recordings of the performances to enable it to be more easily reproduced for future performances. A Mek Mulung identity was created which was revealed to the urban audience in Kuala Lumpur. This was particularly true for performances by the PPAG. However, some minor changes were made in the performances by a group of traditional art enthusiasts belonging to the Angkatan Penggerak Seni Budaya Kedah (or AKRAB as they commonly refer to themselves) in their 2010 performance and by the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy (ASWARA) in their 2009 presentation. No doubt the PPAG version served as the basic template, but these variations were made to suit the different kind of performance space, the need to cater to a different audience, the commitment to portray as close possible the original version, as well as to establish its own stage identity.

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Alat pementasan yang menarik. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip) Use of fancy props. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip)

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02 BAB CHAPTER

PENJAGAPENJAGA TRADISI GUARDIANS OF THE TRADITION

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TOKOH-TOKOH MEK MULUNG Para penjaga tradisi merupakan tokoh-tokoh utama di dalam kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus. Mereka berperanan memberi maklumat kepada penyelidik-penyelidik dengan berkongsi pengetahuan serta pengalaman sepanjang penglibatan mereka sebagai ahli-ahli persembahan Mek Mulung. Mereka harus menerima hakikat bahawa mereka dianggap sebagai tokohtokoh Mek Mulung masa kini yang bertanggungjawab atas kelangsungan, kesinambungan dan diharapkan boleh memberi nafas baharu kepada tradisi ini. Komitmen dan kesungguhan mereka pastinya akan mempunyai impak ke atas pemahaman yang lebih mendalam terhadap tradisi Mek Mulung yang mempunyai kedudukan istimewa dalam kalangan masyarakat kampung serta penghargaan yang lebih tinggi terhadap seni persembahan yang unik ini untuk dinikmati oleh masyarakat umum. Ramai dalam kalangan tokoh-tokoh ini terlibat di dalam persembahan Mek Mulung semenjak lingkungan umur belasan tahun. Sebagai contoh, Pak Dan pada usia 11 tahun, Pak Saad dan Pak Din kedua-duanya sekitar usia 12 tahun, manakala Pak Leh dan Pak Ya semasa lewat belasan tahun.

THE MEK MULUNG ELDERS The guardians of the tradition are also the key players in the Mek Mulung Wang Tepus ensemble. They served as the main informants to researchers by sharing their thoughts and experiences throughout their involvement as Mek Mulung performers and finally as the current elders who are responsible for its survival, continuity, and hopefully rejuvenation. Their commitment and perseverance will surely make an impact towards a deeper understanding of the Mek Mulung tradition for its special place in the village community as well as greater appreciation for its unique form of performing arts to be enjoyed by the general public. Many of them became involved in performing Mek Mulung during their teenage years. For example, Pak Dan at 11 years old, Pak Saad and Pak Din both about 12 years of age, while Pak Leh and Pak Ya in their late teens.

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Saad bin Taib (1947 – 2019)

Saad bin Taib (1947 – 2019)

Saad bin Taib atau lebih mesra dikenali sebagai Pak Saad merupakan ketua kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus sejak tahun 1986. Beliau juga merupakan pemberi maklumat utama di dalam kajian yang dijalankan dari tahun 2011 sehingga 2019. Berita kematiannya akibat komplikasi hati merupakan satu kejutan besar walaupun sudah diketahui keadaan kesihatannya yang semakin menurun sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu.

Saad bin Taib or Pak Saad has been the leader of the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung troupe since 1986, and as the main informant throughout a study conducted from 2011 to 2019. It was shocking news that he had passed away of liver problems even though it was known that he has not been well for several years.

Pak Saad merupakan orang pertama yang dihubungi apabila kajian dan kerja lapangan Mek Mulung dijalankan di Wang Tepus.

Di dalam suatu temu bual pada tahun 2011, beliau memberitahu ia mula mempelajari Mek Mulung semasa membesar dan menyaksikan bapanya, iaitu ketua kumpulan pada masa itu, melakukan persembahan. Secara langsung, Pak Saad turut mempelajari corak bermain gendang menerusi pemerhatian dan hafalan tanpa latihan secara formal. Beliau mula menyertai kumpulan persembahan semasa usianya lebih kurang 12 tahun.

Pak Saad was the first point of contact when the study on Mek Mulung was initiated and fieldwork carried out in Wang Tepus. In an interview in 2011, he mentioned that he started to learn about Mek Mulung while growing up and watching his father, who was the leader of the troupe then, performed. Thus, Pak Saad learnt the drum patterns through observation and rote learning without any formal apprenticeship involved. He started performing with the troupe when he was about 12 years old.

During one of the later interviews, he mentioned that at one time,

Di dalam satu sesi temu bual, beliau pernah memberitahu pengalamannya pada suatu ketika, seperti berikut:

“He (referring to his father) touches my body, but I cannot recall what he actually said. From that moment onwards, I learnt to play the gendang (drum). As time went by, I got better playing the drum.

It just came on its own”.

“Takda apa. Cuma dia (merujuk kepada bapanya) bagi pada saya tuh, dia pegang badan saya tuh. Apa dia kata tuh saya pun tak tau lak tuh. Saya pun, belajaq pukoi gendang. Belajaq pukoi gendang.

Lama-lama koi boleh mainlah kiranya, dia mari sendiri”.

The phrase “it just came on its own” gave the impression that he believed he had a natural talent for playing the drum.

Ungkapan “Dia mari sendirinya” memberi gambaran bahawa Pak Saad percaya bahawa dia mempunyai bakat semulajadi untuk bermain gendang.

Pak Saad took over as the troupe’s leader upon the death of his father, Taib bin Lateh in 1986. As the leader and also the drum player, Pak Saad was responsible for managing the group and conducting the ritual aspects during a performance.

Pada tahun 1986, Pak Saad mengambil alih tugas sebagai ketua berikutan kematian bapanya, Taib bin Lateh. Sebagai ketua dan juga pemain gendang, Pak Saad bertanggungjawab menguruskan kumpulan serta menjalankan aspek-aspek ritual bagi setiap persembahan.

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Selepas diserang penyakit angin ahmar, beliau mula mempunyai masalah penglihatan sehingga menjadi buta sepenuhnya pada tahun 2014. Namun begitu, beliau terus memainkan peranannya sebagai ketua walaupun tidak lagi bermain gendang apabila penglihatannya semakin merosot. Atas saranan Jabatan Warisan Negara Zon Utara, kerajaan Malaysia telah memberikan Anugerah Warisan Kebangsaan Orang Hidup kepada beliau pada tahun 2015, sebagai pengiktirafan sumbangannya selaku ketua kumpulan Mek Mulung.

Pak Saad bermain gendang. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Pak Saad playing the drum. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Following a stroke, he began to have problems with his eyesight, until he became completely blind in 2014.

Nonetheless, he continued as the leader although he could no longer play the drums when his eyesight began to deteriorate. Upon the recommendation of the Northern Zone National Heritage Department, the government of Malaysia awarded him the Living People National Heritage Award in 2015, in recognition of his contribution as the leader of the Mek Mulung troupe.

Pak Saad menerima Anugerah Warisan Kebangsaan Orang Hidup.

(Gambar ehsan Jabatan Warisan Negara).

Pak Saad receiving the Living Person National Heritage Award.

(Photograph courtesy of Jabatan Warisan Negara).

Pak Saad menyediakan bahan-bahan untuk ritual penyembahan.

Pak Saad preparing for rituals on instruments.

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Pak Saad diiktiraf sebagai tokoh Mek Mulung.

Pak Saad recognized as a Mek Mulung expert.

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Sijil penghargaan yang dikepilkan bersama dengan Anugerah Warisan Kebangsaan Orang Hidup.

Certificate accompanying the Living Person National Heritage Award.

Selepas Pak Saad meninggal dunia, anaknya yang bernama Halim, memikul tugas sebagai penjaga semua alatan yang digunakan untuk persembahan. Anak sulung Pak Saad pula, Md Nayan, kini bertanggungjawab menyediakan persiapan dan melakukan aspek-aspek ritual di dalam persembahan. Sebagai waris Allahyarham Pak Saad dan Pak Taib, Md Nayan dan Halim sedang bekerja keras bagi mengisi kekosongan yang ditinggalkan bapa dan datuk mereka. Tugas mereka adalah memastikan kesinambungan kumpulan dan seterusnya mengekalkan tradisi Mek Mulung dengan harapan mewakili generasi baharu di dalam seni persembahan Mek Mulung.

After Pak Saad’s death, his younger son Halim, took over as the caretaker of the instruments and all the props used in the performance. Pak Saad’s eldest son, Md Nayan, is now responsible for the ritual aspect of the performance. As direct descendants of the late Pak Saad and Pak Taib, Md Nayan and Halim are currently working hard trying to fill in the shoes of their late forefathers to hold the group together, and to bring the troupe to represent a new generation who would ensure that the Mek Mulung tradition is preserved.

Pak Saad di persembahan Mek Mulung, 2018.

Pak Saad at a Mek Mulung performance, 2018.

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Taib bin Lateh (1907 – 1986) Pak Taib atau lebih terkenal dengan panggilan Pak Yib adalah bapa kepada Pak Saad. Beliau adalah ketua sebelum Pak Saad mengambil alih tugas tersebut. Pak Yib sangat mahir dengan kerja kayu dan telah menghasilkan serta menjaga gendang yang digunakan oleh ahli kumpulan.

Sebagai ketua pada masa itu, peralatan disimpan di rumahnya dan digantung di dinding pada ketinggian tertentu untuk menunjukkan rasa hormat serta pentingnya alat muzik tersebut.

Mereka yang berminat akan datang dan belajar dengan Pak Yib di rumahnya. Malangnya, banyak peralatan itu telah musnah dalam suatu kebakaran, dan gendang anak adalah satusatunya peralatan yang dapat diselamatkan dan seterusnya diwarisi oleh Pak Yib daripada kumpulan persembahan terdahulu.

Taib bin Lateh (1907 – 1986) Pak Taib, or more popularly known to the performers as Pak Yib, was Pak Saad’s father and whom Pak Saad took over as the troupe’s leader.

He was good with woodwork and made as well as maintained the drums (gendang) used by the troupe members.

Pak Taib memainkan gendang. (Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

Pak Taib playing the drum. (Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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As the leader at that time, the instruments were kept in his home where they were hung on the walls at a particular height to show respect and importance of the music instruments. Interested individuals would come over to learn with Pak Yib at his home. Unfortunately, many of the instruments were lost in a fire and the gendang anak was the only instrument that was saved which Pak Yib had inherited from the previous performers.

Salleh bin Embut (1926 – 2010) Salleh bin Embut, atau Pak Leh, adalah ahli tetap yang membawa watak Raja, iaitu watak utama dalam Mek Mulung, dalam persembahan-persembahan pada zamannya. Sebagai seorang ahli kumpulan persembahan, beliau banyak berkongsi pengetahuan dalam memainkan watak Raja bersama Pak Mat, yang mengambil alih tugas ini selepas Pak Leh meninggal dunia. Dalam kalangan semua ahli persembahan, Pak Leh lebih arif dengan semua jalan cerita berbanding ahli-ahli yang lain. Mujurlah Pak Leh sempat berkongsikan pengetahuannya bersama Zamzuriah Zahari yang telah membuat catatan sekitar tahun 2008 – 2009 semasa beliau datang mempelajari Mek Mulung daripada Pak Leh.

Salleh bin Embut (1926 – 2010) Salleh bin Embut, or Pak Leh, was the regular performer during his time who played the Raja, the lead role in Mek Mulung performances. As a troupe member, he shared his knowledge of performing the role of the Raja with Pak Mat, who took over Pak Leh’s role as the Raja character when he passed on. Among all the performers, Pak Leh knew most of the story lines better than any other village performers. It was fortunate that Pak Leh shared his knowledge with Zamzuriah Zahari who had them recorded sometime in 2008-2009 while she was learning Mek Mulung from him.

Pak Leh (Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

Pak Leh (Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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Pak Leh memainkan watak Raja. (Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

Pak Leh playing the Raja character. (Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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Pak Leh mula belajar seni persembahan Mek Mulung pada usia lewat remaja dan mula menyertai persembahan pada usia kira-kira 20 tahun. Pada peringkat awalnya, Pak Leh membuat persembahan sebagai penari, seterusnya membawa watak Puteri dan akhirnya kepada watak Raja. Beliau telah melalui latihan intensif, yang mana pada peringkat awalnya Pak Leh berlatih setiap minggu selama setahun. Kemudian, beliau mengembangkan kemahirannya dengan membawa peranan kecil apabila kumpulan itu dijemput membuat persembahan.

Beliau mengambil masa lebih kurang lima tahun untuk menguasai lagu-lagu, tarian-tarian, dan agak penting ialah bagaimana setiap cerita dipersembahkan di dalam komponen cerita sesebuah persembahan. Pak Leh menuntut ilmu tarian Mek Mulung daripada ahli persembahan bernama Bakaq bin Man sehingga Bakaq meninggal dunia.

Pak Leh menceritakan kepada Zamzuriah bahawa beliau berasal daripada sebuah kampung berhampiran dan datang daripada keturunan ahli persembahan Makyung. Semasa temu bualnya dengan Zamzuriah, Pak Leh menjawab soalan mengenai bapanya dengan ungkapan berikut,

was how the story was performed in the story component of the performance. Pak Leh learned to dance Mek Mulung from a troupe member Bakaq bin Man until Bakaq passed on.

He admitted to Zamzuriah that he was from a nearby village, and had come from a family lineage of Makyung performers. In a recorded interview, Pak Leh responded to Zamzuriah’s question about his father to which he replied, “Umhh, my father used to perform Makyung. There is no more Makyung around, the performers have all passed on”.

Pak Leh’s contributions to Mek Mulung have been documented in Zamzuriah’s personal collection of recordings and communication with him, as well as written documentations made by past researchers who had followed his performances while conducting their studies.

“Ummhhh, Ayah Pak Leh jadi dulu orang Makyung. Tak dak dah Makyung, depa habih tak dak.”

Sumbangan Pak Leh dalam seni Mek Mulung telah didokumentasikan di dalam koleksi peribadi Zamzuriah yang mengandungi rakaman dan komunikasi bersamanya.

Dokumentasi bertulis juga terdapat menerusi laporan kajiankajian penyelidik terdahulu yang mengikuti persembahan Pak Leh. Pak Leh began to learn about Mek Mulung in his late teens and started performing when he was about 20 years old. Pak Leh started performing in Mek Mulung as a dancer, then progressed to playing the Puteri role, until he finally played the Raja. He had his initial intensive training by practicing every week for a year, then he progressed to improve his skills by taking small roles when the troupe was invited to make performances. It took him about five years to master the songs, the dances, and especially important

Pak Leh (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Pak Leh (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Ahmad bin Shahadan (1964 – 2020) Ahmad bin Shahadan, atau Pak Mat, yang membawa watak Raja dalam kumpulan Wang Tepus, juga merupakan salah seorang pelajar Pak Leh. Jika dibandingkan dengan tokohtokoh Wang Tepus yang lain, Pak Mat mula belajar Mek Mulung agak lewat.

Beliau ingin melengkapkan program latihan kemahirannya di Institut Kraf Negara pada sekitar awal 1980-an.

Disebabkan penyakit batuk kering, tahap kesihatannya semakin menurun dan akhirnya beliau meninggal dunia pada tahun 2020.

Pak Mat adalah seorang tukang kayu dan membuat kerjakerja pertukangan kayu seperti sangkar burung. Beliau juga terlibat dengan penghasilan peralatan muzik Mek Mulung, termasuklah set gendang yang digunakan oleh kumpulan pada masa kini. Beliau membuat penambahbaikan kepada gendang-gendang dengan menggantikan tali rotan dengan gentian sintetik. Serunai yang digunakan oleh Pak Din dalam persembahan juga dihasilkan oleh Pak Mat. Pak Mat merupakan jiran kepada Pak Saad dan rumah mereka berhadapan dengan bangsal atau pentas persembahan. Salah seorang anak Pak Saad, Halim, yang mengambil alih watak Raja daripada Pak Mat, telah belajar banyak aspek watak tersebut daripada Pak Mat. Akan tetapi, sesi pembelajaran itu agak terhad.

Sebagai tukang kayu profesional, rumah Pak Mat menjadi tumpuan orang kampung yang ingin menggunakan peralatan krafnya. Ada di antara penduduk kampung tersebut yang turut terlibat dengan persembahan (walaupun tidak berapa aktif) atau yang mempunyai

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hubungan dengan ahli-ahli persembahan yang lain. Oleh itu, tidak pelik bahawa mereka juga mempunyai pengetahuan berkenaan persembahan Mek Mulung. Disebabkan ini juga, Mek Mulung bukanlah satu topik yang asing dan sering kali diperkatakan apabila ada perhimpunan penduduk-penduduk kampung dan menjadi maklumat tambahan untuk pengkaji-pengkaji. Sebagai contoh, salah seorang penduduk yang turut hadir semasa sesi temu bual di rumah Pak Mat mendedahkan bahawa bapanya, Abdullah Rani, merupakan salah seorang ahli persembahan Mek Mulung tetapi telah meninggal dunia sebelum dia mencapai umur 10 tahun. Yang lain juga menceritakan pengalaman semasa bersama-sama dengan mereka yang terlibat dengan persembahan Mek Mulung atau mereka yang mempunyai ilmu berkenaan seni persembahan ini. Mereka juga berkongsi maklumat berkenaan pelbagai majlis dan sumbangan mereka kepada majlis-majlis tersebut dengan berkongsi gambar-gambar yang berkaitan. Semasa temu bual dijalankan ataupun sambil bersembang-sembang di rumahnya, Pak Mat akan terus memberi tumpuan kepada projek kraf kegemarannya, iaitu membuat sangkar burung yang pelbagai rupa.

Ahmad bin Shahadan (1964 – 2020) Ahmad bin Shahadan, or Pak Mat, who was one of the late Pak Leh‘s students, performed the Raja roles in the current Wang Tepus troupe. When compared to the other Wang Tepus elders, Pak Mat had a late start learning about Mek Mulung.

He wanted to complete his skill training program at the National Craft Institute sometime in the early 1980s. He was not in the best of health as he was suffering from tuberculosis which led to his death in 2020.

Pak Mat was a carpenter and made commissioned woodwork pieces such as bird cages. He was also involved in making Mek Mulung instruments, including the troupe’s current gendang set.

He improvised by replacing the use of rattan lacing with synthetic fiber. He also made the serunai which Pak Din played in the performances.

Pak Mat lived next door to Pak Saad, and their houses overlooked the bangsal or the performance stage. One of Pak Saad’s sons, Halim, who took over playing the role of the Raja, learned many aspects of performing the Raja character from Pak Mat. However, the learning sessions were infrequent.

As a professional craftsman, Pak Mat’s house was usually filled with many of the villagers who came to use his crafting equipment.

Among these villagers were those who were also performers (although not frequently active) or who have had some form of association/relationship with performers, and thus have knowledge of Mek Mulung performance. Therefore, it would not be unusual for topics about Mek Mulung would come up during these gatherings and served as additional information for researchers. For example, one of the villagers who was at Pak Mat’s house during one of interview sessions revealed that his father, Abdullah Rani, was a member of the performance troupe but had died before he was 10 years old. Others would relate memories of their experiences with those who had performed Mek Mulung or those who had knowledge of Mek Mulung, They also shared information about various events and their contributions to these events, through sharing of photographs. While the interviews were conducted, or conversations were taking place among those at his house, Pak Mat would work on his favorite craft projects, like making elaborate bird cages.

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Pak Mat memainkan watak Raja. (Gambar ihsan Keluarga Pak Saad)..

Pak Leh playing the Raja character. (Photograph courtesy of Pak Saad family).

Pak Mat memainkan watak Raja. (Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

Pak Leh playing the Raja character. (Photograph courtesy of State Museum).

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Pak Mat mengajar Halim beberapa pergerakan tangan yang digunakan semasa persembahan.

Pak Mat showing Halim some hand gestures used in the performance.

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Kamarusdin bin Debak (Lahir: 1955) Kamarusdin bin Debak (juga dikenali sebagai Pak Din), pemain serunai dalam kumpulan pada masa kini, adalah di antara ahli kumpulan yang terkini bersama Pak Saad. Pak Din mula melibatkan diri dengan persembahan Mek Mulung pada tahun 1980-an.

Pak Din belajar bermain serunai daripada bapanya yang merupakan salah seorang ahli kumpulan persembahan lain di kawasan utara yang dikenali sebagai Gendang Keling.

Pak Din tidak mempunyai latihan formal bermain serunai dan menyatakan bahawa kemahiran itu datang kepadanya secara semulajadi ketika berumur lebih kurang 12 tahun.

Bapa Pak Din yang memiliki serunai terlihat beliau bermain dengan peralatan itu dan mencadangkan kepadanya, “Hang la, kalau nak pi jauh hang la”. Selepas anak keduanya lahir, Pak Din membuat keputusan menjadi pemain serunai tetap untuk kumpulan Mek Mulung, dan mampu memainkan semua koleksi lagu persembahan Mek Mulung. Pak Din merupakan satu-satunya individu dalam kumpulan Wang Tepus yang boleh memainkan lagu-lagu serunai Mek Mulung.

Selepas berada di kampung untuk beberapa tahun, anak lelaki Pak Din telah menunjukkan minat bermain serunai, tetapi dia tidak mempunyai banyak peluang untuk duduk bersama-sama bapanya dan belajar secara langsung.

Kaedah pengajaran Pak Din yang kurang kemahiran daripada aspek pedagogi membuatkan kebanyakan sesi pembelajaran di rumah berdasarkan kepada pendekatan cuba-jaya.

Jika dilihat pada nasab keluarga, Pak Saad menerangkan bahawa Pak Din bukan berasal daripada keturunan yang ada kaitan secara langsung dengan tradisi Mek Mulung.

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Kamarusdin bin Debak (Born: 1955) Kamarusdin bin Debak (also known as Pak Din), the current serunai player, was among the later members of the current troupe with Pak Saad. He became involved with Mek Mulung in the 1980s.

Pak Din learnt to play the serunai from his father who was a member of another northern performance ensemble called the Gendang Keling. He had no formal training in playing the serunai and claimed that it came to him naturally when he was about 12 years old. Pak Din’s father, who had a serunai, saw him with the serunai and suggested, “I think you can play Mek Mulung songs”. After the birth of his second child, Pak Din became a regular serunai player for the troupe, and was able to play all the repertoires. Pak Din was the only person in the Wang Tepus troupe who could play the Mek Mulung serunai pieces.

After being in the village for several years, Pak Din’s son had shown some interest in playing the serunai; but he had little opportunity to have his father sit down together with him and teach him directly. Pak Din’s teaching method which lacked real pedagogy skills made the lessons in his house dependent mostly on a trial-and-error learning approach.

In terms of family lineage, Pak Saad clarified that Pak Din did not come from the direct family lineage associated with the Mek Mulung tradition.

Pak Din memainkan Serunai.

Pak Din playing the Serunai.

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Pak Din memerhatikan anak lelakinya bermain serunai.

Pak Din watching over his son playing the serunai.

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Senawi bin Omar (1946 – 2018) Senawi bin Omar, atau Pak Awie, adalah ahli kumpulan yang paling tua semasa kajian dijalankan. Pak Awie bermain gendang dan persembahan terakhirnya di Wang Tepus adalah pada tahun 2011 dan 2014. Beliau kelihatan bangga apabila menceritakan bahawa serunai miliknya adalah hadiah daripada waris terdahulu dan telah berada di dalam keluarganya semenjak beberapa generasi.

Dalam kalangan ahli-ahli persembahan, Pak Awie yang paling pendiam; tetapi mampu mengingati pelbagai peristiwa semasa zaman persembahan mereka sekitar tahun 1980-an yang mana ketika itu, Pak Yib (bapa Pak Saad) adalah ketua kumpulan.

Menurutnya, itu adalah masa yang paling seronok menjadi sebahagian ahli persembahan Mek Mulung. Ketika itu, Mek Mulung berkembang luas dan mendapat permintaan ramai untuk membuat persembahan semasa kenduri-kendara di kampungkampung. Kebiasaannya persembahan-persembahan ini berlaku selepas selesai mengadakan acara Sambut Guru yang diadakan sekali dalam satu tahun. Pak Awie mengimbau kembali masa melawat rumah-rumah untuk membuat persembahan dari satu malam ke satu malam yang lain. Baginya, masa telah berubah, dan keadaan semasa tidak berbaloi untuk melakukan persembahan Mek Mulung di kampung-kampung. Beliau merasakan persiapan untuk membuat sesuatu persembahan mengambil banyak masa dan tenaga ahli-ahli kumpulan persembahan serta penduduk kampung.

Pak Awie juga berkongsi maklumat mengenai dua anaknya yang beliau rasa mampu menjadi ahli persembahan Mek Mulung.

Seorang boleh bermain serunai, dan seorang lagi pandai membawa watak Awang. Memandangkan beliau merupakan ahli yang paling berpengalaman, bila ditanya tentang pemahamannya berkenaan jalan cerita Mek Mulung, beliau mengakui tidak dapat mengingatinya. Akan tetapi, jika beliau melihat sesebuah persembahan atau sesi latihan, beliau akan dapat mengenal pasti serta membetulkan kesalahan-kesalahan yang dilakukan oleh ahli-ahli persembahan.

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Senawi bin Omar (1946 – 2018) Senawi bin Omar, or Pak Awie, was the oldest living member at the time of this research. He played the gendang and his last performances in Wang Tepus were in 2011 and 2014. He was proud to tell that the serunai that he owned was a gift from the elders in his family and it had belonged to several generations before that.

Among the performers, he was the most reserved, but could recall various events that they encountered during their performing days during the 1980s when Pak Yib (Pak Saad’s father) was the leader of the troupe. He mentioned that those were the most exciting days being a Mek Mulung performer. It was the time when Mek Mulung was really flourishing and there were demands for the Mek Mulung troupe where there were feasts organized by people in the villages.

This usually happened after their annual Sambut Guru event. He remembered travelling and visiting various homes to perform one night and another house on another night. For him the times have changed, and the current situation would not make it worthwhile to stage Mek Mulung performances in the village. He felt that it would take too much time and effort on the part of the troupe members and the village community as well to stage a performance.

Pak Awie shared some information about two of his children whom he felt would be able to become Mek Mulung performers to a certain extent. One could play the serunai, and the other could play the Awang character. Since he would be the performer with the longest experience, when inquired about his grasp of the Mek Mulung storyline, he admitted that he could not remember them.

However, he claimed that if he was observing a performance or a practice session, he would be able to identify and make corrections of a performer’s mistakes.

Pak Awie memainkan gendang.

Pak Awie playing the drum.

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Ishak bin Man (Lahir: 1961) Ishak bin Man, atau lebih dikenali sebagai Pak Dan, memegang watak badut di dalam Mek Mulung. Pak Dan mula belajar dan menjadi ahli persembahan Mek Mulung pada usia 11 tahun.

Menurutnya, agak biasa bagi ahli-ahli persembahan kampung yang baru diberi watak Inang atau Puteri.

Pak Dan dan Pak Mat menyertai kumpulan Mek Mulung pada masa yang sama dan mengasah kemahiran mereka di bawah tunjuk-ajar Pak Leh. Selepas tempoh kira-kira lima hingga enam tahun, bapanya mencadangkan agar beliau cuba membawa watak Awang.

Pak Dan menceritakan bahawa semasa latihan, mereka perlu mempelajari himpunan lagu dan tarian dalam Mek Mulung; dan apabila berlatih membawa watak, mereka akan memakai sarung batik untuk mempersiapkan watak yang mereka lakonkan. Beliau juga menerangkan bahawa setiap ahli persembahan mempelajari bahagian tertentu muzik dan watak yang tertentu, kerana inilah yang diarahkan tokoh-tokoh pada zaman itu. Begitu juga, jika membawa watak-watak seperti Puteri atau Inang, individu tersebut tidak sepatutnya menyentuh dan bermain alat muzik. Adalah pantang bagi ahli persembahan untuk mencampuradukkan peranan yang berbeza dalam Mek Mulung. Disebabkan ini juga, ahli persembahan yang dilatih menjadi pelakon, tidak digalakkan untuk bermain alat muzik atau menjadi pemuzik; sama juga bagi mereka yang dilatih menjadi pemuzik, tidak digalakkan untuk belajar dan menjadi pelakon. Inilah sebabnya mengapa maklumat menyeluruh Mek Mulung tidak tersebar dalam kalangan ahli persembahan kerana tiada ahli tertentu yang dapat mengetahui kesemua aspek persembahan secara keseluruhan.

Pada masa Pak Dan mencapai umur kira-kira 18 tahun, beliau memutuskan untuk memberi tumpuan memainkan watak Awang.

Bermula daripada situ, beliau berhenti melakonkan watak Puteri.

Beliau menjelaskan, jika membawa watak Awang, setiap aspek watak itu perlu difahami dan dilakonkan dengan tepat. Sebagai contoh, watak Awang memakai topeng; dan topeng-topeng

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ini perlu dijaga dengan teliti. Sesiapa yang memakainya perlu berhati-hati kerana dipercayai akan berlaku sesuatu yang buruk jika topeng-topeng ini tidak dijaga dengan betul.

Ishak bin Man (Born: 1961) Ishak bin Man, also referred to as Pak Dan, played the role of the Mek Mulung clown servant. He started to learn Mek Mulung and became a performer about the age of 11. He mentioned that it was common for beginning performers in the kampung to start out playing the role of the Inang or the Puteri.

By the time Pak Dan was about 18 years old, he decided to focus on playing the Awang character. From then on, he stopped performing the role of the Puteri. He explained that if you were performing the Awang roles, you would have to understand and be able to act out all aspects of the Awang character. For example, the Awang character wore masks; and these masks should be treated with special care and anyone wearing them should take great caution as it was believed that those putting on the masks could be harmed if the masks were not treated properly.

Both Pak Dan and Pak Mat joined the troupe at about the same time and developed their skills under the tutelage of Pak Leh. It was after a period of about five to six years before his father suggested that he should try out the role of the Awang.

Pak Dan recalled that while they were training, they were required to practice learning the songs and the dance repertoire; and when they practiced the character roles they would play them in batik sarongs to prepare for the characters that they were going to perform. He also explained that the reason that the performers learnt exclusively certain sections of the music or particular characters, because this was what the elders instructed them to do at that time. Thus, if you were learning to become the Puteri or Inang, you were not supposed to touch the music instruments to learn to play the music. It was considered as taboo for performers to play different roles in Mek Mulung. So, performers who trained to become actors would not be expected or encouraged to learn to play instruments to become musicians; and the opposite was true in which those who have trained to become musicians would not be expected to learn to become actors. This was why the information about the overall Mek Mulung performance was somewhat scattered among the Mek Mulung practitioners because no particular performer would know every aspect of the performance in its entirety.

Pak Dan memainkan watak Awang.

Pak Dan playing the Awang character.

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Che Ya @ Yahaya bin Dohat (Lahir: 1943) Pak Ya (Che Ya atau Yahaya) mula bermain gendang pada usia sekitar 16 atau 17 tahun. Pak Ya berminat dengan Mek Mulung apabila mendapat dorongan daripada saudaranya yang lebih tua. Pada suatu ketika, beliau pernah meninggalkan Wang Tepus dan menetap di kampung asal isterinya. Dalam masa lebih kurang 20 tahun yang lepas, beliau telah kembali untuk menetap di Wang Tepus dan menyambung semula penglibatannya bersama kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung sebagai pemain gendang.

Sama seperti Pak Dan dan Pak Mat, penglibatan awal Pak Ya adalah memainkan watak Puteri atau Inang. Beliau mengakui tidak pernah menyanyi sebelum ini, dan hanya mula belajar gerak tarian. Selepas lebih kurang lima atau enam tahun kemudian, beliau menawarkan diri apabila kumpulan itu perlu menambahkan pemain gendang. Sejak itu, beliau tidak lagi berlakon. Pak Ya mula belajar bermain gendang pada masa Pak Yib menjadi ketua kumpulan.

Che Ya @ Yahaya bin Dohat (Born: 1943) Pak Ya (Che Ya or Yahaya) started learning to play the drum at about the age of 16 or 17 years. Pak Ya became interested in Mek Mulung with the encouragement of an elder relative. He left Wang Tepus at some point in his life, and settled in another kampung where his wife came from. Within the last twenty years or so he came back to settle in Wang Tepus and resumed his association with the Mek Mulung troupe to perform as a drummer.

Pak Ya memainkan gendang. (Gambar ihsan Keluarga Pak Saad).

Pak Ya playing the drum. (Photograph courtesy of Pak Saad family).

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Just like Pak Dan and Pak Mat, in the beginning of his association with the troupe, Pak Ya started out performing as the Puteri or the Inang. He mentioned that he had never sung before, and only started learning the dance movements. After about five or six years later, the troupe needed more drummers so he volunteered to try out playing the gendang. From then onwards, he never performed the acting characters again. Pak Ya learnt playing the gendang during the time that Pak Yib was the leader.

Penyokong-penyokong Muda dan Baharu: Kes Zamzuriah Zahari

Mek Mulung’s Younger and New Advocates: The case of Zamzuriah Zahari

Pak Mat adalah individu yang mengetahui kebanyakan gerak tari dan lirik lagu. Setelah beliau meninggal dunia, tiada seorang pun daripada kalangan tiga ahli persembahan yang utama dapat mengganti peranan yang dimainkannya di dalam kumpulan. Selain mempunyai kemahiran dalam mempersembahkan tarian, Pak Mat juga mampu mengajar pelbagai gerak tari. Beliau turut arif dengan pergerakan jalan cerita yang lengkap, serta mampu menyanyikan keseluruhan lagu. Pengamal tradisi Mek Mulung yang ada kini terpaksa merujuk kepada bahan dokumentasi, tetapi malangnya, mereka tidak mengumpul dan menyimpan dokumen-dokumen yang berkaitan. Oleh itu, mereka perlu mendapatkan bantuan penyelidik yang membuat kajian berasaskan amalan seperti Zamzuriah Zahari yang mempunyai banyak dokumen bertulis dan rakaman video yang dikumpulnya semasa di bawah tunjuk-ajar Pak Leh. Dengan adanya koleksi peribadinya, beliau merupakan antara sumber terbaik bagi mengingat semula elemen-elemen yang dahulunya boleh diharapkan daripada Pak Mat dan Pak Leh.

With the recent passing of Pak Mat, who knew most of the dances and song texts, none of the three existing performers among the elders could replace him in terms of his role in the troupe. Besides possessing the skills in performing the dances, he was also capable of teaching the various dance movements; he was also able to follow complete storylines, and could sing the entire songs. The practitioners now had to look for documented materials to refer to, which regretfully they did not compile, and thus were not in their possession. Therefore, they had to get the help of practice-based researchers, such as Zamzuriah Zahari. Having gathered and kept written and videotaped documents when she was under Pak Leh’s tutelage, she seemed to be the best resource for remembering the Mek Mulung elements that they had earlier relied on Pak Mat and Pak Leh.

Sebagai bekas anak didik Pak Leh yang telah menghabiskan masa mempelajari sebanyak yang mungkin berkaitan Mek Mulung, Zamzuriah dijadikan sebagai tempat rujukan bagi pengamalpengamal Mek Mulung, selain bertindak sebagai seorang penyokong dan penggerak Mek Mulung di luar Wang Tepus.

Beliau adalah kakitangan akademik di Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA), yang pada masa ini berkhidmat sebagai Dekan di Jabatan Tarian. Selama beberapa tahun beliau telah menganjurkan program-program bagi mempromosi seni persembahan Melayu yang lain terutamanya yang terdapat di negeri kelahirannya di Kelantan, seperti Makyung, Tari Inai dan juga Dikir Barat. Walau bagaimanapun, mulai pada tahun 2008, beliau memberi fokus kepada Mek Mulung apabila ASWARA menghantarnya ke Wang Tepus untuk membuat kajian lapangan berkenaan seni persembahan ini. Beliau memberikan komitmen sepenuhnya bagi mempelajari semua aspek persembahan Mek Mulung, dan telah membentuk pertalian yang erat dengan Pak Leh yang terus kekal sehingga ke akhir hayat mentornya itu.

Being a disciple of Pak Leh with whom she had spent an extended amount of time learning as much as she could about Mek Mulung, Zamzuriah has established herself as a reference point for the Mek Mulung practitioners, besides being one of the key advocates of Mek Mulung outside of Wang Tepus. She is an academic staff at the National Academy of Culture Arts and Heritage (ASWARA), where she is currently serving as the Dean of the Dance Department. For many years, she has advocated to promote other Malay performing arts mainly from her hometown in the east coast state of Kelantan, such as the Makyung, Tari Inai and also the Dikir Barat. However, in 2008, her focus turned to Mek Mulung when ASWARA sent her to Wang Tepus to do field research on Mek Mulung. She gave full commitment to learning all aspects of performing Mek Mulung, and a strong bond was developed between her and Pak Leh who remained as her mentor until his passing.

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Zamzuriah, anak didik Pak Leh. Zamzuriah, a Pak Leh disciple.

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Tiga tokoh yang kekal berjuang untuk Mek Mulung (Pak Din, Pak Dan, Pak Ya).

The remaining three elders (Pak Din, Pak Dan, Pak Ya).

USAHA-USAHA MEMASTIKAN KESINAMBUNGAN

CONCERNS FOR ENSURING CONTINUITY

Dalam tempoh 10 tahun yang lepas, empat daripada tujuh ahli persembahan utama Mek Mulung Wang Tepus telah meninggal dunia. Dalam kalangan tiga tokoh yang masih ada, yang paling muda sudah berusia 60 tahun dan paling tua pula berusia 78 tahun.

Within a space of the last 10 years, four out of the seven main performers of the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung troupe mentioned in the above discussion have passed on. Of the remaining three, the youngest is already 60 years old and the oldest is 78 years of age.

Sehingga kini, satu generasi baharu masih belum menonjolkan diri dengan mempamerkan potensi mereka bagi mengambil alih tanggungjawab menjaga tradisi Mek Mulung. Perkara ini amat membimbangkan tokoh-tokoh sedia ada yang terpaksa bergantung kepada waris mereka untuk memikul tanggungjawab supaya memastikan warisan Mek Mulung dapat diteruskan.

Beberapa orang anak Pak Saad juga turut serta dalam persembahan sebelum ini semasa mereka masih muda. Akan tetapi, apabila semakin dewasa, perkara-perkara lain lebih diutamakan. Sama seperti anak-anak muda generasi mereka, apabila tiba masanya, mereka berhijrah keluar daripada kampung bagi mencari peluang pekerjaan yang lebih baik di pekan dan bandar berhampiran.

Pak Din pernah menyebut bahawa beliau berharap agar Mek Mulung dapat menarik minat generasi muda yang berada di kampung serta mereka yang berada di luar Wang Tepus agar seni persembahan ini terus kekal. Dalam kalangan anak-anak Pak Din, hanya seorang yang menunjukkan minat dan ada bertanyakan perkara-perkara berkaitan dengan persembahan Mek Mulung.

Beliau berharap anak-anaknya yang lain juga mempunyai minat yang sama. Beliau berasa sedih kerana Mek Mulung adalah suatu seni yang unik di Kedah, terutamanya di Wang Tepus, dan amat merugikan sekiranya persembahan ini tidak terus diamalkan.

Dalam kalangan generasi muda di Wang Tepus, anak perempuan Pak Saad, Nurul Atikah, pernah memainkan watak Inang bersama kumpulan persembahan dan mengakui beliau menyertainya secara sukarela. Malangnya, beliau juga terpaksa meninggalkan Wang Tepus selepas mendapat pekerjaan di Pulau Pinang.

A new generation of performers has not made themselves prominent by showing their potential to take over the guardianship of the Mek Mulung tradition. This is particularly of great concern to the elders who had to rely on their direct descendants to take over the obligation to ensure that the Mek Mulung legacy is continued. Several of Pak Saad’s children have performed Mek Mulung in the past when they were younger. However, as they grew older, other priorities became more important to them. Just like many youngsters of their generation, when the appropriate time came, they moved out of the kampung to seek better employment opportunities in neighboring towns and cities.

Pak Din did mention that he hoped that Mek Mulung would create interest among the younger generation within the kampung as well as those from outside Wang Tepus so that the performance would have a strong chance of survival. Among his children, only one had actually shown interest and made enquiries about Mek Mulung performances. He had hoped that his other children would be interested as well. He lamented that Mek Mulung is unique to Kedah, and Wang Tepus specifically, and it would be sad and a great loss if Mek Mulung is no longer performed. Among the younger generation, Pak Saad’s daughter, Nurul Atikah, has played the role of the Inang with the troupe and admitted that she performed with the group voluntarily. Unfortunately, she has also left Wang Tepus after getting a job in Penang.

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Pak Ya juga mempunyai harapan yang sama dan ingin menyeru anak-anak muda berusaha untuk menggerakkan semula Mek Mulung, sebab tanpa adanya sokongan masyarakat, Mek Mulung tidak dapat bertahan. Beliau merayu kepada generasi muda agar menanam minat dan mempunyai perasaan gembira sekiranya lebih ramai dapat bersama-sama terus membuat persembahan di bangsal di kampung. Menurut Pak Din pula, beliau ingin melihat bangsal persembahan itu dipelihara dan dijaga dengan baik.

Kenyataan ini disokong oleh Pak Mat yang mencadangkan agar struktur bangsal yang separa kekal pada masa sekarang dapat dibaiki serta dinaik taraf dengan tambahan/sambungan yang lebih kekal supaya dapat digunakan untuk pelbagai aktiviti seperti persembahan tahunan Sambut Guru, persembahan Mek Mulung dari semasa ke semasa, dan juga aktiviti-aktiviti kemasyarakatan yang lain. Perkara ini dapat menjadi titik tolak bagi golongan muda membentuk minat terhadap Mek Mulung apabila diadakan aktivitiaktiviti lain yang mereka minati di ruang yang sama. Secara tak langsung, sekiranya aktiviti tersebut diselitkan dengan aktiviti berkaitan Mek Mulung, mereka berpeluang lebih mengenali Mek Mulung. Berdasarkan corak penyertaan tokoh-tokoh sekarang yang mula melibatkan diri semasa lingkungan umur belasan tahun semasa zaman muda mereka, memang sesuai sangat untuk mendekati golongan anak-anak muda sebagai generasi baharu untuk mengenali dan seterusnya menghargai seni persembahan yang boleh dibanggakan sebagai tradisi kampung.

Bilangan ahli persembahan yang berpengalaman semakin berkurangan berikutan kematian tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung yang sememangnya telah meningkat usia. Pak Mat yang telah meninggal dunia, terkenal dalam kalangan ahli persembahan kampung dengan kebolehannya melakukan gerak tari. Halim, anak kepada Pak Saad, pernah membawa watak Raja, dan sebelum itu sebagai penari bersama-sama Pak Leh dan Pak Mat. Tanpa adanya Pak Mat untuk dirujuk, tiada lagi guru atau pengajar yang sesuai untuk mengajar gerak tari serta teknik lakonan kepada generasi muda. Begitu juga Pak Din dan Pak Saad yang sering menggabungkan pengalaman dan kemahiran mereka

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Pak Ya also shared similar hopes and would like to urge the younger generation to work hard to rejuvenate Mek Mulung, because without the help of the community, Mek Mulung would not survive.

He pleaded that the younger generation should be interested and should be happy if more people would come out to continue to perform in the village bangsal. Pak Din mentioned that he would like to see the bangsal maintained and kept in a better condition.

This was supported by Pak Mat who suggested that the current semi-permanent structure of the bangsal could be repaired and upgraded with an extension to a more permanent one which can be used for the yearly Sambut Guru performance, other Mek Mulung performances in between, as well as for other community activities. This could be a starting point to get youngsters become interested in Mek Mulung, if other activities of their interest could be held together in the same space or close to each other. It should be an attraction to the younger children in the village to intersperse activities related to Mek Mulung with others which are of interest to them. Going along the current elders’ pattern of getting started to involve themselves with Mek Mulung during their teenage years, it would be most appropriate to reach out to this age group towards getting to know and develop an appreciation for Mek Mulung.

The number of experienced performers has decreased drastically with the passing of experienced elders. Pak Mat who passed away recently was best known to be able to execute the dance movements among the village performers. Halim, Pak Saad’s son, had recently performed as the Raja, and before that as a dancer alongside Pak Leh and Pak Mat. Without Pak Mat to refer to, there are no good teachers/instructors for dance movements and acting techniques for the younger performers. Similarly, Pak Din and Pak Saad used to combine their experiences and skills on the musical aspects of the presentation, as well as dance movements and storylines which they acquired from Pak Leh, so that they can pass over their knowledge to new members. However, with the recent passing of Pak Saad and Pak Mat, Pak Din has to shoulder this responsibility alone.

dalam aspek muzik serta persembahan. Tidak lupa juga gerak tari dan jalan cerita yang mereka perolehi daripada Pak Leh, supaya mereka dapat menyampaikan ilmu tersebut kepada ahli-ahli baharu. Malangnya, dengan pemergian Pak Saad dan Pak Mat, Pak Din terpaksa memikul tanggungjawab ini seorang diri.

Keperluan untuk membuat persembahan Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus semakin menurun. Sekurang-kurangnya, acara tahunan Sambut Guru dapat diadakan sekiranya terdapat dana yang kebiasaannya dalam bentuk tajaan daripada agensi dan organisasi yang berminat. Dengan persembahan yang semakin jarang diadakan dan kekurangan ahli persembahan, kelangsungan Mek Mulung kini berada pada tahap yang kritikal. Terdapat risiko tradisi ini akan pupus ditelan zaman jika tiada ahli-ahli kumpulan baharu yang dapat menggantikan ahli kumpulan sekarang yang semakin meningkat usia. Sesungguhnya, usaha bagi memastikan kesinambungan Mek Mulung kini hanya bergantung kepada pengamal tradisi itu sendiri yang jelas tidak membuahkan hasil.

Pada masa yang sama, dengan kurangnya peluang membuat persembahan, ahli-ahli kumpulan yang muda kurang pendedahan dan motivasi bagi meneruskan latihan dan mengasah kebolehan mereka. Disebabkan pelakon dan pemuzik kebiasaannya dilatih melalui sistem perantis, ahli baharu terpaksa bergantung dengan ahli yang lebih berpengalaman untuk mereka perhati dan belajar.

Tambahan pula, pemain-pemain muzik yang silih berganti turut memberi peluang kepada ahli baharu atau anak-anak mereka sendiri terlibat dalam persembahan tetapi kadang kala tidak mempunyai masa yang cukup untuk menjadi lebih mahir serta bersedia membuat persembahan.

Namun begitu, tokoh-tokoh ini dan kebanyakan penduduk kampung masih percaya bahawa Mek Mulung perlu diteruskan kerana ia adalah sebahagian daripada corak kehidupan masyarakat mereka. Perkara ini dapat dilihat daripada persembahan Sambut Guru pada tahun 2011 yang mendapat sambutan menggalakkan penonton-penonton yang terdiri daripada kalangan penduduk kampung. Warga kampung juga turut memberi kerjasama dalam pelbagai bentuk, seperti memasang bangsal, menjadi pelakon,

The need to perform Mek Mulung in Wang Tepus has declined.

At the most, the yearly Sambut Guru would be performed when funds were available, more likely in the form of sponsorships from interested agencies and organizations. With performances becoming more infrequent and lacking of new troupe members, Mek Mulung’s survival has become more critical. There is the risk of the tradition becoming extinct if a new generation of troupe members is not available to take over the place of current members who are mostly advancing in age. As it is, efforts to ensure the continuity of the village Mek Mulung have been relied on the tradition beholders themselves which do not seem to bring about much success. At the same time, with little opportunity and less need to perform, novice performers within the troupe lacked exposure and little motivation to practice to improve their performance abilities. As performers and musicians normally trained through apprenticeship, new members would rely on experienced members whom they could observe and imitate. Additionally, the constant changing of current musicians to provide opportunities for younger performers or their own children to perform did not allow enough time for the music ensemble to mature and be ready for presentations.

Nonetheless, the elders and the majority of the villagers still believe Mek Mulung should continue because it is part of their society.

This could be observed from the Sambut Guru performance in 2011 which was very well-received by the village audience and particularly given full participation by the community in various capacities, such as setting up the bangsal, becoming performers, preparing and enjoying the feast, and taking the opportunity to undergo healing rituals for their specific ailments. It may be necessary for outside forces to be mobilized to generate interest among potential troupe members so that a new generation of Mek Mulung tradition performers are prepared to take over when the time comes. Some form of intervention may be necessary to avoid the decline and disappearance of the tradition which could result in not having the original form preserved which could serve as a reference.

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menyediakan dan menikmati jamuan, serta menjalani upacara bagi menyembuhkan penyakit tertentu. Tenaga luar mungkin perlu digerakkan untuk menarik minat generasi baharu yang berpotensi menjadi ahli kumpulan bagi meneruskan tradisi Mek Mulung dan bersedia memikul tanggungjawab apabila tiba masanya.

Beberapa bentuk campur tangan mungkin diperlukan bagi mengelakkan tradisi ini daripada terus pupus dan mengakibatkan tiada wujud lagi bentuk asal yang boleh digunakan sebagai rujukan.

Menerusi perbualan bersama beberapa penonton semasa persembahan Sambut Guru pada tahun 2011, Mek Mulung memberikan kesan yang sangat ketara kepada kehidupan sesetengah daripada mereka yang mempunyai ikatan tertentu dengan Mek Mulung dan Wang Tepus. Walaupun telah berhijrah keluar daripada kampung, ramai yang pulang semula ke Wang Tepus bagi menghadiri dan menonton Mek Mulung setelah mendapat berita persembahan akan diadakan. Salah seorang daripada mereka yang sentiasa mengambil berat akan tradisi ini, berasa bertuah kerana dapat pulang dan menyaksikan persembahan. Daripada saudara-maranya, dia mempunyai tanggapan bahawa Mek Mulung tidak lagi dipersembahkan.

Katanya, “Saya ingat depa tak main dah. Nasib baik sempat tengok lagi”. Nampaknya, pentingnya Mek Mulung bagi kampung Wang Tepus pada masa lampau dan juga kesedaran akan kemungkinan ia akan terus lenyap masih wujud di dalam ingatan kalangan penduduk yang masih berada di kampung dan yang telah berhijrah keluar.

Pak Mat juga berpendapat pihak kerajaan perlu menunjukkan minat bagi memastikan tradisi Mek Mulung dapat kekal dan terus dipersembahkan di Wang Tepus. Pelbagai sektor perlu memberikan sokongan bagi menggalakkan lebih ramai orang mengenali Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus dengan mengadakan lawatan ke kampung serta menarik minat generasi muda untuk melibatkan diri dalam persembahan. Antara sektor penting adalah sektor pelancongan yang harus berganding bahu bersama agensi-agensi penggalak budaya untuk menjadikannya

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From conversations with some members of the audience during the Sambut Guru performance in 2011, the Mek Mulung performance had a very significant impact on the lives of certain people who became very attached to something that was associated with Mek Mulung and Wang Tepus. Having migrated out of Wang Tepus, many former residents returned to their village to attend the Mek Mulung performance once they got news that a performance would take place. One of them who had kept in touch with the Mek Mulung tradition, felt that he was fortunate to be able to come back to witness a performance. From his relatives, he had the impression that Mek Mulung was no longer performed. He remarked, “I thought they didn’t perform this anymore. I’m very grateful that I was able to catch the performance in time”. It seemed that some sense of Mek Mulung’s previous significance to the village and also awareness of its current declining levels of importance is retained by members of the village community and those who have left.

Pak Mat also felt that the government should show more interest to ensure that the Mek Mulung tradition be kept alive and continued to be performed in Wang Tepus. There should be support from various sectors to encourage more people to know more about Mek Mulung of Wang Tepus by bringing in people into the village and to stimulate the younger generation to participate in its performance.

An important sector would be the tourism sector which should work hand in hand with the culture-promotion agencies as part of their national heritage events. Under controlled tourism activities, tourists could be brought to Wang Tepus to watch the authentic version of Mek Mulung performed in their original space, i.e. on the village bangsal stage.

It is also Zamzuriah’s greatest hope that Mek Mulung will continue to gain more recognition as an important tradition, and that people will take notice of its current predicament so as to ensure its continuity into the next century. For her, it is not only talk, but she acts on her commitment directly by making performances, as well as indirectly by looking out for every possible opportunities for Mek Mulung to be a part in the regular performing arts scene at the local, state, and national level.

sebahagian daripada acara-acara warisan di peringkat negara.

Di bawah aktiviti pelancongan terkawal, pelancong boleh dibawa ke kampung untuk menonton persembahan Mek Mulung yang asli di ruang asal mereka, seperti di pentas bangsal di kampung.

Zamzuriah juga sangat berharap agar Mek Mulung terus mendapat pengiktirafan sebagai salah satu tradisi penting, dan orang ramai akan menyedari dan mengambil perhatian kepada cabaran masa kini bagi memastikan kesinambungannya dapat diteruskan ke masa hadapan. Bagi beliau, ia bukan sekadar ungkapan, tetapi secara peribadi berusaha dengan mengadakan persembahan, dan secara tidak langsung mencari setiap peluang yang ada bagi Mek Mulung disertakan dalam persada seni persembahan tempatan, negeri dan peringkat kebangsaan.

ISU-ISU ‘KEASLIAN/KETULENAN’ Mek Mulung telah berjaya dipentaskan di luar bangsal Wang Tepus dan dibawa ke pentas prosenium di bandar. Perubahan dan penyesuaian yang berlaku apabila pentas persembahan berubah daripada bangsal kampung kepada pentas prosenium bandar tidak dapat dielakkan. Berkenaan perkara ini, isu utama adalah untuk memastikan pemeliharaan keaslian amalan-amalan persembahan tradisi ini. Daripada pandangan penjaga tradisi ini, keaslian dapat dipelihara apabila mereka sendiri yang membuat persembahan itu, terutamanya dengan kesungguhan mereka mempamerkan persembahan yang asli.

Terdapat peraturan persembahan yang telah ditetapkan, dan tokoh-tokoh persembahan Mek Mulung ini akan memastikan peraturan ini dipatuhi, terutamanya apabila tujuan utama adalah mengekalkan versi tradisi seperti yang diamalkan di kampung.

Sebagai contoh, dalam persembahan di kampung, ahli-ahli persembahan tradisional setuju bahawa struktur persembahan sedia ada adalah penting dan perlu dikekalkan walaupun ada keadaan yang mana mereka perlu kurang memberi penekanan terhadap komponen penceritaan. Perkara ini bukanlah sesuatu yang pelik selagi ada persetujuan dalam kalangan mereka untuk menamatkan persembahan, walaupun cerita belum selesai ataupun terus mengeluarkan komponen cerita tersebu.

ISSUES OF ‘ORIGINALITY’/‘AUTHENTICITY’ Mek Mulung has been successfully staged outside of their original bangsal in Wang Tepus and transported to the proscenium stage in concert halls in the city. Changes and adaptations that took place when the performance stage changed from the village bangsal to the urban proscenium stage could not be avoided. With regard to this, a major issue would be to ensure the preservation of authentic practices of the traditional performance. From the perspective of the guardians of the tradition, authenticity and originality could be preserved when they themselves were the performers, especially with their commitment to be faithful to present an authentic performance. There are established rules of performance, and the elders made sure these rules were followed when the objective was to present the traditional village version. For example, in the village performance, the traditional performers were in agreement that a fixed performance structure was of great importance and should be maintained; even if it meant that they had to put less emphasis on the story component. This was not unusual as long as they could agree to leave a story unfinished or omit the story component if necessary.

During an interview with Pak Mat, it was revealed that during the early stagings of Mek Mulung outside Wang Tepus, the opening section of the performance was not shortened and the number of performers remained the same as customary; thus predominantly maintaining what had been traditionally practised as in the village version. Therefore, the story component could be performed partially complete, or presented as an incomplete version, before commencing the closing song. Among these proscenium-stage venues were indoor auditoriums such as the Taman Budaya (Cultural Park) in Alor Setar and the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur City Hall). Outdoor performances have included those which took place in the east coast state of Pahang and in Satun, Thailand.

In the urban concertized version presented by professional performers, on the other hand, the theatre component was emphasized whereby the focus was on the story to suit the

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Semasa temu bual bersama Pak Mat, beliau mendedahkan bahawa semasa awal pementasan Mek Mulung di luar Wang Tepus, bahagian pembukaan persembahan tidak dipendekkan dan bilangan ahli persembahan sama seperti biasa, dan mengekalkan banyak aspek seperti yang diamalkan secara tradisi dalam versi kampung. Oleh itu, komponen cerita dapat dipersembahkan separa lengkap, atau dipersembahkan sebagai versi yang tidak lengkap, sebelum memulakan lagu penutup. Di antara pentas prosenium yang dinyatakan adalah di auditorium seperti Taman Budaya di Alor Setar dan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur. Persembahan luar yang lain termasuk di Pantai Timur negeri Pahang dan di Satun, Thailand.

Dalam versi konsert bandar yang dilakukan oleh ahli-ahli persembahan profesional pula, komponen teater ditekankan yang mana tumpuan diberikan terhadap penceritaan yang sesuai dengan kehendak penonton, sehinggakan elemen muzik yang penting dikurangkan atau terus dikeluarkan. Sehubungan dengan perkara ini, berlakunya persetujuan secara senyap bagi pihak tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung kampung, seolah-olah memberikan gambaran bahawa hilangnya keaslian dalam versi bandar dapat diterima demi menghasilkan persembahan yang mampu menarik minat penonton sasaran.

Apabila menerima permintaan, ahli-ahli persembahan tradisional terus membuat persembahan di Wang Tepus mengikut versi kampung yang mereka rasa perlu dipertahankan walaupun telah mendapat pendedahan di luar Wang Tepus. Namun begitu, keaslian persembahan kampung juga terancam dengan peredaran zaman, membuatkan perubahan perlu dilakukan berikutan jumlah ahli persembahan yang semakin berkurangan serta kurangnya dalam kalangan ahli-ahli persembahan muda yang berkebolehan dan berpengalaman. Kebanyakan daripada komponen di dalam struktur persembahan terbaik mungkin tidak lagi sesuai dalam konteks Wang Tepus masa kini.

Isu utama yang membimbangkan ahli-ahli persembahan kampung kini adalah kurangnya ahli persembahan wanita bagi membawa watak Puteri yang menjadi nadi utama di bahagian pembukaan.

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audience, such that the critical musical elements were reduced or even omitted. In response to this, there was a silent agreement, on the part of the village elders, giving the impression that the loss of originality or authenticity in the urban version was acceptable for the sake of producing a performance that would appeal to their target audience.

Whenever there were requests, the village performers continued to perform in Wang Tepus their village version which they felt should be upheld despite having gained exposure outside of Wang Tepus. Nonetheless, authenticity of the village presentation is also threatened with passage of time, making changes necessary as a result of decreasing number of experienced performers with the passing of experienced elders as well as the lack of capabilities among less experienced younger performers. Many of the components of the ideal performance structure may not be viable anymore in the Wang Tepus context.

A major issue that was of great concern to village performers was the perceived lack of a capable female lead performer to play the Puteri whose main role was to perform in the opening section.

Among the current members of the Wang Tepus troupe, there was no one who showed interest or has the capability to claim this significant role. This could mean the village version would exclude the Puteri character. Instead, Pak Mat who played the Raja would perform the opening section that was meant for the Puteri whose character would be mentioned within the performance but would not be acted out. It was noted from remarks made by the older villagers that the Wang Tepus performance also evolved over time in relation to various changes that have taken place historically, particularly in terms of the resources available to them, the moral and political climate, and the local talent that could be tapped. It has now come to the point whereby the troupe has to work around with whatever resources available to them to ensure that the tradition continues. Although guardians of the tradition still aspire to produce the best Mek Mulung performance each time, they accepted the fact that they could not present the ideal performance as staged by their forefathers.

Antara ahli persembahan Wang Tepus yang ada kini, tiada siapa yang menunjukkan minat atau berkebolehan bagi menyandang peranan penting ini. Ini bermakna versi kampung mungkin perlu mengecualikan watak Puteri. Bagi Pak Mat yang membawa watak Raja, di bahagian pembukaan, watak Puteri hanya disebut tanpa dilakonkan. Tokoh-tokoh persembahan kampung juga berkata bahawa persembahan Wang Tepus berubah dari semasa ke semasa mengikut pelbagai perubahan yang berlaku, terutamanya daripada segi sumber yang sedia ada, moral, politik, dan bakat tempatan yang ditemui. Telah sampai masanya di mana kumpulan persembahan perlu bekerja mengikut sumber yang mereka ada bagi memastikan tradisi dapat diteruskan. Walaupun penjaga tradisi masih bersemangat untuk menghasilkan persembahan Mek Mulung yang terbaik, mereka menerima hakikat bahawa mereka tidak lagi mampu membawa persembahan seperti yang dilakukan generasi terdahulu.

Bentuk versi tradisional yang diubah suai telah menjadi sebahagian daripada persembahan berbentuk konsert yang terdapat di bandar-bandar. Akan tetapi, walaupun tidak digalakkan oleh tokoh-tokoh ini, ia dibenarkan berdasarkan beberapa faktor seperti kekangan masa dan juga kebolehan dan latihan yang terhad dalam kalangan ahli-ahli persembahan.

BERKONGSI KEPAKARAN Pengurangan permintaan daripada masyarakat kampung untuk mengadakan persembahan tahunan Sambut Guru menyebabkan acara ini semakin jarang dilakukan. Persembahan Mek Mulung yang semakin berkurangan adalah salah satu penyumbang utama seni persembahan ini semakin dilupakan oleh masyarakat.

Terdapat sekumpulan kecil pendukung tradisi yang berharap agar Mek Mulung berkembang semula pada masa akan datang.

Sokongan dan penyertaan kebanyakan penduduk masih dapat dilihat jika persembahan diadakan; jika tidak, mereka akan memberikan keutamaan kepada perkara-perkara lain yang lebih penting dalam kehidupan seharian.

Modified forms of the traditional versions have become a part of the concertized performance. However, although not encouraged by the elders, these were allowed due to factors such as time constraints as well as the performers’ capabilities and limited training.

SHARING AND IMPARTING OF EXPERTISE Decreased demand by the village community for the annual Sambut Guru has made it become an irregular event. Mek Mulung’s infrequent performance is one of the key contributing factors that it was not able to have a prominent presence within the community.

There exists a small group of the beholders of the tradition who wish to see Mek Mulung thrives in years to come. There is still support and the expected participation from the majority of villagers if a performance was planned; otherwise, they have other more important priorities to attend to in their daily lives.

The strong sense of upholding the tradition and looking forward to present their performances, wherever and whenever possible, has kept the guardians of the tradition faithful to ensure the continuity of Mek Mulung in its true form. Their pride as beholders of the tradition has found other avenues of being recognized by others, especially by those outside of their village. This is important so that the tradition could be shared even though not through the usual way through presentation of performances. The elders’ belief and commitment to be faithful to present the authentic version was also recognized whereby they were invited to give lectures and demonstrations to college students. Pak Din had expressed his hope of getting higher learning institutions play a more active role in initiating efforts towards preserving Mek Mulung.

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Semangat yang kuat untuk mengekalkan tradisi ini dan kesungguhan minat untuk mengadakan persembahan, di mana sahaja dan pada bila-bila masa, menjadi faktor utama penjaga tradisi ini terus memastikan kelangsungan Mek Mulung dalam bentuk aslinya. Perasaan bangga sebagai pendukung tradisi ini membuatkan mereka berusaha mencari saluran lain untuk mendapat pengiktirafan, terutamanya daripada mereka di luar kampung Wang Tepus. Perkara ini penting supaya tradisi tersebut terus dapat dikongsi walaupun tidak mengikut cara biasa, iaitu melalui pementasan persembahan. Kepercayaan dan komitmen tokoh-tokoh untuk terus mengekalkan versi asli juga mendapat pengiktirafan apabila mereka dijemput memberi syarahan dan demonstrasi kepada pelajar-pelajar kolej. Pak Din berharap agar institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi lebih aktif dalam usaha-usaha memelihara Mek Mulung.

With the knowledge that Zamzuriah had acquired, and ASWARA’s vision on promoting various declining performing arts, Mek Mulung was now in a better position to find new opportunities to empower the younger generation to learn the tradition through the classes that she introduced and conducted at ASWARA. Since 2009, Mek Mulung has been a compulsory core subject, and later a core course, at ASWARA. Through this effort, Mek Mulung has greater potential to be exposed to a bigger population that would have more knowledge about it and would hopefully spark curiosity among the younger generation to better understand the tradition and its bearers themselves sharing their knowledge, experiences, and develop skills in Mek Mulung presentations. Along with their teaching responsibilities, the Wang Tepus elders also provided inputs in designing ASWARA’s learning curriculum and also helped build up ASWARA’s collection of musical instruments and props.

Dengan pengetahuan yang diperolehi Zamzuriah, dan visi ASWARA bagi mempromosikan pelbagai seni persembahan yang semakin pupus, Mek Mulung kini berada dalam kedudukan yang lebih baik bagi mencari peluang baharu dengan memperkasakan golongan muda mempelajari tradisi ini menerusi kelas yang diperkenal dan dikendalikannya di ASWARA. Sejak 2009, Mek Mulung telah menjadi mata pelajaran teras yang wajib, dan selanjutnya kursus teras di akademi ini. Menerusi usaha tersebut, Mek Mulung mempunyai potensi yang lebih besar untuk didedahkan kepada lebih ramai orang yang diharapkan mempunyai lebih pengetahuan dan juga lebih arif, dan seterusnya dapat mencetus rasa ingin tahu di dalam kalangan generasi baharu untuk lebih memahami tradisi ini serta pengamalpengamalnya di Wang Tepus. Sejak Mek Mulung menjadi kursus asas di ASWARA, Pak Leh, Pak Saad, Pak Din, dan Pak Mat sering berulang-alik secara mingguan ke Kuala Lumpur bagi mengendalikan kelas. Para pelajar amat beruntung kerana penjaga tradisi sendiri berkongsi dengan mereka secara terus segala pengetahuan, pengalaman, dan membantu mengasah kemahiran dalam membuat persembahan Mek Mulung. Selain tanggungjawab mengajar, tokoh-tokoh Wang Tepus ini juga

Zamzuriah is recognized by the Mek Mulung elders as the best resource person currently to promote the tradition together with them, as a performer, teacher, researcher, and advocate, to the younger generation. Her commitment to introducing Mek Mulung, especially to students in the performing arts field, does not confine her to sharing her expertise and experiences with students at ASWARA only where she teaches, but have involved her teaching students at other higher institutions of learning, such as at Universiti Malaya and Sunway University.

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Consultations with beholders of the tradition have provided necessary background for concert staging creative teams to give form to their concertized versions. The elders were sought out by performance makers or concert producers for their opinions and suggestions in planning for performances. The elders’ ownership of the tradition and willingness to share this unique presentation of music, singing, and acting gave them their due recognition and the opportunity to serve as consultants to the first and second Mek Mulung performances staged by the PETRONAS Performing Arts Group (PPAG) in 2002 and 2007, respectively.

The elders were commissioned to train the performers who were

Pak Din berbincang dengan pelajar-pelajar semasa persiapan untuk membuat persembahan Mek Mulung.

Pak Din discussing with students who were performing as musicians in a Mek Mulung presentation.

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turut memberi input kepada pembentukan kurikulum dan bersama-sama membina koleksi alat muzik serta alatan persembahan di ASWARA. Seperti yang dibincang sebelum ini, tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung mengiktiraf Zamzuriah sebagai pakar rujuk Mek Mulung yang terbaik masa kini untuk mempromosi seni persembahan ini bersama-sama dengan mereka, selain daripada mempunyai peranan sebagai ahli persembahan, guru, pengkaji, dan penggerak/aktivis seni kepada generasi muda. Komitmennya untuk memperkenal dan menyebar luas Mek Mulung kepada pelajar-pelajar bidang seni persembahan tidak terhad kepada berkongsi pengalaman dan kepakaran dengan pelajar-pelajarnya di ASWARA. Malahan Zamzuriah juga terlibat dengan pengajaran di institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi yang lain seperti Universiti Malaya dan Sunway University.

Melalui rujukan dan panduan yang diberikan oleh pemegang-pemegang tradisi Mek Mulung, pasukanpasukan kreatif pementasan konsert dapat merealisasikan versi konsert yang diinginkan. Mereka juga menjadi tempat rujukan kepada pembuat persembahan atau penerbit konsert untuk mendapatkan pandangan dan cadangan dalam merancang sesuatu persembahan. Sebagai pemegang tradisi Mek Mulung, tokoh-tokoh ini berpegang teguh pada ciri-ciri keasliannya dan sedia berkongsi pengalaman serta pengetahuan mengenai muzik, nyanyian, serta lakonan yang unik ini. Pengiktirafan ke atas mereka dapat dilihat apabila mereka diundang menjadi perunding dalam persembahan pertama dan kedua konsert Mek Mulung yang dipentaskan oleh PPAG pada tahun 2002 dan 2007. Mereka ditugaskan untuk melatih ahli-ahli persembahan yang terdiri daripada ahli muzik, penari, dan pelakon profesional. Selain daripada aspekaspek persembahan, mereka dirujuk dalam hal-hal lain untuk membantu pengarah persembahan dan pembuat pementasan. Sebagai contoh, Pak Leh dirujuk bagi mencadangkan siapa yang layak membawa watak Puteri

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Tokoh-tokoh berkongsi pengalaman semasa sesi latihan untuk persembahan oleh pelajar.

Elders sharing their experiences during a rehearsal for a students’ presentation.

Zamzuriah bersama pelajar-pelajar Universiti Malaya semasa latihan untuk persembahan.

Zamzuriah with Universiti Malaya students at a rehearsal for a Mek Mulung performance.

dalam salah satu konsert Mek Mulung. Menurutnya, ada terlalu ramai penari dan beliau tidak ingat nama mereka. Tapi, jika diminta membuat pilihan, dia akan memilih penari yang mampu menari dengan anggun (sambil menunjukkan jarinya ke arah seorang penari). Zamzuriah turut mendapatkan pandangan Pak Leh dan Pak Saad berkenaan persembahan PPAG yang mana mereka bertugas sebagai penasihat. Di antara perkara yang dibincangkan adalah, Pak Leh merasakan tempo persembahan PPAG agak laju daripada apa yang biasa dilakukan oleh kumpulan persembahan kampung. Pelakon-pelakon juga dilihat agak kekok menggunakan dialek Kedah. Setelah mendapat penjelasan, perkara ini difahami memandangkan tidak ramai ahli persembahan yang berasal daripada Kedah dalam kalangan mereka, serta kekangan masa untuk berlatih secukupnya menggunakan dialek negeri ini. Tambahan pula, mereka baru sahaja selesai mementaskan Makyung yang memerlukan mereka menggunakan dialek Kelantan.

Terdapat perdebatan yang berlaku antara pemegang tradisi dan pencipta/pengarah persembahan mengenai sejauh mana tokohtokoh tradisi ini sanggup berkongsi ilmu dan pengalaman mereka dengan keupayaan ahli-ahli persembahan moden menghasilkan sebuah persembahan Mek Mulung, berdasarkan pertukaran maklumat serta pengetahuan yang diperoleh di antara keduadua pihak. Adalah perlu wujud keseimbangan antara pihak yang mempromosikan persembahan sebagai satu bentuk hiburan sekular dan satu pihak lagi yang melindungi ciri-ciri warisan supaya Mek Mulung kekal relevan di komuniti Wang Tepus serta khalayak penonton di bandar. Disebabkan Mek Mulung merupakan satu tradisi lisan, menjadi satu cabaran kepada pencipta/pengarah persembahan dan ahli-ahli profesional dalam kumpulan persembahan untuk melalui proses hafalan dan perlu membuat rujukan dokumentasi semasa persediaan untuk membuat pementasan. Perlu ada keseimbangan di antara apa yang pemegang tradisi harap sebagai mencerminkan inti pati persembahan Mek Mulung di kampung Wang Tepus dengan apa yang pencipta/pengarah persembahan konsert yakin bahawa Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan memberi gambaran yang sesuai untuk diterima/dipasarkan kepada penonton sasaran.

themselves professional musicians, dancers, and actors. For example, among the many aspects that they were referred to for the staging of various performance, Pak Leh was consulted for his recommendation on who should play the role of the Puteri (Princess) in one of the Mek Mulung concerts. He said there were many dancers and he could not remember their names. But if he were to choose, then he would choose the dancer to whom he had pointed out because he thought that she danced gracefully.

Zamzuriah had inquired about Pak Leh’s and Pak Saad’s views on the PPAG’s Mek Mulung performance which they had served as advisors for the debut performance. Among the points discussed was that Pak Leh felt that the PPAG’s performance tempo was at a faster pace than what is normal for the village troupe, and that the performers were noticeably awkward using the Kedah dialect. It was understandable considering that there were not many performers from Kedah among them, and there was not sufficient time for them to become fluent using the Kedah dialect. Furthermore, they had just finished presenting a Makyung show which had required them to perform using the Kelantanese dialect.

There is the constant debate between beholders of tradition and performance creators with regard to the extent the former were willing to share their knowledge, and the capability of the urban performers to present a Mek Mulung concert based on the exchange of information and the knowledge gained. It would seem that there should be a balance between promotion of a performance as a form of secular entertainment and one that protects its heritage properties, such that Mek Mulung would remain relevant within the Wang Tepus community and also to urban consumer-audience.

Due to the nature of Mek Mulung being an oral tradition, it was always a challenge for performance creators and professional performers to have to go through a rote learning process and having to make references to documentations when preparing for staging a performance. There should be a balance between what the beholders of tradition deemed as reflecting the essence of a Wang Tepus village Mek Mulung presentation and what concert performance creators believed to be a portrayal of Mek Mulung suitable for the target market consumer-audience.

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Sebagai contoh, terdapat isu sama ada pencipta/pengarah persembahan bandar perlu memasukkan ahli persembahan lelaki yang berlakon sebagai wanita dalam konsert Mek Mulung yang sudah tentu menjadi penyumbang utama dalam peningkatan populariti Mek Mulung di bandar. Semasa ditanya berkenaan perkara ini, Pak Leh menjawab penyertaan lelaki lembut (dikenali sebagai pondan) adalah dibenarkan dan tidak menimbulkan sebarang masalah dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Oleh itu, pembentukan struktur dan gaya yang mantap oleh pencipta/ pengarah persembahan bandar adalah hasil perbincangan dengan tokoh-tokoh persembahan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus. Cita rasa khalayak sasaran di bandar bersama-sama keperluan untuk mematuhi kehendak pihak berkepentingan di bandar menjadi keutamaan apabila membuat keputusan mengenai aspek-aspek tertentu dalam sesebuah persembahan.

Daripada segi pandangan peribadi, Pak Saad menjawab soalan Zamzuriah berkenaan persembahan oleh kumpulan-kumpulan lain mengikut perspektif mereka sendiri. Memandangkan dia dirujuk untuk mendapatkan input/pandangan oleh pihak yang berkenaan, Pak Saad gembira berpeluang bekerjasama dengan ahli-ahli persembahan profesional dalam mempersembahkan Mek Mulung di pentas prosenium. Beliau tidak menolak untuk memasukkan gerakan-gerakan kontemporari di dalam persembahan; akan tetapi, sebagai pemegang tradisi Mek Mulung yang setia, beliau mempunyai pendapat sendiri mengenai persembahan yang dilakukan oleh kumpulan-kumpulan lain tanpa merujuk kepada tradisi sebenar yang diturunkan di dalam versi kampung. Kumpulan-kumpulan ini mengaku membuat persembahan Mek Mulung, tetapi bagi Pak Saad, mereka tidak mencerminkan identiti atau menghormati nilai-nilai budaya Mek Mulung.

Walaupun usia mereka semakin meningkat dan tiada nampak kemunculan generasi baharu yang sedia mengambil alih tugas mereka, tokoh-tokoh ini terus memainkan peranan mereka dalam pelbagai cara untuk mengekalkan tradisi mereka. Mereka sedar

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For example, there was the issue regarding the decision whether urban performance makers could include male drag performers in their Mek Mulung concert performances which certainly have contributed to a large extent to the urban Mek Mulung’s rise in popularity. When Pak Leh was asked about this, he did mention that participation of effeminate males (termed as pondan) were permissible and did not seem to cause any problems in a Mek Mulung performance. Thus, the development of an established structure and style adopted by the urban performance makers was the result of mediations with the Mek Mulung performers of Wang Tepus. The tastes of the urban target audience with the requirement to adhere to the needs of urban stakeholders seemed to take precedence when making decisions about particular aspects of the performances.

On a more personal level, Pak Saad responded to Zamzuriah’s question about other groups performing according to their own perspectives of the tradition. In terms of being consulted for his inputs, Pak Saad was happy to collaborate with professional performers in presenting Mek Mulung performances for the proscenium stage. He was not opposed to include contemporary movements in the performance; however, as a faithful cultural bearer of Mek Mulung, he has his own opinions about the matter when it involved performances done by other groups without reference to the true traditions passed down in the village version.

These groups claimed to perform under the name Mek Mulung, but to Pak Saad, they did not reflect the identity of, nor respect for, the cultural values of Mek Mulung.

Despite their advancing age and the absence of a clear emergence of a new generation of performers in sight, the current elders continued to play their part in various capacities to hold on to their tradition. They could not expect too much support from their own family members and the village community to bring about a revival of the Mek Mulung tradition in Wang Tepus. They have to seek out

tidak boleh terlalu berharap kepada sokongan daripada ahli keluarga sendiri dan masyarakat kampung bagi menghidupkan semula tradisi Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus. Mereka perlu mencari cara lain bagi memastikan Mek Mulung mendapat lebih banyak pendedahan dan dapat menarik perhatian yang diperlukan, walaupun ini bermakna mereka perlu keluar dari Wang Tepus untuk memenuhi harapan mereka. Tokoh-tokoh ini mempunyai kemahiran dan pengalaman yang sedia dikongsikan kepada masyarakat, agar kesenian ini tidak hilang ditelan zaman sekiranya tokoh-tokoh ini telah tiada. Justeru itu, projek buku ini adalah penglibatan terkini bagi membantu menghasilkan dokumentasi tradisi Mek Mulung yang mempunyai muzik dan lagunya yang unik supaya boleh menjadi bahan rujukan yang kekal.

other avenues to ensure that Mek Mulung would get more exposure and receive the attention it needs, even if it means having them to get out of Wang Tepus to fulfil their commitment. The elders have their expertise and experiences which they gladly share to ensure that all is not lost when they are no longer around. Thus, this book project is their latest involvement in helping to produce a permanent documentation of the Mek Mulung tradition with its unique music and songs.

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Zamzuriah bersama pelajar-pelajar Universiti Malaya membuat persiapan untuk persembahan.

Zamzuriah with Universiti Malaya students preparing for a Mek Mulung performance.

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03 BAB CHAPTER

TEATER DAN ASPEK PENGGAYAAN DALAM PERSEMBAHAN MEK MULUNG THE THEATRE AND STYLISTIC ASPECTS OF THE MEK MULUNG PERFORMANCE

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Mek Mulung adalah satu persembahan teater tarian tradisional yang dipentaskan untuk komuniti luar bandar di Wang Tepus dengan tujuan untuk menghiburkan penduduk serta memenuhi fungsi ritual. Keunikan corak persembahannya sangat dinikmati oleh komuniti Wang Tepus. Sebagai sebahagian daripada budaya mereka, sebilangan besar penduduk kampung Wang Tepus dan penduduk kampung-kampung berhampiran, besar kemungkinan lebih tahu tentang tradisi ini serta merupakan penonton utamanya, walaupun majoriti daripada mereka bukanlah penjaga utama tradisi ini. Walau bagaimanapun, kejayaan pementasan teater bentuk kampung ini bukan sahaja bergantung kepada sokongan komuniti, tetapi juga memerlukan penyertaan penduduk kampung dalam pelbagai aspek persediaannya. Malahan, penglibatan keseluruhan komuniti sangat diharapkan dengan pelbagai cara, kerana dipercayai bahawa kehidupan di kampung memberi kesan kepada semua orang.

FUNGSI PERSEMBAHAN Persembahan Mek Mulung mempunyai beberapa fungsi bagi penduduk Wang Tepus. Pada masa dahulu, ia dipersembahkan pada asasnya untuk fungsi hiburan bagi penduduk luar bandar.

Pada musim kenduri kahwin, ahli-ahli persembahan berkunjung ke beberapa buah kampung berhampiran untuk membuat persembahan. Persembahan mereka mengandungi cerita untuk menghiburkan para tetamu sambil menikmati santapan majlis yang disediakan, dan dalam masa yang sama diselitkan cerita-cerita yang mempunyai elemen-elemen peringatan mengenai tanggungjawab sebagai suami isteri dalam hubungan perkahwinan yang berlandaskan kejujuran.

Mek Mulung juga dipersembahkan sebagai satu bentuk hiburan bagi penduduk kampung bagi meraikan hasil tuaian yang baik, serta untuk menzahirkan perasaan bersyukur terhadap rezeki yang telah mereka peroleh. Persembahan Sambut Guru diadakan sebagai upacara tahunan sebagai langkah bagi memastikan kampung serta para penduduk dilindungi daripada ditimpa anasir-anasir jahat. Persembahan ini kebiasaannya diadakan pada sekitar bulan Ogos atau September. Semasa persembahan

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Mek Mulung is a traditional dance theatre style performance that is staged by, and for, the rural community of Wang Tepus, largely for entertainment purposes as well as to fulfil ritual functions.

Its uniqueness in its presentation is enjoyed by the Wang Tepus community. As part of their culture, the villagers of Wang Tepus and its neighbouring kampungs are most likely to be more knowledgeable about the tradition and are the main audience of the performance, even though the majority of them are not the main guardians of the tradition itself. Nonetheless, the successful staging of its village-based theatre form not only depends on the support from the community, but involves the participation of the villagers in various aspects of the preparation for its successful performance. The whole community is expected to participate in one form or another, as it is believed that life in the village affects everyone.

PERFORMANCE FUNCTIONS The Mek Mulung performance served several functions for the people of Wang Tepus. In the past, it was primarily performed for entertainment purposes for the rural folks. During wedding seasons, the performers would visit several nearby kampungs to perform. They would perform stories to entertain guests who were enjoying the wedding feast, and at the same time the stories would include reminders about the newlywed’s responsibility to be truthful to their marriage.

Mek Mulung was also performed as a form of entertainment for the villagers to celebrate a good harvest, and to express the villagers’ gratitude for their good fortune. The annual Sambut Guru (Homage to Ancestors) performance was carried out as a tribute for ensuring the village and the inhabitants are protected from bad omens befalling upon them. Being an annual event, the village community would expect it to take place at one time or another, usually around the months of August or September.

This performance also provided the villagers with opportunities to seek treatment for various kinds of spirit-related ailments from a binjai (healer) who goes into a trance during these healing sessions. Having a ritualistic and social entertainment functions,

ini juga, para penduduk berpeluang mendapatkan rawatan bagi pelbagai jenis penyakit berkaitan dengan makhluk halus daripada perawat atau lebih dikenali sebagai Binjai, yang kebiasaannya melibatkan unsur-unsur menurun dalam rawatannya. Untuk memenuhi fungsi sosial dalam bentuk hiburan dan juga fungsi rawatan dalam bentuk ritual, penekanan diberikan kepada pentingnya ahli-ahli persembahan melibatkan komuniti dalam pelbagai aspek persembahan tersebut.

Pada sekitar tahun 1970-an hingga 1990-an, Mek Mulung mula dikenali di luar kawasan Wang Tepus apabila ahli-ahli persembahan dijemput untuk membuat persembahan di pelbagai majlis sosial seperti acara-acara rasmi serta pesta-pesta kebudayaan. Ahli-ahli persembahan semasa juga melaporkan pernah menyertai untuk beberapa tahun di pesta-pesta seperti perayaan Pesta Pulau Pinang, iaitu pesta yang diadakan setiap tahun di negeri Pulau Pinang. Selain itu, kumpulan Mek Mulung ini juga menerima jemputan daripada pihak kerajaan untuk membuat persembahan di pelbagai majlis di peringkat negeri seperti di Langkawi atau acara-acara di peringkat kebangsaan di Kuala Lumpur. Jemputan untuk membuat persembahan di acara-acara istana termasuk semasa perayaan sambutan ulang tahun keputeraan ke bawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Pahang.

Semasa terlibat dalam acara-acara ini, ahli-ahli kumpulan Mek Mulung membuat persembahan mereka di atas pentas besar dan tinggi, ataupun di atas pentas yang dibina khas di dalam dewan dan di hadapan ramai penonton yang kebiasaannya dalam kalangan kumpulan yang terpilih. Menurut Pak Din, kumpulan Mek Mulung ini mempunyai pengalaman membuat persembahan di luar negara, seperti dalam satu acara yang berlangsung di selatan Thailand yang mana mereka mempersembahkan satu versi pendek Mek Mulung. Pengalaman-pengalaman ini merupakan perkara di luar kebiasaan mereka yang lazimnya membuat persembahan di dalam kampung di bangsal di Wang Tepus.

Mek Mulung juga dipersembahkan bagi tujuan pendidikan dan dokumentari. Beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, dua bentuk penglibatan ini merupakan tujuan utama persembahan Mek Mulung diadakan di kampung Wang Tepus. Beberapa agensi

the emphasis was on the performers’ concern for making it a presentation in which the community has its part to play in various aspects of the performance.

In the 1970s up to the 1990s, the Mek Mulung began to be known outside of Wang Tepus main circles when they were invited to perform in various social events such as at official functions and various cultural festivals. Current performers also reported having performed for several years in festivals such as at the Pesta Pulau Pinang, a yearly local fun fair in the neighbouring state of Penang.

There were also invitations from the government to perform at various state-level events in Langkawi or national-level functions in Kuala Lumpur. Invitations to perform at royal events include the birthday celebration of His Majesty the Sultan of Pahang. During these festivals, they experienced performing on an elevated stage in front of large audiences, or on specially-built raised platforms in a hall in front of a selected audience. According to Pak Din, the troupe had also performed outside the country, such as at a festival in south Thailand where they played a short version of the Mek Mulung. All these experiences were quite a change from their regular village-based performances in the ground-level performance space or bangsal, in Wang Tepus.

Mek Mulung was also performed for educational and documentary purposes. In recent years, this seemed to be a major contributor of Mek Mulung performances in the kampung. Several agencies have visited Wang Tepus to request Mek Mulung performances to be recorded. Among these agencies were the Malaysian Museum Department, The National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), and Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books (ITBM). These institutional initiatives have produced various documentations of Mek Mulung which continue to serve as references for researchers.

Thus, through exposure to more opportunities and possibilities over the years, Mek Mulung performers of Wang Tepus were more open to accepting new ideas that have led to some changes and adaptations to different aspects of their performance. However, as guardians of the tradition, the elders in the Wang Tepus troupe

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telah melawat kampung Wang Tepus untuk memohon membuat rakaman persembahan Mek Mulung. Di antara agensi-agensi ini adalah Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (JMM), Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN), Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional (FINAS), serta Institut Terjemahan dan Buku Malaysia (ITBM). Inisiatif daripada agensi-agensi ini telah menghasilkan pelbagai dokumentasi berkaitan Mek Mulung yang kini menjadi bahan rujukan bagi para penyelidik.

Justeru, melalui pendedahan dan peluang yang diperolehi dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, ahli-ahli persembahan Mek Mulung semakin terbuka untuk menerima idea-idea baharu yang membawa beberapa perubahan dan adaptasi dalam pelbagai aspek persembahan mereka. Namun begitu, sebagai penjaga dan penerus tradisi ini, tokoh-tokoh kumpulan Wang Tepus sentiasa berhati-berhati terhadap apa-apa perubahan yang mereka rasa boleh diterima supaya tidak mempengaruhi bentuk asal persembahan. Lazimnya, apa-apa perubahan kepada persembahan hanya dibuat setelah dipersetujui oleh tokoh-tokoh kumpulan Mek Mulung itu sendiri.

STRUKTUR PERSEMBAHAN Persembahan tradisional Mek Mulung yang diasaskan di kampung mempunyai struktur persembahan yang tetap dan dipatuhi setiap kali ia dipersembahkan, tanpa mengira sama ada persembahan itu sebagai hiburan sosial ataupun sebagai acara ritual Sambut Guru yang diadakan setiap tahun. Pemegang-pemegang tradisi ini mempunyai kepercayaan yang kuat bahawa persembahan ini diadakan untuk mendamaikan roh nenek moyang serta memberi perlindungan kepada kampung serta penduduk-penduduk daripada malapetaka. Kepatuhan yang tegas terhadap struktur tetap persembahan diperlihatkan oleh pemegang tradisi yang sanggup mengurangkan penekanan ke atas komponen cerita bagi memastikan keaslian persembahan dipelihara.

Persembahan Mek Mulung yang diadakan di Wang Tepus kebiasaannya mempunyai tiga bahagian utama, iaitu (a) Permulaan, (b) Kandungannya, dan (c) Penutup. Struktur ini dikekalkan setiap

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were always cautious in terms of what they felt as acceptable changes without affecting its original form. Members of the troupe have made changes during the performance only after they were agreeable by the elders.

PERFORMANCE STRUCTURE The traditional village-based Mek Mulung performance has a fixed performance structure which was observed whenever it was performed, regardless if the presentation was meant for social entertainment or the annual ancestral tribute, the Sambut Guru ritual. The beholders of the tradition believe that the performance was carried out to appease the spirits of the ancestors and to protect from any harm befalling their village and community. Such strict adherence to the fixed performance structure was maintained to the extent that the beholders of the tradition were willing to put less emphasis on the story component of the performance.

A Mek Mulung performance in Wang Tepus, typically consists of three main sections with (a) a Beginning, (b) a Body, and (c) an Ending.

This structure was maintained each time a traditional Mek Mulung presentation was made. Therefore, if the Mek Mulung performance lasted for three nights, this same sequence was followed each night. Variations would be found in the contents of the story or the theatre aspect which differentiated one performance from another. On the first night, an instrumental performance along with chanting of incantations would take place as a form of a blessing ritual for the instruments which would be used in the performance throughout the following nights.

Even though there is a clear general structure of the 3 main sections which the traditional Mek Mulung, performance in Wang Tepus followed through, it did not have a specific time frame that the performers had to adhere to when beginning or ending a performance. The staging in the village context would typically take place in a casual and at a leisurely pace. The performers took their time to get ready and would decide among themselves when they felt that it was time to begin. A usual practice among the

kali dalam sesuatu persembahan Mek Mulung. Oleh itu, sekiranya satu persembahan Mek Mulung itu berlangsung selama tiga malam, urutan struktur ini dikekalkan setiap malam. Variasi mungkin berlaku dalam isi cerita ataupun daripada aspek teater yang membezakan sebuah persembahan daripada yang lain.

Pada malam pembukaan, diadakan persembahan instrumental dengan kata-kata mantera sebagai ritual memberkati peralatanperalatan yang akan digunakan setiap malam persembahan diadakan.

Sungguhpun terdapat struktur umum yang jelas pada bentuk persembahan yang mengandungi 3 bahagian, namun tidak ada tempoh masa yang tetap bagi setiap bahagian yang perlu dipatuhi oleh ahli-ahli persembahan untuk menentukan bila memula dan menghentikan persembahan. Pementasan dalam konteks kampung kebiasaannya dilakukan secara kasual dan kadar bersahaja. Ahli-ahli persembahan secara lazimnya tidak terburuburu untuk bersiap sedia bagi sesuatu persembahan, dan waktu yang sesuai untuk memulakan persembahan akan diputuskan setelah berbincang sesama mereka. Kebiasaannya, mereka telah bersedia memulakan persembahan apabila kesemua merasa selesa di tempat duduk mereka dalam ruang persembahan di dalam bangsal.

Pementasan Mek Mulung mempunyai struktur persembahan yang amat jelas dan diketahui umum dalam kalangan mereka yang biasa terdedah kepadanya. Daripada siri lagu-lagunya, pergerakan, dan ucapan-ucapan wajibnya, secara jelas ia memberi penanda kepada bahagian mana persembahan itu berada daripada sudut strukturnya. Kebanyakan daripada karya dan lagunya tidak diulangi selain daripada beberapa sahaja. Oleh itu, agak mudah bagi seseorang itu terus mengikuti aliran sesuatu persembahan sekiranya ia tertinggal pada sebahagian daripada persembahan tersebut. Struktur yang sama diikuti setiap kali ia dipersembahkan. Urutan aliran struktur persembahan ini adalah ciri-ciri Mek Mulung tradisional yang sekali gus menyumbang kepada identitinya.

Bangsal untuk persembahan Mek Mulung di kampung Wang Tepus pada tahun 2011.

The bangsal in Wang Tepus used for the 2011 performance.

Wang Tepus performers was that the performance would begin when everyone would settle comfortably in their position in the performance space in the bangsal.

The Mek Mulung presentation has a clear performance structure that is well known to the people who are familiar with the performance. From the series of songs, gestures and mandatory texts in the performance, it clearly indicates at which point the performance is taking place in terms of its structure. With the exception of a few, most of the pieces and songs were not repeated.

Thus, it would be easy to follow through the flow of the performance even if you have missed some portions of it along the way and return to the performance. The same structure is followed each time it was performed. This sequential flow of the performance structure is the characteristic of the traditional Mek Mulung, and thus integral to its identity.

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Permulaan persembahan berlaku apabila ritual pra-pembukaan diadakan untuk mendapatkan kebenaran membuat persembahan dan memastikan keselamatan ahli-ahli persembahan semasa persembahan itu berlangsung. Lazimnya, upacara ini dilaksanakan oleh ketua kumpulan dan besar kemungkinan diadakan di rumahnya dengan kehadiran ahli-ahli tertentu. Apabila ketua memberi isyarat bahawa persembahan boleh dimulakan, bangsal menjadi meriah dengan kemunculan pemuzik, penari, serta ahliahli persembahan yang mengambil tempat seperti yang telah ditetapkan sebagai persediaan bagi bermulanya bahagian Pembukaan.

Bahagian Pembukaan berbentuk penelitian dan huraian yang menyeluruh dan merupakan sebahagian besar keseluruhan struktur persembahan. Lagu instrumental Bertabuh dimulakan oleh pemain serunai yang memainkannya terus-menerus bersama-sama dengan pemain gendang untuk memberi isyarat persembahan akan berlangsung.

Bagi persembahan tradisional teater rakyat Mek Mulung, Puteri memegang watak utama. Oleh itu, dalam persembahan yang ideal, watak Puteri seharusnya membuat penampilan yang pertama dalam bahagian Pembukaan sesuatu persembahan.

Puteri diharapkan menyanyi dan memberi isyarat untuk lagu tanda hormat iaitu Bertabik, dimainkan. Sekiranya timbul keadaan yang mana ahli persembahan yang memain watak Puteri tidak boleh menyanyi, Raja ataupun satu watak lain akan mengambil alih peranan menyanyi. Dalam keadaan lain yang mana tiada ahli persembahan yang boleh membawa watak Puteri, watak Raja akan tampil untuk memulakan bahagian Pembukaan. Beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, situasi seperti ini semakin kerap berlaku di Wang Tepus.

Lagu tanda memberi hormat iaitu Bertabik, merupakan lagu yang signifikan sebab ia menggambarkan tanda penghormatan kepada roh-roh dan nenek moyang yang dipercayai memberi perlindungan kepada ruang persembahan. Teks lagu tersebut, secara tidak langsung, menyatakan tidak ada niat yang buruk dalam persembahan tersebut dan dengan demikian seharusnya

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The beginning of the performance was marked by the Pre-Opening rituals to seek permission to carry out the performance and to ensure their safety during the performance. Typically, this would be conducted by the leader of the troupe and most likely carried out at his home with the presence of certain members of the troupe.

When the leader gave the sign that the performance could now begin, the bangsal came to life with the musicians, the dancers, and other performers taking their predetermined positions to get ready for the Opening section.

The Opening section was very elaborate and made up the large portion of the entire performance structure. The instrumental Bertabuh song would be initiated by the serunai player and played continuously along with the drummers to indicate that the performance would take place.

Since the Puteri is the main character in the traditional Mek Mulung folk theatre, the ideal performance would incorporate the Puteri as the first performer to make her appearance in the Opening section of the performance. The Puteri would be expected to sing, and would give the cue for the salutation song, Bertabik, to be played.

When there were instances the performer playing the Puteri could not sing, the Raja or another character would do the singing part.

In other instances, whereby, there were no performers who were able to play the Puteri character, then the Raja character would begin the Opening section. This practice has become increasingly common in the Wang Tepus performances in recent years.

The salutation song is a significant song as it is a tribute to the spirits and ancestors believed to be guarding the performance space. It is implied in the text of the song that there was no bad intention in the performance and thus there should not be any disruptions on the part of the spirits and ancestors. During this Bertabik song, the performers began to move towards the center of the performance space where the Puteri or the Raja would turn around to sit facing the musicians while the dancers lined themselves up on either side of the Puteri or the Raja. If there are many dancers, they would form a line behind the Puteri or the Raja.

tiada apa-apa gangguan daripada roh-roh dan nenek moyang.

Semasa lagu Bertabik dimainkan, ahli-ahli persembahan mula bergerak ke arah bahagian tengah ruang persembahan bila mana Puteri atau Raja memusingkan diri untuk duduk mengadap pemain-pemain muzik sambil para penari mengambil tempat di kiri dan kanan Puteri ataupun Raja.

Following the Bertabik song, the Puteri or the Raja continued singing Gerak Timpuh while in the sitting position, facing the musicians, in the middle of the stage. This was accompanied by the dancers who began dancing movements while in the sitting position and then beginning with movements of their upper body, they gradually stand up and continue dancing while in the standing position in the same spot. Towards the end of the song, they began to move away from a fixed standing position and continued dancing in a circle formation. In the Gerak Timpuh song, the Puteri was describing herself getting dressed before beginning her daily activity in the palace. She described how she combed her hair, put on her clothes, and applied her make-up.

Raja duduk mengadap para pemuzik semasa lagu Bertabik dimainkan.

(Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

The Raja sitting down facing the musicians during Bertabik song.

(Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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Bertabuh

Bertabik

Gerak Timpuh

• Serunai memainkan lagu Bertabuh.

• Puteri/Raja/ serta pemuzik menyanyikan lagu Bertabik.

• Para penari mengambil tempat untuk duduk berhadapan Tiang Seri.

• Lagu ini dinyanyikan mengguna kaedah sahut-menyahut sehingga muzik berakhir.

• Puteri menyanyikan lagu Gerak Timpuh.

• Penari dan pemuzik membentuk korus dan mengambil tempat di bahagian tepi bangsal.

• Ketua kumpulan memberi tunjuk hormat melalui ucapan mantera sambil mengadap Tiang Seri bagi memastikan keselamatan semasa persembahan.

Bertabik

• Di pertengahan lagu, mereka mula menari sambil duduk dan terus menyanyi dan beransur-ansur bangun sehingga berdiri sambil menari.

• The Puteri/Raja/ musician sing the bertabik song.

Bertabuh • Music of Lagu bertabuh is played by the serunai.

• The song is performed in a responsorial style until the end of the music.

• Dancers and musicians form the chorus and they position themselves along the sides of the bangsal.

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• The dancers position themselves seated infront of the tiang seri and facing it.

• The Puteri sings the Gerak Timpuh.

• Mid-way of the song, they start to dance while contiuously singing, gradually moving from a seated position to standing and dancing.

• The head of the troupe pays his respects by reciting texts facing the tiang serti to ensure a safe performance.

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Gerak Timpuh

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Empat Tarian

Masuk Bilik Ayaq

Makan Pinang

• Lagu Gerak Timpuh beralih kepada gabungan Empat Tarian apabila Puteri memberi isyarat untuk serunai terus memulakan lagu Empat Tarian sebaik sahaja berakhirnya lagu Gerak Timpuh.

• Apabila serunai berhenti dimainkan, Puteri mula menyanyi sambil menari.

• Puteri bersendirian di bahagian tengah ruang persembahan sambil menyanyikan lagu Makan Pinang.

• Urutan gabungan Empat Tarian ini adalah: - Anak Menora - Puteri Mabuk - Gambang - Sedayung

Four Dance Suite • The Gerak Timpuh song transitions to the four dance after the puteri gives a musical cue and the serunai enters the four dances. From the Gerak Timpuh to the dance suite, it is performed seamlessly and without breaks.

• The dance suite are in this order: - Anak Menora - Puteri Mabuk - Gambang - Sedayung

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• Di penghujung lagu, kesemua penari bergerak keluar daripada ruang persembahan di tengah bangsal dan meninggalkan Puteri bersendirian.

Masuk Bilik Ayaq

Makan Pinang • Puteri then sits alone in the center of the bangsal and sings the Makan Pinang.

• When the serunai stops the Puteri start singing the song while dancing.

• By the end of the song, the rest of the dancers will leave the centre of the bangsal leaving the puteri alone.

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Berikutan lagu Bertabik, Puteri atau Raja terus menyanyikan lagu Gerak Timpuh sambil duduk di bahagian tengah tempat persembahan dan mengadap para pemuzik. Ini disusuli oleh para penari yang memulakan pergerakan tarian dalam posisi duduk.

Di tempat yang sama, mereka perlahan-lahan menggerakkan bahagian atas tubuh mereka, beransur-ansur bangun dan meneruskan tarian sambil berdiri. Apabila sampai pada bahagian penghujung lagu, para penari bergerak daripada posisi mereka untuk terus menari dalam bentuk bulatan. Melalui lagu Gerak Timpuh, Puteri menceritakan dia menyiapkan diri mengenakan pakaian sebelum memulakan aktiviti hariannya di dalam istana.

Dia menceritakan bagaimana dia mendandan rambutnya, mengenakan pakaian, dan membuat solekan.

Tanpa menghentikan nyanyian, lagu Gerak Timpuh disusuli dengan gabungan lagu instrumental Empat Tarian, bermula dengan Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang dan Sedayung.

Keempat-empat lagu ini dimainkan secara berterusan dengan iringan tarian yang juga dilakukan secara berterusan. Tarian ini dilakukan dalam bentuk bulatan, di mana pengakhiran setiap lagu dalam gabungan ini dikenali daripada perubahan melodi daripada bunyi serunai. Serunai berhenti dimainkan dengan berakhirnya lagu Sedayung, yang mana Puteri mula menyanyikan lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq di bahagian tengah ruang persembahan diiringi oleh penari-penari. Melalui lagu ini, Puteri menerangkan aktiviti mengambil wuduk bagi persiapan untuk menunaikan solat. Muzik berhenti dimainkan dengan berakhirnya lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq. Pada masa ini, kesemua penari bergerak daripada bahagian tengah ruang persembahan untuk mengambil tempat dalam kalangan para pemuzik untuk menyanyi bersama-sama sebagai sebahagian daripada korus, ataupun mereka boleh keluar meninggalkan ruang pementasan.

Pemain muzik berhenti bermain muzik apabila Puteri mula menyanyikan lagu Makan Pinang (sambil duduk makan pinang) sambil duduk bersendirian di tempat persembahan. Lagu ini menggambarkan kesunyian yang dirasai oleh Puteri sambil makan pinang bersendirian. Pada penghujung lagu ini, Puteri bergerak meninggalkan tempat persembahan yang menandakan berakhirnya bahagian Pembukaan persembahan.

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Fasa seterusnya ditanda dengan penglibatan Inang-Inang/ pembantu-pembantu dalam persembahan. Keadaan yang ideal dalam persembahan Mek Mulung ialah yang mana fasa ini bermula dengan Puteri memanggil Inang-Inangnya. Puteri menyanyi sambil berjalan dalam pergerakan bentuk bulatan untuk memberi gambaran ia berjalan dari satu tempat ke tempat yang lain. Puteri berhenti apabila sampai ke destinasi yang dituju, dan memperkenalkan dirinya dengan memaklumkan kehadirannya sambil memanggil inangnya melalui nyanyian dua lagu.

Without any break in the singing, the Gerak Timpuh song was followed by the four-dance instrumental medley, beginning with the Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang, and Sedayung.

This continuous playing of the four songs was accompanied by continuous dancing. The dancing was carried out in a circle formation and the ending of each song in the medley was signified by a melodic shift from the sound of the serunai. The serunai stopped playing at the end of the Sedayung song, whereby the Puteri began to sing the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song in the centre of the stage with the accompaniment of the dancers. In this song, the Puteri described that she was taking her ablution and getting ready to perform her prayers. The music ended with the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song. By this time, all the dancers have moved away from the centre of the performance stage and taken their positions among the musicians to sing along as part of the chorus, or they could also leave the performance stage. The musicians stopped playing when the Puteri started to sing the Makan Pinang song (while sitting and eating betel nut) as she remained alone on the stage. The song depicted the loneliness experienced by the princess as she sat alone eating betel nut. At the end of the song, the Puteri walked away from the centre of the stage and this marked the end of the Opening section of the performance.

The following phase was marked by the involvement of the maids/ servants in the performance. In the ideal setting of a Mek Mulung performance, this phase would begin with the Puteri calling out for

her maid or Inang. The Puteri sang as she walked in a circular pattern to indicate that she was travelling from one place to another. When she stopped at her destination, she introduced herself by announcing her presence and calling out for her maid by singing two songs. Figure 3.4 shows the process whereby the Puteri and the Raja introduced their characters.

Pengenalan oleh Puteri • Puteri memegang Rotan Bilah Ketujuh atau Rotan Ketujuh sambil memperkenalkan dirinya.

• Dia memanggil dan mengarah inang datang kepadanya.

Puteri memanggil Inangnya.

• Puteri memanggil Inangmelalui lagu Burung Odang.

• Inang menyahut panggilan melalui lagu Inang Terkejut Jaga.

Pengenalan Raja

Raja memanggil Awangnya

• Raja memegang Rotan Bilah Ketujuh atau Rotan Ketujuh sambil memperkenalkan dirinya.

• Raja memanggil Awang melalui lagu Burung Odang dan lagu Panggil Awang.

• Raja memanggil Awang untuk datang kepadanya.

• Awang menyahut panggilan dengan lagu Awang Terkejut Jaga.

• Awang melaksanakan arahan Raja.

• Puteri menyampaikan hasratnya kepada Inang.

• Inang melaksanakan hasrat Puteri.

Puteri introduction

Puteri summons her Inang

Raja’s Introduction

Raja calls upon his Awang

• Puteri picks up her (Rotan Bilah Ketujuh or Rotan Ketujuh) and introduces herself.

• Puteri calls upon her Inang singing the Lagu Burung Odang.

• Raja Picks up his (Rotan Bilah Ketujuh or Rotan Ketujuh) and introduces himself.

• Inang responds by singing Lagu Inang Terkejut Jaga.

• Raja then goest to summon his Awang.

• Raja calls upon his Awang by singing the Lagu Burong Odang and Lagu Panggil Awang.

• She then calls and summons her Inang.

• Puteri engages a conversation with the Inang telling her intentions.

• Inang execute Puteri’s Intention.

• Awang respons by singing Lagu Awang Terkejut Jaga.

• Raja engages a conversation with Awang.

• Awang executes Raja’s intentions.

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Puteri bersama para pemuzik sebagai ahli korus. (Gambar ihsan Zaleha Abdul Hamid, 1975).

Puteri joining the musicians as part of the chorus. (Photo courtesy of Zaleha Abdul Hamid, 1975).

Awang akhirnya menyahut panggilan dan menghampiri Raja.

Awang finally responding to the Raja’s call.

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Lagu Burung Odang, iaitu lagu pertama yang mainkan, menerangkan Puteri pertama kalinya memanggil Inang dengan lemah lembut, yang mana Inang biasanya tidak menjawab panggilannya. Puteri kemudiannya memanggil buat kali kedua melalui lagu Panggil Inang yang mana Inang masih tidak menyahut panggilannya. Setelah tidak mendapat jawapan selepas dua panggilan, Puteri meninggikan suaranya yang mana Inang akhirnya menyahut panggilan itu. Inang menyahut panggilan itu melalui lagu Inang Terkejut Jaga. Namun demikian, Inang kebiasaannya tidak terus mengadap Puteri, tetapi sebaliknya memberi pelbagai alasan mengapa dia tidak boleh datang berhadapan dengan Puteri. Inang tetap berada dalam kalangan para pemuzik sebagai sebahagian daripada korus. Sepanjang tempoh ini, Puteri tidak melakukan sebarang hubungan mata dengan Inang sehingga Inang bergerak meninggalkan korus dan menghampiri Puteri.

Dialog antara Puteri dan Inang bermula dengan Puteri memberi penjelasan mengapa dia memanggil Inang. Dialog di antara Puteri dan Inang diselang-seli dengan nyanyian beberapa lagu, seperti ‘Berkhabar’ untuk memberi penekanan kepada sebab-sebab Puteri memanggil Inang. Puteri menyampaikan hasratnya kepada Inang yang seterusnya melaksanakannya. Puteri kemudiannya bergerak meninggalkan ruang tengah tempat persembahan dan turut serta sebagai ahli korus untuk menandakan ia mengakhiri babak tersebut.

Inang menunjukkan aksi-aksi melaksanakan tugas yang diberi oleh Puteri, ataupun menggambarkannya melalui pelbagai bentuk gerak-geri. Inang menerangkan ke mana ia akan pergi atau apa yang dilakukannya sebelum dia meninggalkan ruang persembahan dan menyertai ahli-ahli lain sebagai korus, sebagai tanda berakhirnya babak tersebut.

Pada ketika ini, Raja menuju ke ruang tengah dan mula membuat persembahan dengan memanggil pembantunya, iaitu Awang.

Dalam situasi yang mana watak Raja dan Puteri dimainkan oleh individu yang sama, ia memulakan babak ini dengan memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai Raja. Lagu yang sama, iaitu ‘Burung Odang’, yang dinyanyikan sebelum ini oleh Puteri untuk memanggil Inang, kini dinyanyikan oleh Raja untuk memanggil

The first song was Burung Odang (Polite Serenade/Call for Maid/ Servant) which described her calling for her maid the first time in a polite manner, to which the maid usually did not respond. The Puteri then called for the second time which she sang the Panggil Inang (Contrast Serenade/Call for Maid/Servant) song. When the maid still did not respond to the second call, the Puteri resorted to shouting to which the Inang finally responded. The Inang’s response to the Puteri’s call was made through the song called Inang Terkejut Jaga (Awakening of Maid/Servant). However, the Inang usually would not come forward immediately, and gave several excuses why she could not come out to appear before the Puteri, and remained among the musicians as part of the chorus. All this while, the Puteri did not make any eye contact with the Inang until when she moved away from the chorus and approached the Puteri at the centre of the stage. The dialogue between the Puteri and the Inang began with a discussion of her reason for summoning her.

In between dialogues, there was singing of several songs, such as Berkhabar (Exposition by King/Princess) which was to emphasize the Puteri’s reason for calling out for the Inang. The Puteri made known her intentions after which the Inang carried out the Puteri’s wishes. The Puteri moved away from the performance circle and joined the chorus as a signal that she had left the scene.

The Inang carried out her acts to perform the tasks given by the Puteri or she indicated it in the form of gestures. The Inang described where she was going or what she was doing before she moved away from the performance space to join others in the chorus to indicate that the scene was over.

At this juncture, the Raja entered the performance space, and began the performance by calling out for his servant or Awang.

When in cases where the Raja and the Puteri characters were being played by the same performer, the actor would begin the performance by introducing himself as the Raja. The same song Burung Odang which was sung by the Puteri to call for her Inang was sung by the Raja to call out for his Awang. This was followed

by Panggil Awang song whereby Awang responded to the Raja with Awang Terkejut Jaga. As in the case between the Puteri and the Inang, the dialogue between the Raja and his Awang also involved

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Awang. Ini disusuli oleh nyanyian lagu ‘Panggil Awang’ yang mana Awang menyahut dengan lagu ‘Awang Terkejut Jaga’. Seperti apa yang berlaku antara Puteri dan Inang, Raja dan Awang juga mempunyai dialog yang mana Awang memberi alasan sebelum menghadap Raja.

Awang melaksanakan tugas yang diarah oleh Raja yang digambarkannya dengan melakonkan tugas-tugas tersebut.

Setelah selesai tugas-tugas itu, Awang melaporkan kepada Raja melalui lagu ‘Timang Welu’ yang menggambarkan cara berucap dengan Raja dengan penuh hormat.

Dalam babak berikutnya, Raja memperkenalkan cerita yang akan dipersembahkan pada malam tersebut. Bahagian ini dikenali sebagai Pecah Lakon yang mana jalan cerita ditetapkan. Raja menyanyikan lagu ‘Pecah Lakon’ yang memberitahu penonton cerita yang akan dipersembahkan pada malam itu. Bermula dari sini, persembahan cerita akan berlangsung yang menandakan fasa utama bagi persembahan teater Mek Mulung. Setiap cerita yang dipersembahkan mempunyai dialog tersendiri yang diselang-seli dengan permainan muzik, nyanyian dan tarian untuk memantapkan lagi babak-babak persembahan. Sesuatu cerita yang dipersembahkan diambil daripada satu senarai cerita Mek Mulung seperti yang terdapat dalam perbincangan pada penghujung bab ini.

Lagu-lagu yang dimainkan dalam komponen cerita termasuk lagu ‘Berjalan’ yang menggambarkan pergerakan watak dari satu tempat ke tempat lain. Dalam lagu-lagu ini, pergerakan watak dinyatakan seperti sama ada ia berjalan ke sungai, berjalan ke istana, atau ke tempat-tempat lain. Selain daripada dinyanyikan, watak boleh memilih untuk lagu ‘Berjalan’ ini dimainkan sebagai satu karya instrumental.

Lagu-lagu lain yang dimainkan sepanjang komponen cerita itu berlangsung termasuklah lagu ‘Masuk ke Taman’ dan ‘Mengulik’ yang merupakan lagu-lagu pilihan. Sama ada lagu-lagu ini dimainkan ataupun tidak dimainkan, ia tidak mempunyai kesan ke atas persembahan. Lagu-lagu ini dimasukkan sebagai lagu

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Awang giving excuses before finally coming forward to meet the Raja.

Awang carried out the tasks that the Raja requested and indicated this by acting out the tasks. When he finished the tasks, he reported to the Raja through the song Timang Welu (Song of praise to Your Highness), which was a polite form to address the Raja.

This episode was followed by the Raja’s introduction of the story for the particular night’s performance. This part of the performance is called the Pecah Lakon (Request for Story to be told) whereby the story was established. The Raja sang the Pecah Lakon song which let the audience know what story was to be played for the night.

The figure shows the beginning and ending of the story component.

It was from this point onwards that the story would take off and marked the main phase of the Mek Mulung theater performance.

For each story, there were its own dialogues, interspersed with music, singing, and dancing, to enhance the scenes in the performance. The particular story to be performed would be from among the stories listed at the end of this chapter, The songs that were sung in the course of the story consisted of the Berjalan (Travelling song) which depicted the character moving from one place to another. In the songs, it was described where the characters were going, such as whether he was going towards the river, going towards the palace, or other places. Instead of being sung, the character could also choose to have the Berjalan song played out in the form of an instrumental piece.

Other songs sung during the course of the story include Masuk ke Taman (Princess Ode to the Splendid Garden) and Mengulik (Night Serenade to the King) which are optional songs. The presence or absence of these songs did not affect the performance. They were included as supplementary songs in certain scenes in a performance. For example, the Masuk ke Taman song was sung by the Puteri when she entered the garden. The song was sung to express an admiration for the flowers in the garden. On the other hand, Mengulik which is a form of lullaby, was sung by the mother of the Raja or by the Puteri to the Raja.

tambahan dalam babak-babak tertentu. Sebagai contoh, lagu ‘Masuk ke Taman’ dinyanyikan oleh Puteri semasa dia masuk ke taman dan ia menggambarkan perasaan kagum apabila Puteri melihat keindahan bunga-bunga yang terdapat di taman itu. Manakala lagu ‘Mengulik’ adalah satu lagu yang dinyanyikan sebagai dendangan oleh ibu kepada anaknya iaitu Raja ataupun oleh Puteri kepada Raja.

Pecah Lakon

Cerita Bermula

Penutup

• Raja atau Puteri mempersembahkan Pecah Lakon.

• Penceritaan dipersembahkan.

• Raja atau Puteri menyanyikan lagu Kecil Milik.

• Lagu ini memberitahu cerita yang akan dipersembahkan.

• Raja atau Puteri menyanyikan lagu ini sehingga tamat.

• Berbagai lagu dipersembahkan mengikut jalan cerita yang telah ditetapkan.

• Jalan cerita mengandungi konflik, klimaks dan penyelesaian.

• Aksi-aksi tertentu diberi penekanan oleh bunyi gendang dan gong sebagai efek bunyi.

• Lagu Kecil Milik ini menandakan berakhirnya persembahan.

• Lagu-lagu yang dimainkan sepanjang persembahan ialah: - Timang Welu - Masuk ke Taman - Lagu Berjalan (instrumental/ nyanyian) - Mengulik

Pecah Lakon

Story commences

Closing

• Raja or Puteri performs the Pecah Lakon.

• The story line is carried out.

• Raja or Puteri sings the Kecil Milik.

• This is a song to indicate what story is to be presented in the performance.

• The Raja/ Puteri sings till the end of the song.

• Various songs are performed according to the flow of the performance.

• Story ine consist of a conflict, a climax and a resolution.

• The Kecil Milik marks the end of the performance.

• Certain actions are emphasized by the sounds of the drum and the gong to give some sound effects.

• Songs sung during the course of the performace include: - Timang Welu - Masuk ke Taman - Lagu Berjalan (instrumental/ sung) - Mengulik

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Ritual pasca-penutup setelah berakhirnya lagu penutup Post-closing ritual after ending of the closing song.

Apabila cerita menuju ke penghujungnya, satu lagu penutup dimainkan sebagai tanda berakhirnya persembahan. Bahagian penutup persembahan ini ditanda dengan nyanyian lagu ‘Kecil Milik’ yang memberitahu penonton bahawa persembahan telah tamat atau berakhir untuk malam tersebut sekiranya persembahan itu diadakan selama tiga malam berturut-turut.

Lagu ini dinyanyikan oleh Raja atau Puteri yang menyatakan perasaan syukur kepada kehadiran penonton dan individuindividu yang terlibat dalam persembahan.

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As the story came to an end, a closing song was sung which marked the end of the performance. This Closing section of the performance was marked by the Kecil Milik song (Closing song of Praise) which tells the audience that the performance has ended, or ended for that night if the performance was carried out for three consecutive nights. This song was sung by the Raja or the Puteri who expressed his or her gratefulness to the audience and others who were part of the performance.

Binjai dalam keadaan menurun untuk upacara rawatan.

The Binjai getting into a trance for the healing ceremony.

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Bagaimana ia berfungsi? How does it works?

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langkah mudah easy steps

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Aspek teater dalam persembahan ini berakhir selepas nyanyian lagu penutup. Pada bahagian pasca-penutup, semua ahli persembahan kecuali pemuzik, berkumpul dalam satu barisan di hadapan tiang seri. Ketua kumpulan Mek Mulung kemudiannya akan menyelubungi mereka dengan sehelai kain batik yang diikat pada tiang seri menggunakan seutas tali. Tujuan ritual ini dilakukan adalah untuk memastikan keselamatan kesemua ahli persembahan sekiranya tanpa sengaja, mereka menimbulkan perasaan marah kepada roh-roh nenek moyang semasa persembahan itu diadakan.

Apabila persembahan selesai secara rasminya, adalah menjadi tanggungjawab ketua kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung untuk melakukan ritual bagi menyampaikan perasaan kesyukuran ahli-ahli persembahan kepada semangat dan roh-roh nenek moyang kerana persembahan selesai diadakan dengan jayanya. Seperti fasa pra-pembukaan, ritual untuk fasa pascapenutup dilakukan secara tertutup dengan kehadiran ahli-ahli kumpulan tertentu sahaja. Bagi kumpulan persembahan Wang Tepus, mempersembahkan Mek Mulung mengikut struktur yang telah ditetapkan adalah lebih penting daripada bahagian cerita dalam sesuatu persembahan. Oleh itu, penjaga-penjaga tradisi bersetuju sesama mereka, jika keadaan memerlukan perubahanperubahan dilakukan dalam persembahan, ia dibenarkan selagi struktur persembahan dapat dipertahankan sebaik mungkin.

Ritual tambahan dimasukkan ke dalam suatu persembahan sekiranya ia persembahan Sambut Guru. Sebagai sebahagian daripada ritual ini, penduduk kampung dialu-alukan untuk mendapatkan rawatan daripada kumpulan Mek Mulung.

Kebiasaannya ia melibatkan pesakit-pesakit menerima rawatan daripada seorang yang telah dikenal pasti berkebolehan merawat yang biasanya berlaku dalam keadaan separa sedar, ataupun melibatkan proses menurun. Individu ini dikenali sebagai Binjai, ataupun bomoh. Dia boleh terdiri daripada kalangan ahli-ahli kumpulan persembahan ataupun tidak. Perkara yang penting ialah dia dikenali oleh penduduk kampung dan diketahui mempunyai ilmu merawat, dan kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung telah memberi kepercayaan kepadanya untuk menjalankan ritual

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rawatan. Komponen persembahan ini mengambil masa yang lama dan mungkin selesai lewat malam atau awal pagi bagi memastikan setiap individu yang berkenaan diberi perkhidmatan rawatan yang diingininya.

The theatre aspect of the performance ended after the closing song. In the Post-Closing section, the performers, excluding the musicians, would gather in a line in front of the tiang seri. The Mek Mulung leader would place a piece of batik cloth over the performers which was then attached to the tiang seri with a string. The purpose of this ritual was to ensure the safety of the performers in case they had accidentally angered the ancestors during the performance.

With the performance officially ended, it was the task of the leader of the Mek Mulung group to perform a ritual to convey the group’s gratitude to the spirits and ancestors that the performance was carried out successfully. Just as the Pre-Opening phase, the ritual for the Post-Closing phase was conducted behind closed doors with the inclusion of certain troupe members only. For the Wang Tepus troupe, presenting a Mek Mulung performance in accordance with its established structure is of greater significance than presenting the story portion of the performance. It was therefore agreed among the beholders of the tradition that depending on the circumstances, changes may have to take place in a performance, and yet ensuring that the structure was maintained as much as possible.

An additional ritual would be incorporated into the performance in the case of a Sambut Guru performance. As part of this ritual, villagers were welcomed to seek treatment from the Mek Mulung troupe. It usually involved patients being treated by a designated elderly man who usually went into a trance. This person was known as the Binjai (healer). This person might or might not be a performer of the troupe. However, he was known in the community to possess healing knowledge and the Mek Mulung troupe had entrusted him to conduct the healing ritual. This component of the performance involved a long time and might end in the early hours of morning to ensure that all who came to seek treatment were attended to.

WATAK MEK MULUNG, PAKAIAN DAN PERALATAN PERSEMBAHAN Watak-watak dalam persembahan Mek Mulung dikaitkan dengan pakaian yang dikenakan ataupun digambarkan melalui pakaian mereka. Dengan mengenakan pakaian yang sesuai, watak-watak yang halus, mulia dan terhormat dapat dibezakan daripada watak-watak biasa, kasar ataupun lucu. Tidak ada pakaian yang istimewa dan penuh dengan hiasan bagi ahli-ahli persembahan Wang Tepus. Kebanyakannya mengenakan pakaian biasa harian mereka, kecuali watak-watak utama seperti Raja dan Puteri. Ahliahli persembahan secara individu mungkin mempunyai cara tersendiri untuk mempamerkan watak yang dimainkannya, tetapi terdapat beberapa ketetapan dan keperluan yang mesti mereka patuhi sebagai ahli-ahli persembahan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus.

Di dalam buku ini, terdapat kod imbasan yang disediakan untuk membantu pembaca merasai serta memahami watak-watak dalam persembahan.

Puteri Puteri merupakan salah satu watak utama dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Watak inilah yang menjayakan sesuatu persembahan dan perlu menyanyi paling banyak lagu dalam persembahan.

Menurut penerangan Pak Leh, Puteri mengenakan pakaian tradisional seperti baju kebaya panjang atau baju kurung. Pakaian kebaya adalah baju yang dipadankan dengan kain sarung, yang mana bajunya mempunyai kolar berlipat di bahagian belakang leher dan bertemu di bahagian hadapan sehingga ke bawah.

Kebaya biasanya dilengkapi dengan satu set kerongsang yang dikenakan di bahagian depan pada paras dada. Baju kurung adalah satu pakaian tradisional labuh dan longgar yang mempunyai bentuk leher yang bulat dan dipadankan dengan kain yang mempunyai lipatan serupa kipas di bahagian tepi.

THE MEK MULUNG CHARACTERS, ATTIRE AND PROPS Characters in the Mek Mulung performance were associated with their attire or portrayed by their costumes. Through the use of appropriate costumes, fine and distinguished characters could be differentiated from the ordinary and rough or comic characters.

There were no special and elaborate costumes for the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung performers, most of whom would perform in their normal everyday attire, with the exception of the main characters, the Raja and Puteri. Individual performers might have their personal preference to present a particular character they played, but there were conventions that they need to adhere to as an important requirement for Mek Mulung performers in Wang Tepus. In this book, designated scan codes are provided for the reader to have a feel for and relate to the characters in the performance.

Puteri The Puteri is one of the main characters in the Mek Mulung performance. It is the character that would hold the show together and required to sing the greatest number of songs in the performance repertoire. As described by Pak Leh, the Puteri would be dressed in a traditional long kebaya or baju kurung. A kebaya is a long two-piece dress that is paired with a long skirt, with the top piece having a folded collar which comes down to the front part of the attire. It was usually worn with a set of brooches to hold the front part of the top piece at the chest. The Baju kurung is also a traditional Malay attire with a loosely-fitting top piece with a round neck opening, and worn together with a long skirt or sarung with a fan-like gather at its side. The type of attire worn by the character differentiated the Puteri, whose attire would be that was reserved for special occasions with the appropriate accessories, from that of the Inang’s attire, which was simple with no accessories. Usually, the performer who plays the Puteri would put on her own best kebaya or baju kurung, while the Inang would put on their everyday clothes. The Puteri also has a sash or shawl that she placed on her shoulders.

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Jenis pakaian yang dikenakan membezakan watak Puteri yang biasanya mengenakan pakaian yang dikhaskan untuk majlis-majlis istimewa yang disesuaikan dengan aksesori-aksesori tertentu.

Sementara watak Inang mengenakan pakaian yang biasa tanpa aksesori. Lazimnya, individu yang memegang watak Puteri akan mengenakan kebaya atau baju kurung kepunyaan sendiri yang paling cantik, manakala watak Inang akan mengenakan pakaian biasa harian mereka. Puteri juga mempunyai selendang yang dipakai pada bahagian atas bahu. Watak Puteri juga selalunya menyelitkan bunga-bunga hidup atau bunga yang diperbuat daripada kain di rambutnya. Bunga kertas yang segar selalunya menjadi pilihan utama memandangkan sifatnya yang tidak mudah layu dan mudah dirias sebagai sejambak bunga untuk dikenakan sebagai perhiasan rambut. Gaya rambut ahli-ahli persembahan wanita boleh diikat menjadi sanggul, tetapi ada yang memilih untuk dibiarkan bebas mengikut keselesaan sendiri. Penggunaan aksesori-aksesori seperti barang kemas dan perhiasan di kepala pula mengikut kemampuan ahli persembahan untuk mendapatkannya. Menurut Pak Saad, pakaian Puteri haruslah menyerupai pakaian yang biasa dikenakan semasa majlis perkahwinan, iaitu mengenakan pakaian terbaik yang mereka ada. Ahli-ahli persembahan mempunyai cara yang unik dalam aspek solekan, namun tidak dinyatakan bagaimana sepatutnya ia dilakukan.

Puteri mempunyai peralatan persembahan, iaitu rotan berai, yang dikenali sebagai Rotan Bilah Ketujuh atau Rotan Ketujuh, yang digunakan sebagai lambang kuasa/autoriti terutama ketika berhadapan dengan telatah Inang yang nakal dan lucu, tetapi tidak memudaratkan. Semasa bahagian pembukaan persembahan, Puteri mencapai rotan yang berhampiran dan memegangnya sambil berbual dengan Inang. Semasa menari, Puteri memegang rotan ini di tangan kanannya.

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The Puteri usually dressed her hair with flowers, either easily obtained fresh or made from fabric material. Fresh bougainvillaea flowers, which do not wilt easily like other fresh flowers and could be strung together to look like a large flower bunch, have been often used as hair accessories. Hair styles of female performers can be tied up to form a bun, but there were others who prefer to let their hair down freely. Use of other accessories such as jewellery and headgear depended on the performers’ access to these items.

According to Pak Saad, the Puteri’s costume should resemble that of a wedding attire, thus putting on the best clothing that they have.

The performer has their own unique way of doing their make-up, but not actually specified how it should be done.

The Puteri has a prop, which was a rattan whip, called the Rotan Bilah Ketujuh or Rotan Ketujuh which she used to exert her authority, especially when dealing with the Inang’s playful antics, funny jokes, and harmless mischiefs. During the Opening section, the Puteri had the whip nearby which she picked up when she began the conversation with the Inang. When the Puteri danced, she held the whip in her right hand.

Puteri (kanan) dan Inang (kiri) mengenakan pakaian bersama-sama dengan Raja. (Gambar ihsan Zaleha Abdul Hamid, 1975).

Puteri (right) and Inang (left) in their attire with the Raja. (Photograph courtesy of Zaleha Abdul Hamid,1 975).

Rotan Bilah Ketujuh atau Rotan Ketujuh Rotan Bilah Ketujuh or Rotan Ketujuh

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Raja Raja merupakan watak kedua terpenting dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Seperti watak Puteri, pakaian Raja melambangkan penampilan DiRaja seorang Raja Melayu. Raja mengenakan pakaian baju Melayu tradisional seperti yang dipakai oleh pengantin lelaki dalam upacara perkahwinan Melayu daripada segi perhiasannya. Pakaian ini diperbuat daripada kain jenis broked, iaitu kain tenun yang disulam dengan benang emas bagi menonjolkan watak. Pakaian tradisional Melayu lelaki merupakan sepasang baju dan seluar. Baju berlengan panjang ini mempunyai tiga saku di bahagian hadapannya. Ia mempunyai kolar berbentuk bulat dan bahagian hadapan yang dikemaskan dengan satu set butang baju hiasan. Baju Melayu yang digunakan sebagai pakaian harian diperbuat daripada kain jenis biasa, tidak seperti yang dikenakan semasa persembahan. Pakaian semasa persembahan kebiasaannya baju Melayu yang dilengkapkan dengan sarung yang sesuai, atau lebih dikenali sebagai samping yang diikat di bahagian pinggang.

Raja The Raja is perhaps the second most important character in the performance. Just like the Puteri, the Raja’s attire should reflect an appearance of a royal character of a Malay king. The Raja wears a traditional baju Melayu which resembled a wedding attire in terms of its elaborateness. The costume can be made of materials like brocade or with gold thread embroidery to make the character stand out. A baju Melayu is a Malay male traditional attire consisting of a shirt and trousers. The long-sleeved shirt has three pockets on its front. It has a round collar with a placket which is fastened with a set of decorative buttons similar to cufflinks. The baju Melayu that is worn daily is made with ordinary material and not as elaborate as when used in a performance. The attire for the performance is usually completed with the baju Melayu wrapped by a matching sarong called sampin, rolled and tied at the waist.

Pakaian Raja dan Awang. (Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

The Raja’s and Awang’s attire. (Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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Raja juga mempunyai sehelai selendang dipakai di atas bahu yang dilabuhkan dan diikat di bahagian pinggang yang bertentangan.

Perhiasan kepala pula diperbuat daripada jenis kain keras yang dilipat dengan cara yang tertentu digelar sebagai tengkolok, melengkapkan pakaian Raja. Sebilah keris yang panjang diselitkan di dalam samping.

The Raja also has a sash or a shawl that is placed on the right shoulder, draped across the front of the body, and fastened on the left side at the waist. A matching headgear constructed of hard fabric that is folded in a particular manner, called the tengkolok, completes the Raja’s costume. A long Malay dagger, called the keris, is tucked into the sampin at the waist.

Raja juga mempunyai sebatang rotan, iaitu Rotan Bilah Ketujuh atau Rotan Ketujuh, yang biasa dipegangnya semasa berbual dengan Awang seperti Puteri yang memegangnya ketika berbicara dengan Inang. Juga seperti watak Puteri, Raja menari sambil menyanyi lagu-lagu tertentu seperti Burung Odang sambil memegang rotan di tangan kanannya.

The Raja also has a rattan whip, the Rotan Bilah Ketujuh or Rotan Ketujuh, which he held while interacting with Awang, just as the Puteri, who held the whip when interacting with Inang. Again, like the Puteri, the Raja also danced along while singing certain songs, like the Burung Odang, while holding the whip in his right hand.

Awang Pengasuh Tua dan Awang Selamat Awang Pengasuh Tua dan Awang Selamat merupakan dua watak komedi atau watak peran yang memegang peranan sebagai pembantu kepada Raja. Awang Pengasuh Tua juga dikenali sebagai Awang Pengasuh ataupun hanya disebut sebagai Awang.

Awang Selamat pula merupakan Awang yang lebih muda antara kedua-dua Awang tersebut. Mereka patuh kepada perintah Raja serta secara langsung memenuhi segala keperluan Raja. Mereka patuh kepada perintah Raja serta secara langsung memenuhi segala keperluan Raja. Telatah mereka merupakan sumber jenaka utama dalam persembahan, yang selalunya melibatkan mereka silap mentafsir arahan daripada Raja serta usikan-usikan mereka terhadap Raja. Pak Dan yang kini memainkan watak Awang di Wang Tepus mengakui bahawa kemahiran tertentu dan pengalaman diperlukan bagi memastikan watak komedi ini dapat dihidupkan secara spontan. Pada masa yang sama, Awang juga terpaksa menahan derita kesakitan akibat sebatan bertalu-talu oleh Raja, yang mana menurut Pak Dan kadang-kala menimbulkan kesakitan walaupun ia dilakukan bagi tujuan untuk menghiburkan.

Awang mempunyai beberapa kemungkinan untuk menggayakan watak dalam sesuatu persembahan. Aspek terpenting bagi pakaian Awang merupakan sepasang seluar yang longgar beserta sarung atau kain pelikat yang biasanya dilipat dan diikat

Awang Pengasuh Tua and Awang Selamat Awang Pengasuh Tua and Awang Selamat are two comic characters playing the role of servants to the Raja. Awang Pengasuh Tua is also known as Awang Pengasuh or just Awang. Awang Selamat is the younger of the two. They answer to the Raja’s commands and attend directly to the Raja’s needs. Their playful antics were the main source of comedy in the performance, such as their frequent misreading of information and teasing the Raja. Pak Dan, who currently performs as the Awang character in Wang Tepus, admitted that special skills and experience were necessary for comic characters to come up with impromptu jokes. At the same time, Awang had to endure the Raja’s repeated whippings, which according to Pak Dan could be quite painful although they were for amusement purposes.

Awang has several possibilities to style his character for the performance. The most important part of the attire for Awang was a pair of loose trousers and a cotton sarong or kain pelikat which he folded and tied around his waist. Awang wore a simple shortsleeved or sleeveless thin white collarless T-shirt, A commonly used one is the Pagoda brand white T-shirt. Pak Dan, the current Awang performer, preferred to wear a plain baju Melayu top, and there was no requirement that the top should be white in color. Besides the plain T-shirt or the baju Melayu, there have been instances

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pada bahagian pinggang. Awang juga biasanya mengenakan baju singlet lengan pendek berjenama Pagoda atau baju putih tanpa kolar berlengan pendek atau tanpa lengan. Pak Dan yang kini memainkan watak Awang, lebih gemar mengenakan pakaian baju Melayu yang tidak semestinya baju berwarna putih. Selain daripada baju biasa atau baju Melayu, terdapat beberapa bukti menunjukkan bahawa watak Awang pernah membuat persembahan tanpa memakai baju, seperti yang dilaporkan oleh Zaleha semasa persembahan pada tahun 1975. Awang juga mempunyai satu golok kayu yang diselitkan di sarung pada bahagian pinggangnya. Hulu golok Awang diukir dalam bentuk kepala manusia. Kedua-dua Awang Tua dan Awang Selamat memakai topeng yang diperbuat daripada kayu semasa membuat persembahan. Topeng kayu ini berwarna merah dan hanya menutup bahagian dahi sehingga ke hidung, mendedahkan mulut dan dagu Awang. Topeng Awang yang merah biasanya mempunyai tanda-tanda putih di bahagian dahi sebagai simbol tenaga sakti. Jenis bahan berbulu-bulu berwarna putih pula dilekatkan di bahagian atas topeng untuk menyerupai rambut Awang yang putih. whereby Awang performed shirtless, as reported by Zaleha during a performance in 1975. Figure shows the two Awangs in their usual attire with the golok (wooden dagger) and their masks on.

Awang has a wooden dagger which he tucked into the sarong at his waist. The handle of Awang’s wooden dagger is carved as a human head. Both the Awang Tua and Awang Selamat put on wooden masks during the performance. These masks are painted red and only cover the nose up to the forehead, thus leaving the mouth and the chin uncovered. The red masks have white markings on the forehead which symbolize sacred power. A white fur-like material to represent white hair is attached to the top part of the mask.

Kedua-dua Awang dengan pakaian biasa mereka dilengkapkan dengan golok dan topeng.

(Gambar ihsan Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980-an).

The two Awangs in their usual attire with the golok (wooden dagger) and their masks on.

(Photograph courtesy of Marie-Andrée Couillard, 1980s).

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Golok kayu yang digunakan oleh Awang.

Wooden dagger used by Awang..

Golok kayu yang hulunya diukir dalam bentuk kepala manusia.

Wooden dagger with carving of a human head.

Topeng kayu yang digunakan oleh Awang.

Masks worn by Awangs. .

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Inang-inang mengenakan pakaian kebaya seragam lengkap dengan tudung kepala. (Gambar ihsan Jabatan Muzium Negeri Kedah, 2001).

Inangs in their matching kebaya attire with head scarves. (Photograph courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Negeri Kedah, 2001).

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Inang Seperti Raja yang mempunyai Awang untuk membantu dalam tugasan hariannya, Puteri mempunyai Inang sebagai pembantunya. Seperti watak Awang, Inang juga memegang watak kelakar yang gemar mengusik dan berjenaka bersama Puteri. Namun begitu, mereka amatlah setia terhadap Puteri dan patuh melaksanakan tugasan yang diberikan. Walaupun watakwatak Inang merupakan watak wanita, terdapat keadaan di mana watak Inang dimainkan oleh pelakon lelaki yang mengenakan pakaian wanita. Sememangnya ini kerap berlaku semasa kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus membuat persembahan di kampung-kampung. Mereka kebiasaannya mengenakan kebaya atau baju kurung yang biasa bagi memastikan watak ini tidak lebih menonjol daripada watak Puteri. Sekiranya seorang lelaki memainkan watak Inang, bahagian kepala ditutup dengan kain tudung ataupun rambut palsu. Kain tudung kebiasaannya digunakan semasa persembahan di Wang Tepus, manakala rambut palsu lebih kerap digunakan bagi persembahan di kawasan bandar. Semasa kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus membuat persembahan di Kuala Lumpur, ahli-ahli persembahan lelaki ada memakai rambut palsu ketika memainkan watak Inang.

Walaupun ahli-ahli persembahan wanita yang membawa watak Inang mempunyai pilihan untuk memakai tudung, tetapi keadaan yang lebih kerap berlaku adalah rambut dihias dengan bungabunga. Mereka menggunakan solekan yang biasa dan memakai aksesori yang minimum. Semasa membuat persembahan di kampung, kumpulan Inang adakalanya mengenakan pakaian yang serupa untuk kelihatan lebih menonjol berbanding dengan ahliahli persembahan yang lain.

Watak Inang pada lazimnya diberi kepada mereka yang baru belajar membuat persembahan Mek Mulung. Setelah lebih berpengalaman, mereka kemudiannya diberi kepercayaan untuk memainkan watak Puteri atau Raja. Hal ini berlaku kepada Pak Mat sendiri yang mula menyertai kumpulan Wang Tepus sebagai Inang, dan kemudiannya diberi watak seperti Puteri dan akhirnya Raja. Tidak terdapat sebarang peralatan persembahan tertentu

bagi watak Inang. Namun begitu, watak Inang ini mempunyai potensi menjadi watak yang signifikan dengan keunikan gaya individu yang tersendiri.

Inang Like the Raja who had Awang to serve his personal needs, the Puteri had Inang as her maid servant. Just like the Awang character, the Inang was a comic character, who often teased and made jokes with the Puteri, but they were certainly loyal and attended to all the requests made by the Puteri. Although Inangs were female maid servants for the Puteri, there were instances the Inang characters were played by male performers. This was especially true for the Wang Tepus performances in the kampungs, where it was quite common for male performers dressed up as females to play the Inang character. They dressed up in simple kebaya or baju kurung, so as not to compete with the Puteri’s costume.

When male performers played the Inang roles, their heads were covered with head scarves or wigs. Head scarves were commonly used by male performers in Wang Tepus; while wigs were regularly used by male performers in urban performances. Wang Tepus male performers making performances in Kuala Lumpur have also donned wigs when playing the Inang character. However, female performers playing the Inang characters had the option of wearing a head scarf, but it was more common for them to style their hair and decorate with flowers. They put on simple makeup and use minimal accessories. In kampung performances, the group of Inangs may put on matching or identical attire just so they can stand out among the performers.

Inang roles were usually entry roles for those who were starting to learn to become Mek Mulung performers. As they progressed, they became more capable to play more important characters such as the Puteri or the Raja. This was true for Pak Mat who joined the Wang Tepus troupe as an Inang, and then progressed to play the roles of the Puteri and finally the Raja. There were no particular props for the Inang characters. However, Inangs could become significant characters with their unique individual styles.

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Tok Wak Tok Wak merupakan watak seseorang yang bijaksana. Dia mungkin memainkan peranan sebagai penilik nasib yang membuat ramalan terhadap situasi-situasi tertentu dalam sesebuah cerita.

Berbeza daripada topeng-topeng yang dipakai oleh Awang Tua dan Awang Selamat, Tok Wak mengenakan topeng kayu berwarna hitam yang menutup keseluruhan muka, dan dihias dengan warna merah pada bahagian mulut dan dahi. Manakala peralatan yang digunakan untuk persembahan pula, Tok Wak mempunyai tongkat pendek yang diukir dengan corak pusaran sebagai bantuan untuk berjalan. Namun begitu, watak Tok Wak ini sudah bertahun-tahun tidak dimainkan dalam persembahan Wang Tepus. Menurut maklumat yang dikongsi oleh Pak Leh, tiada pakaian tertentu yang dikenakan oleh watak Tok Wak kecuali watak itu seharusnya membawa penampilan watak seorang lelaki tua yang bijaksana.

Tok Wak Tok Wak is the sage character. He might play the role of a fortuneteller and would make predictions of certain events in a particular story. In contrast to the masks worn by Awang Tua and Awang Selamat, Tok Wak wore a full wooden mask decorated with redtinted lips and red markings on the forehead. As a prop, Tok Wak had a short walking stick that had a swirl pattern design. The Tok Wak character had not been played in the Wang Tepus performances for many years. From information provided by the late Pak Leh, there was no particular attire for Tok Wak, except that the character should portray that of a wise old man.

Topeng kayu warna hitam yang dipakai oleh Tok Wak. Black mask worn by Tok Wak.

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Watak-Watak Lain

Other Characters

Penampilan watak-watak lain dalam persembahan Mek Mulung bergantung kepada sesuatu cerita yang dipersembahkan.

Sebagai contoh, dalam persembahan Cahaya Bulan, terdapat watak Raja Raksasa dan pembantu-pembantunya yang bernama Edeng dan Epong. Manakala dalam persembahan Malim Bongsu pula, terdapat satu watak yang bernama Malim Panjang. Bagi persembahan seperti ini, perlu ada ahli persembahan yang boleh memainkan watak-watak tambahan. Dalam persembahan kampung Wang Tepus, jalan cerita yang melibatkan situasi yang menampilkan watak-watak tambahan ini kebiasaannya ditampilkan dalam bentuk penceritaan tanpa dilakonkan.

The appearance of other characters in a Mek Mulung performance depended on the particular stories that were presented. For instance, in the Cahaya Bulan performance, there was an Ogre king and his clown servants, named Edeng and Epong. In the story of Malim Bongsu, there was a character named Malim Panjang. In such performances, there should be performers who were able to play these additional characters. In the kampung performance in Wang Tepus, story plots involving events with the appearance of these extra characters were usually described in the form of narration rather than actually acting them out.

Beberapa watak lain yang mengenakan topeng ada disebut dalam cerita-cerita tertentu dalam persembahan Mek Mulung, tetapi tidak berpeluang membuat penampilan sebab jalan ceritanya yang tidak lagi diingati. Antara watak-watak bertopeng adalah Peran Kiau dan Tok Emek. Watak Tok Emek dipercayai watak seorang peran wanita atau pembantu yang kelakar. Terdapat juga keadaan dalam beberapa persembahan seperti Cahaya Bulan yang mana topeng dipakai oleh Edeng dan Epong.

Other masked characters have been mentioned to be a part of certain stories in Mek Mulung performances, but have not been given the opportunity to make their appearance mainly because the stories were no longer remembered. Among them were masked characters such as the Peran Kiau and the Tok Emek. The Tok Emek character is believed to be a female peran or clown servant. There were instances where masks were used in performances of the Cahaya Bulan to represent the Ogre king’s clown servants, Edeng and Epong.

UCAP TETAP UNTUK MEMPERKENALKAN WATAK

MANDATORY PHRASES TO INTRODUCE CHARACTERS

Ucap Tetap adalah kenyataan wajib dituturkan oleh ahliahli persembahan yang lazimnya digunakan semasa memperkenalkan watak mereka sendiri kepada penonton, atau memaklumkan aksi-aksi tertentu yang bakal berlaku. Kata-kata ini merupakan keunikan persembahan Mek Mulung, dan sesetengah ‘Ucap Tetap’ ini juga menandakan bahagian-bahagian penting dalam persembahan. Tidak terdapat banyak ‘Ucap Tetap’, dan sesetengahnya merupakan terbitan daripada ‘Ucap Tetap’ yang lain. ‘Ucap Tetap’ ini menghuraikan watak dan aksi-aksi mereka yang mudah difahami dan dihargai oleh penonton-penonton kampung tempatan. Kemungkinan wujud perbezaan mengikut kawasan dan juga masalah memahami dialog akibat perbezaan umur/generalisasi, yang seterusnya mencadangkan pemahaman dialog mungkin berasaskan tempat ataupun masa yang berbeza.

The mandatory phrases or Ucap Tetap are statements that were uttered by the performers usually (1) to introduce themselves to the audience or (2) to indicate a certain action was about to happen.

These phrases are unique to Mek Mulung performances, and some of these mandatory phrases also signify important sections of the performance. There were not many mandatory statements, and some of them were derivatives of other particular mandatory phrases. These mandatory phrases described the characters and their actions which could easily be understood and appreciated by the local kampung audience. There could be locality differences and also problems in understanding dialogues due to age/generational differences, thus implying that understanding of dialogues could be site- as well as time-specific.

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Pengenalan Kepada Watak Puteri

Introduction of the Puteri

Setelah selesai menyanyikan lagu Makan Pinang, Puteri mencapai Rotan Bilah Ketujuh atau Rotan Ketujuh dan mula memanggil pembantunya. Untuk tujuan tersebut, Puteri perlu menunjukkan yang dia ingin memanggil pembantunya melalui ‘Ucap Tetap’.

Puteri seharusnya bermula dengan memberitahu bahawa dia kini berada di tempat tinggal Inang dan ingin memanggil pembantu setianya. Bagi babak memanggil Inang yang diperkenalkan ini, Puteri bermonolog dengan berselang seli lagu-lagu Panggilan.

After finishing the song Makan Pinang, the Puteri would grab her Rotan Bilah Ketujuh or Rotan Ketujuh whip and start summoning her maid servant. In order to do so, the Puteri must indicate that she intended to call upon her maid servant in the manner of an Ucap Tetap. The Puteri would first indicate that she was now at the maid servants’ quarters and then she intended to call upon her trusty maid servant. For this particular introduction of summoning the maid servant, the monologue alternates with the Calling songs.

“Yalah kata saya berjalan, jalan berlari, saya jatuh, jatuh di bilik Inang, saya nak panggei badan Inang dengan kasaq gedegaq takut dia bangkit murka tubuh badan saya, baiklah saya panggei dia dengan haluih perlahan sekali lalu.”

“Yalah kata saya berjalan, jalan berlari, saya jatuh, jatuh di bilik Inang, saya nak panggei badan Inang dengan kasaq gedegaq takut dia bangkit murka tubuh badan saya, baiklah saya panggei dia dengan haluih perlahan sekali lalu.”

Melalui monolog ini, Puteri menyatakan hasratnya yang ingin memanggil Inang, namun begitu, dia merasakan perlu memanggil pembantunya dengan cara yang baik dan lemah-lembut.

Babak ini dilakukan melalui nyanyian lagu Burung Odang. Puteri menyanyikan lagu ini; tetapi apabila selesai, Puteri mengeluh dan memberitahu penonton Inangnya tidak menyahut panggilannya.

Puteri meneruskan monolognya dengan memberitahu dia akan memanggil Inangnya semula, tetapi kali ini dengan cara yang berbeza.

(Translation)

“Yalah kata aku panggei Inang dengan haluih perlahan, aku nak panggei dengan kasaq gedegaq sekali lagi.”

Di sini, Puteri berkata dia akan memanggil Inangnya dengan cara yang kasar dan kuat setelah cubaan pertama memanggil Inang tidak berjaya. Puteri seterusnya menyanyikan lagu Panggil Inang.

Apabila usaha ini juga turut gagal, dia selanjutnya menuturkan Ucap Tetap yang terakhir.

“I walked, I paced quickly, I fell, fell in Inang’s room. I wanted to call upon Inang loudly, but I am afraid Inang will be awake and displeased with me, alright I will call upon Inang gently first.”

The Puteri had expressed her intention to summon her maid servant; however, she felt compelled to call the maid servant in a kind and soft manner. This was done by singing the Burung Odang song. The Puteri would sing the song; however, upon completion of the song, the Puteri lamented to the audience that the maid servant had not answered her call. The Puteri continued her monologue by indicating that she would summon the maid servant again, but this time in a different manner.

“Yalah kata aku panggei Inang dengan haluih perlahan, aku nak panggei dengan kasaq gedegaq sekali lagi.”

(Translation)

“Yalah sedang berapa umuq dengan lama sangat lama nak panggei tubuh badan Inang…oiii Inang!”

“I called upon Inang gently, now I want to call upon her again loudly.”

Setelah mengulangi sebanyak tiga kali, akhirnya Inang menyahut dengan menyanyikan lagu Inang Terkejut Jaga. Ini diikuti oleh

Here the Puteri mentioned that she would call upon the Inang in a harsh and loud manner after the first attempt to call upon the Inang was unsuccessful. The Puteri continued with the Lagu Panggil Inang

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dialog antara Puteri dan Inang yang mana Inang secara seloroh memberi alasan-alasan mengapa dia tidak pergi berjumpa dengan Puteri serta-merta. Antara alasan-alasan yang diberi termasuklah sesuatu sedang dimasak di atas dapur, enggan terlepas suatu rancangan televisyen atau satu program hiburan tertentu. Namun, walaupun alasan-alasan yang diberikan agak tidak masuk akal, tetapi Inang tetap akan datang berjumpa Puteri dan melaksanakan permintaannya.

song. When this attempt was also unsuccessful, she proceeded to utter the last Ucap Tetap.

Pengenalan Kepada Watak Raja

After she had repeated three times, finally the Inang responded with the Inang Terkejut Jaga song. This was followed by a dialogue between the Puteri and the Inang with the Inang jokingly giving excuses why she did not go over to meet the Puteri immediately.

Among the excuses given were something was cooking on the stove, not wanting to miss a good television show or a particular entertainment program. Nonetheless, however ridiculous the excuses given, the Inang would eventually come over to meet the Puteri and attended to the Puteri’s requests.

Terdapat persamaan pengenalan kepada Raja dengan pengenalan kepada Puteri. Namun, Raja lazimnya mengumumkan yang dia adalah Raja dan kerap kali ini diberitahu kepada penonton.

Dalam setiap cerita, dia akan mengumumkan dalam Ucap Tetap yang dia adalah Cahaya Bulan, atau Malim Bongsu, atau Dewa Kaca. Seperti Puteri, Raja menyampaikan Ucap Tetap dalam bentuk monolog. Raja menyampaikan hasratnya untuk memanggil Awang supaya beliau boleh memberi arahan kepada Awang untuk melaksanakan tugas-tugas yang telah mereka rancang bersama.

“Yalah kata batang tubuh aku masa ni ketika ni adalah Dewa Kaca, aku nak panggei Awang Pengasuh aku, sebab kata hilang ke mana ghaib ke mana tak dapat aku nak pinjam suruh. Baiklah aku nak panggei dengan kasaq gedegaq takut dia bangkit murka tubuh badan aku, baiklah aku nak panggei dia dengan haluih perlahan.”

‘Ucap Tetap’ pengenalan oleh Raja lebih panjang sedikit berbanding Puteri. Dia berkata bahawa pembantu-pembantunya tidak kelihatan dan dia perlu mencari mereka untuk memberi arahan supaya dapat melaksanakan hasratnya. Seperti apa yang berlaku kepada Puteri, Raja mula memanggil pembantunya dengan cara yang penuh sopan santun. Apabila gagal mendapat jawapan daripada pembantu setianya, dia selanjutnya menutur ‘Ucap Tetap’ seterusnya.

“Yalah kata aku panggei Awang dengan haluih perlahan, lani aku nak panggei dengan kasaq gedegaq sekali lagi.”

“Yalah sedang berapa umuq dengan lama sangat lama nak panggei tubuh badan Inang… ooooi Inang.”

(Translation)

“How long do I have to wait to call upon Inang… heeeyy Inang!”

Introduction of the Raja There are similarities in the introduction of the Raja and the introduction of the Puteri. However, the Raja usually declared that he was the Raja and would often tell this to the audience. In each story, he declared in the Ucap Tetap that he is Cahaya Bulan, or Malim Bongsu, or Dewa Kaca. Similar to the Puteri, the Raja presented the Ucap Tetap in the form of a monologue. The Raja stated his intention to summon Awang so he could instruct Awang to execute the tasks that they had planned together.

“Yalah kata batang tubuh aku masa ni ketika ni adalah Dewa Kaca, aku nak panggei Awang Pengasuh aku, sebab kata hilang ke mana ghaib ke mana tak dapat aku nak pinjam suruh. Baiklah aku nak panggei dengan kasaq gedegaq takut dia bangkit murka tubuh badan aku, baiklah aku nak panggei dia dengan haluih perlahan.”

(Translation)

“Here I am as Dewa Kaca, I wanted to call upon my Awang clown servant, I wonder where exactly did he go off to just as I wanted to

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Monolog ini adalah sama bagi Raja dan Puteri berikutan panggilan kali pertama mereka. Perbezaannya hanyalah sama ada ia disampaikan kepada Inang atau Awang, dan perkataan ‘lani’ yang tiada dalam monolog Puteri. Sepertimana dalam monolog terakhir antara Puteri dan Inang, Raja juga memanggil pembantunya sebanyak tiga kali sebelum Awang akhirnya memberi jawapan.

“Yalah sedang berapa umuq dengan lama nok panggei badan Awang… Ya kalau gitu ooi Awang. Kalau gitu ooi... Awang ooi!”

Awang akhirnya menyahut panggilan Raja dengan menyanyikan lagu Awang Terkejut Jaga (Inang Terkejut Jaga bagi keadaan Puteri dan Inang). Ini diikuti dengan dialog antara Raja dan Awang, yang mana Awang mengusik Raja dan memberi alasan mengapa dia tidak dapat pergi berjumpa Raja serta tidak melaksanakan tugas-tugas yang diberikan kepadanya. Raja tidak menghiraukan telatah Awang dan mengarahkannya pergi mencari rakannya Awang Selamat, supaya mereka bersama-sama melaksanakan tugas seterusnya yang diarahkan oleh Raja.

Lagu Gaduh Mana oleh Awang Setelah Awang Tua dan Awang Selamat berjumpa dengan Raja, Awang menyanyikan lagu Gaduh Mana yang disusuli oleh bahagian Pecah Lakon. Lagu Gaduh Mana dinyanyikan seperti melodi lagu Berjalan, dan diikuti kemudiannya oleh Awang yang menyatakannya dalam bentuk Ucap Tetap.

“Cik Wan dok panggei saya mai sini dengan gaduh mana susah mana, jadi diam tak diam mendapat Awang lagi bagai manik putuih dikarang bagai kaca rembah di batu lagi bagai menumbuk tiga, Cik Wan nak parang sabit di kola mana tawan musuh di teluk mana, bapak nak pukuilah negeri mana, lagi apa Cik Wan suruh bilang berkaba bilang, boleh Cik Wan Awang nak dengaq.”

Dalam ‘Ucap Tetap’ ini, Awang mengesahkan kesetiaannya kepada Raja dan menyatakan kesediaannya melaksanakan tugas-tugas yang diarahkan oleh Raja. Ini diikuti kemudian oleh Raja yang

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call him. Alright I wanted to call upon him loudly but I am afraid he will be displeased with me, alright I will call upon him gently first.”

The introductory mandatory phrase for the Raja was slightly longer than the Puteri’s. He mentioned that his servants were missing and that he needed to find them in order to instruct them to execute his orders. In a similar fashion like the Puteri, he started off calling his servant in a kind manner. Unable to get any response from his trusty clown servants, he continued to utter his next Ucap Tetap.

“Yalah kata aku panggei Awang dengan haluih perlahan, lani aku nak panggei dengan kasaq gedegaq sekali lagi.”

(Translation)

“I called upon Awang gently, now I want to call upon him again loudly.”

The monologue here was the same for the Raja and for the Puteri after they had summoned their servants the first time. The only difference is whether it was addressed to the Inang or Awang, and the word “lani” was missing in the Puteri’s monologue. Again, as in the final monologue between the Puteri and Inang, the Raja repeated it three times before Awang finally responded.

“Yalah sedang berapa umuq dengan lama nok panggei badan Awang... Ya kalau gitu ooi Awang. Kalau gitu ooi… Awang ooi!”

(Translation)

“How long do I have to wait to call upon Awang…is that so Awang. If that’s what you want… heeeyy Awang!”

Awang eventually responded to the Raja’s call with the Awang Terkejut Jaga song (Inang Tekejut Jaga, in the Puteri and Inang case). This was followed by a dialogue between the Raja and Awang, in which Awang teased the Raja and gave excuses why he was not able to meet the Raja and not able to carry out the tasks given to him. The Raja ignored Awang’s antics and instructed him to look for his companion, Awang Selamat, for further instructions regarding the tasks that they have to carry out for him.

memberitahu hasratnya melalui lagu Berkhabar dan lagu Pecah Lakon. Apabila sampai pada ketika ini, para penonton dapat tahu cerita yang akan dipersembahkan pada malam tersebut.

UCAP TETAP UNTUK MEMBERITAHU HASRAT ‘Ucap Tetap’ yang lain dalam persembahan Mek Mulung pada kebiasaannya mendahului sesuatu aksi atau sebelum lagu tertentu, yang memberitahu kepada penonton apa yang watak itu ingin lakukan selanjutnya. Hasrat-hasrat ini termasuk keperluan untuk memanggil Raja atau Puteri dengan cara yang penuh sopan.

Contohnya, berikutan Ucap Tetap di bawah, Awang menyanyikan lagu Timang Welu untuk melaporkan tugas-tugas yang diberikan kepadanya oleh Raja.

“Ya! La ni kita dah sampai di pintu istana raja, kalau kita masuk dengan kasaq gedegaq takut raja bangkit murka tubuh badan kita la ni kita masuk dengan haluih perlahan.”

Terdapat ‘Ucap Tetap’ yang lain seperti yang menunjukkan kerisauan Puteri terhadap mimpi yang dialaminya. Namun, dalam hal ini, kenyataan hasrat ini tidak mendahului lagu tertentu.

Sebaliknya, Puteri terus dengan perbualannya dengan Inang.

‘Ucap Tetap’ seperti ini memberi kesan yang lebih signifikan ke atas cerita, yang mana ia memberitahu sesuatu yang penting akan berlaku dalam masa terdekat.

“Yalah nak suruh Inang pengasuh yang tua sebab nak panggil Inang datang sini, nak pinjam tubuh badan Inang suruh pergi ke Ladang Balai. Suruh Inang pi tengok abang saya lama tak balik anjung istana.”

Dalam monolog di atas, Puteri menyatakan hasratnya untuk mengarah Inang pergi berjumpa Raja. Puteri merasa risau ketiadaan Raja untuk tempoh masa yang lama dan meminta Inang kembali untuk melaporkan kepadanya tentang di mana Raja berada, seperti yang terdapat dalam cerita Dewa Kaca.

Awang’s Gaduh Mana Song After both Awang Tua and Awang Selamat were reunited with the Raja, Awang sang the Gaduh Mana song which would lead to the Pecah Lakon section of the performance. The Gaduh Mana song was sung in the melody of the Lagu Berjalan, and this was followed by it being uttered by Awang in the form of Ucap Tetap.

“Cik Wan dok panggei saya mai sini dengan gaduh mana susah mana, jadi diam tak diam mendapat Awang lagi bagai manik putuih dikarang bagai kaca rembah di batu lagi bagai menumbuk tiga, Cik Wan nak parang sabit di kola mana tawan musuh di teluk mana, bapak nak pukuilah negeri mana, lagi apa Cik Wan suruh bilang berkhabar bilang, boleh Cik Wan Awang nak dengaq.”

(Translation)

“Your majesty has kept calling upon me loudly with such vigour, calling upon me, Awang like necklace breaking upon reefs, like glasses breaking upon rock, like pestle hitting mortar. Your majesty, which estuary do you want me to carry my scythe to, which bay do you want to defeat the enemy, which country you want me to attack, what else does your highness want me to do? Tell me your majesty, Awang want to know.”

In this Ucap Tetap, Awang confirmed his loyalty to the Raja and expressed his readiness to execute the tasks requested by the Raja. This was followed by the Raja telling his intention, through the Berkhabar song and a Pecah Lakon song. It is at this point that the audience would know which story would be performed that evening.

MANDATORY PHRASES TO SHOW INTENT Other mandatory phrases in Mek Mulung usually preceded a certain action or a particular song, which would inform the audience what the character intended to do next. These intents included the need to call upon the Raja or Puteri in a kind manner. For example, following the Ucap Tetap below, Awang sang the Timang Welu song to report to the Raja the tasks given to him.

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Di bawah ini satu contoh ‘Ucap Tetap’ untuk menyatakan hasrat dalam cerita Dewa Muda.

“Yalah kata batang tubuh saya pada waktu ni ketika ni adalah Dewa Muda, la ni aku nak turun ke dalam sebuah tasik, aku nak mengambil sebiji buah gunut.”

Gaya ‘Ucap Tetap’ yang digunakan bermula dengan ekspresi “Yalah”, iaitu untuk menyatakan pentingnya sesuatu tindakan.

Namun begitu, ‘Ucap Tetap’ untuk memperkenalkan Raja, Puteri dan Gaduh Mana tidak tergolong dalam struktur utama persembahan dan tidak kerap berlaku. Ia digunakan sebagai satu ekspresi kepada penonton bahawa pentingnya aksi yang bakal berlaku.

Dalam kalangan tokoh-tokoh dalam kumpulan persembahan Wang Tepus, terdapat fahaman sesama mereka bahawa dialog antara Raja dan Awang, serta antara Puteri dan Inang, bersifat tanpa perancangan sebelumnya dan boleh disesuaikan untuk memastikan penonton rasa terhibur dan menikmati persembahan tersebut. Tiada garis panduan spesifik bagi dialog yang digunakan oleh Awang atau Inang; objektif utama adalah ia bersifat kelakar dan mampu membuat penonton ketawa. Menggunakan kreativiti mereka tersendiri, Awang atau Inang boleh memilih apa-apa yang mereka ingin katakan, malahan yang ada kaitan dengan isu-isu semasa yang para penonton boleh kaitkan dengan diri mereka sendiri.

“Ya! La ni kita dah sampai di pintu istana raja, kalau kita masuk dengan kasaq gedegaq takut raja bangkit murka tubuh badan kita la ni kita masuk dengan haluih perlahan.”

(Translation)

“Yes! Now we reached the gate of king’s palace, if we enter the gate loudly, I am afraid the king will be displeased with us, let us enter gently and quietly.”

Other phrases showing intent included the Puteri expressing her concern about her dream. However, in this case, the intent did not precede a particular song. Instead, the Puteri continued her

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conversation with the Inang. These mandatory phrases of intent appeared to have greater significance on the story, such as indicating something important was about to happen.

“Yalah nak suruh Inang pengasuh yang tua sebab nak panggil Inang datang sini, nak pinjam tubuh badan Inang suruh pergi ke Ladang Balai. Suruh Inang pi tengok abang saya lama tak balik anjung istana.”

(Translation)

“I want to summon my eldest maid to approach me, I want call upon Inang to visit the throne room. Instruct Inang to seek my husband that has yet to return to the palace.”

In the monologue above, the Puteri expressed her intent to instruct the Inang to travel to see the Raja. The Puteri was concerned about the Raja’s long absence and instructed the Inang to report back to the Puteri about the Raja’s whereabouts in the story of the Dewa Kaca.

Below is an example of the Ucap Tetap to indicate intent from the Dewa Muda story.

“Yalah kata batang tubuh saya pada waktu ni ketika ni adalah Dewa Muda, la ni aku nak turun ke dalam sebuah tasik, aku nak mengambil sebiji buah gunut.”

(Translation)

“Here I am as Dewa Muda, I am going to descend upon a lake to pick a gunut fruit.”

The style of these Ucap Tetap or mandatory phrases is that they would begin with the expression “Yalah” which indicated some degree of importance to the action. However, the mandatory phrases used for introducing the Raja, the Puteri, and Gaduh Mana, were not part of the main performance structure and did not happen very often. They were included to express to the audience the importance of the action that was coming up.

ELEMEN-ELEMEN TARIAN MEK MULUNG Penari-penari Mek Mulung menyesuaikan diri mereka dengan penggayaan penari utama bagi memastikan kejayaan sesebuah persembahan tarian. Dalam keadaan biasa, watak utama memulakan satu rangkaian tarian yang kemudiannya disusuli oleh kesemua penari lain. Terdapat beberapa isyarat atau gerak tangan dan pergerakan kaki tertentu yang dikenal pasti berkaitan dengan sesuatu lagu atau karya; tetapi dari segi pelaksanaannya mungkin ada perbezaan daripada seorang penari kepada penari yang lain. Gerakan sesuatu susunan tarian yang dipersembahkan oleh kumpulan Wang Tepus kerap menunjukkan ketidaksesuaian atau kelainan-kelainan daripada seorang penari dengan penari yang lain.

Semasa lagu Gerak Timpuh, tarian bermula dengan isyaratisyarat tangan secara perlahan semasa dalam posisi duduk.

Dalam kedudukan bertimpuh, tarian diteruskan sambil tapak tangan dihalakan ke arah luar sambil hujung ibu jari dan hujung jari telunjuk ditemukan seolah-olah membuat bentuk segi tiga.

Sambil kedua-dua tangan menunjuk ke atas dan membuat gerakan bentuk bulat, penari membongkok ke hadapan sehingga lengan mereka menyentuh lantai. Pergerakan tangan yang masih lagi dalam bentuk bulat, bertukar menghala ke kanan dan ke kiri sambil penari perlahan-lahan bangun sehingga berdiri sepenuhnya. Gerak tari sambil berdiri ini merangkumi pergerakan kecil yang melibatkan satu langkah ke hadapan dan ke belakang, kemudian berpusing untuk mula berjalan dalam bentuk bulatan yang kecil. Tarian Gerak Timpuh berakhir apabila penyanyi solo, kebiasaannya Puteri, menutur ucap terakhir, iaitu “jalan selalu ah eeee”.

Selepas isyarat vokal diberikan, serunai dimainkan sebagai tanda memulakan bahagian muzik instrumental dalam bahagian Pembukaan. Persembahan gabungan empat tarian dimulakan dengan lagu Anak Menora, yang mana tariannya yang mempunyai gerakan yang paling perlahan. Pada ketika ini, penari-penari mula bergerak dalam bentuk bulatan. Pergerakan tarian yang utama semasa dalam bentuk bulatan ditunjukkan oleh penari-

Among the elders of the Wang Tepus troupe, there was an understanding that the dialogues between the Raja and Awang as well as between the Puteri and Inang were impromptu in nature, and could be improvised to ensure that the audience were entertained and enjoyed the performance. There was no specific guideline for dialogues used by Awang or Inang; the main objective was to be funny enough and could make the audience laugh. Using their creativity, Awang or Inang could choose whatever phrases even those associated with current issues which the audience could relate to.

THE DANCE ELEMENTS OF MEK MULUNG Mek Mulung dancers accommodated themselves to the style of the lead dancer to enable a successful dance performance. In normal circumstances, the lead character would begin a dance sequence which was then followed by the rest of the dancers.

There were particular hand gestures or moves and foot works that were recognizable to be associated with a particular song or a piece; but in terms of its execution, there might be differences from one performer to another. Movements of particular dance routines when performed by the Wang Tepus performers often showed inconsistencies or variants from one performer to another. Figures show Pak Leh demonstrating some hand gestures for dance movements while in sitting position associated with the Gerak Timpuh song.

In the Gerak Timpuh song, the dance movements started with slow hand gestures while the performers were seated. With their legs folded in a reverential position or the bertimpuh position, they continued the dance moves with the palms faced outwards and the forefingers and thumbs of both hands pressed together almost forming a triangle shape. With the hands pointing upwards and making circular movements, the dancers bent forward so that the forearms were pressing against the floor. The hand movements, still in circular pattern, then changed to point towards the right and then left as the dancers continued and slowly got up to a full standing position. The dance movements in the standing position incorporated small foot works which involved taking a step forward

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Isyarat tangan dalam tarian Gerak Timpuh. (Gambar ihsan Jabatan Muzium Negeri Kedah).

Hand gestures for Gerak Timpuh Dance. (Photograph courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Negeri Kedah).

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penari bersilih ganti mengambil satu langkah ke hadapan dan satu langkah ke belakang, sambil satu tangan yang diregangkan ke arah hadapan digerakkan ke atas dan ke bawah bersilih ganti antara tangan kanan dan tangan kiri. Penari-penari terus melakukan pergerakan ini sehingga berlakunya perubahan pada melodi.

Perubahan ini terjadi dengan transisi melodi pada lagu Sedayung, iaitu sebuah lagu yang mempunyai tempo lebih rancak. Semasa tarian ini, penari akan bergerak sambil tangan kanan dilenggang ke arah bahu kiri. Para penari akan bergerak bersama-sama dalam satu barisan untuk membentuk bulatan, dalam masa yang sama menjengket tumit satu kaki sambil menendang dengan lembut ke arah tumit kaki yang berlawanan. Melenggang tangan yang berlawanan dengan kaki yang menendang memberi kestabilan kepada pergerakan penari yang terus bergerak dalam bentuk bulatan. Gerak-geri tarian ini berakhir apabila kesemua penari menamatkan bentuk bulatan.

Setelah tamat membentuk bulatan, satu transisi berlaku untuk memulakan lagu Puteri Mabuk. Penari-penari bergerak dalam bentuk bulatan kecil sambil melenggangkan tangan ke hadapan dan ke belakang di bahagian sisi badan. Penari kemudiannya bergerak keluar daripada bulatan dan memusingkan badan supaya sebelah badan menghadap para penonton. Semasa dalam posisi ini, satu gerakan yang jelas kelihatan ialah apabila tangan kiri diregangkan ke hadapan sambil tapak tangan menghadap ke luar dan tangan kanan mencapai tangan kiri sambil menarik hujung jari-jari tangan kiri. Pergerakan ini diselang-selikan dengan tangan kiri menarik hujung tangan kanan. Pada penghujung lagu ini, satu transisi berlaku yang mana tempo semakin meningkat secara jelas pada lagu terakhir dalam gabungan Empat Tarian, iaitu Gambang.

Semasa memainkan lagu Gambang, gerakan tarian utama adalah menghayunkan dengan pantas tangan kiri berulang-alik daripada bahagian pinggang kanan ke bahu kanan. Sambil menari begini, penari-penari bergerak dalam bentuk bulatan. Pada penghujung lagu ini, setelah bulatan lengkap sepenuhnya, ia dikuti oleh lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq.

and then backward, then making a turnaround, and walking in a small circle formation. The Gerak Timpuh dance ended when the soloist, usually the Puteri, uttered the last phrase “jalan slalu ah eeee” After the vocal cue, the serunai was played to begin the instrumental portion of the Opening section. The four-dance suite would start with the Anak Menora song, the slowest among all the dance movements. At this point, the dancers began to move to make a circle formation. The key dance movement in this circle formation was demonstrated with the dancers alternating making one step forward and one step backward, with one of their hands stretched out in front alternating the right and left moving up and down. The dancers continued with these movements until there was a change in the melody.

This happened with the transition to the Sedayung piece, which had a slightly increased tempo. In this dance, the dancers moved as they swayed their right hands across the body to the left shoulder.

The dancers moved as they paced in a line to form a circle, while lifting up the heel of one foot and gently kicking it to the heel of the opposite foot. The swaying movements of the hand on the opposing side of the kicking foot provided balance as the dancers moved in the circle formation. These movements continued until all the dancers have completed the circle.

After the circle formation was complete, a transition took place with the start of the Puteri Mabuk song. The dancers moved in a small circle formation, swaying their hands forward and backwards at their sides. The dancers then began to move away from the circle formation, and positioned themselves sideways so that one side of their body was facing the audience. In this particular formation, a notable movement involved having the dancers’ left hand stretched out and the palm facing outwards and the right hand brought forward to pull back the tips of the left fingers. This was repeated alternating with the left hand pulling back the fingers of the outstretched right hand. At the end of the piece, a transition took place with the tempo increasing significantly in the last piece of the dance suite, the Gambang.

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Tarian bagi lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq mempunyai pergerakan pergelangan tangan. Kedua-dua tangan penari diregang ke hadapan, dengan satu tapak tangan menghala ke atas sementara satu lagi ke bawah. Pergelangan tangan bergerak bersama-sama dengan tapak tangan yang diselang-seli menghalakan ke atas dan ke bawah. Pergerakan pergelangan tangan ini dikekalkan sambil penari-penari bergerak dalam pelbagai corak, sehingga penaripenari menurunkan tubuh kepada keadaan duduk dan seterusnya mengakhiri lagu dengan laungan “Ya!”.

Lagu instrumental Berjalan bermula apabila penari-penari mula bangun untuk keluar dari ruang persembahan utama, meninggalkan Puteri duduk bersendirian di bahagian tengah tempat persembahan. Babak ini menandakan berakhirnya turutan tarian Pembukaan yang kemudiannya diikuti lagu tanpa gerakan tarian.

Pada bahagian teater dalam persembahan Mek Mulung, tariantarian yang dipersembahkan adalah terbitan daripada pergerakan yang terdapat pada urutan tarian Pembukaan. Kebanyakan pergerakan ini dipersembahkan semasa lagu Berjalan, yang mana kedua-dua tangan akan dilenggangkan sambil tapak tangan kanan dan kiri berselang-seli menghala ke atas dan ke bawah, dan bergerak dalam bentuk bulatan.

Pada permulaan lagu Burung Odang, terdapat pergerakan tapak tangan yang bersilih ganti; namun tidak seperti lagu Berjalan, tarian ini dipersembahkan secara satu tangan diikuti dengan tangan yang lain berbanding dengan kedua-dua tangan secara serentak. Bagi menambahkan kepelbagaian kepada pergerakan tarian, telah ditambah dengan pergerakan pergelangan tangan berbentuk bulatan yang bersilih ganti. Satu lagi lagu yang menarik ialah Masuk ke Taman. Di dalam satu bentuk bulatan, penaripenari bergerak sambil menghayunkan tangan menghala ke luar bulatan daripada satu sisi ke bahagian bahu yang bertentangan.

Setelah nyanyian berakhir, ucap “mak inang oi” dinyanyikan secara bercanda sambil berselang-seli menggerakkan, tinggi sedikit daripada biasa, pergelangan tangan kanan dengan menjengketkan tumit kaki kiri. Pergerakan tarian yang mengiringi

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During the Gambang piece, the main dance movements involved quick swaying back and forth of the left arm from the right side at the waist across to the right shoulder. While dancing in this manner, the dancers moved into a circle formation. At the end of this piece, when the circle was complete, the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song followed immediately.

The dance in the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song, incorporated swaying of the wrists. With both arms stretched out in front, one palm faces upward while the other faces downward, the wrists moved with the alternate turning of the palms. These wrist movements were maintained as the dancers moved in various patterns, until the end when the dancers lowered themselves to a sitting position onto the stage and ended the song with a loud “Ya!”.

The instrumental Berjalan song started as the other dancers began to get up to leave the main performing space, leaving the Puteri alone seated in the centre of the performance stage. This marked the end of the Opening dance sequence which was followed by the next song without any dance movements.

Within the theatre portion of the Mek Mulung performance, dances performed here were derivatives of the movements seen in the opening dance sequence. Most of these movements were those performed during the Berjalan piece, with the alternating swaying of the hands and alternating the right and left palms facing up and down while moving in a circle.

In the beginning of the Burung Odang song, there was the alternating palm movements; but unlike in the Berjalan piece, it was performed one hand after the other rather than both hands simultaneously. To provide variety to the dance movements, the alternating circular wrist movements were also added. Another interesting dance piece was the Masuk ke Taman song. In a large circle formation, the dancers moved with their arms towards the outside of the circle swaying from the side across to the opposite shoulder. When the singing ended, the phrase “mak inang oi” was sung playfully with the alternate wrist and heel movements raising the right wrist and left heel slightly higher. Dance movements

lagu Timang Welu pula melibatkan tapak tangan kanan dan kiri berselang-seli diangkat ke atas, manakala kaki digerakkan bersama-sama bersesuaian dengan pergerakan tangan. Juga di sini, para penari bergerak dalam bentuk bulatan yang ditambah dengan gerakan memusing dan berjalan dalam bentuk bulatan kecil sebagai mempelbagaikan pergerakan.

Gerak tari dalam persembahan Mek Mulung secara relatifnya adalah lebih mudah berbanding dengan tarian Makyung.

Gerakan-gerakan tarian Mek Mulung adalah berasaskan kepada beberapa pergerakan utama yang diulang menggunakan pelbagai kombinasi. Dengan adanya pelbagai kombinasi dalam satu rangka umum tertentu, penari-penari mempunyai pilihan untuk mencampurkan gerakan-gerakan lain dalam persembahan mereka.

CERITA-CERITA MEK MULUNG Pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus percaya bahawa terdapat hanya 12 cerita Mek Mulung yang telah dipersembahkan pada masa lampau. Cerita-cerita ini diturunkan daripada satu generasi ke satu generasi yang lain, tanpa kewujudan ceritacerita baharu sehingga kini. Seperti teater rakyat tradisional lain yang diturunkan secara lisan, kebanyakan cerita telah pun hilang, kecuali hanya lima cerita yang nyata dan telah didokumentasikan.

Hanya dua cerita yang terus dipersembahkan di Wang Tepus sehingga tahun 2014, iaitu Cahaya Bulan dan Dewa Kaca. Ceritacerita lain hanya dikenali melalui judul-judul tanpa mengetahui kandungan ataupun jalan ceritanya. Oleh itu, tiada dalam kalangan tokoh-tokoh kini yang boleh mempersembahkannya.

Menurut salah seorang daripada tokoh-tokoh ini, iaitu Pak Leh, cerita Dewa Kaca adalah yang paling kerap dipersembahkan dalam Mek Mulung semasa majlis-majlis kenduri kahwin di kampung-kampung. Dialog antara Awang dan Inang mempunyai unsur jenaka yang merupakan tarikan utama dalam jalan cerita.

Oleh itu, sesuatu persembahan yang baik boleh dikesan daripada sejauh mana watak-watak Awang dan Inang dipersembahkan.

accompanying the Timang Welu song had alternating right- and left-hand palms raised up one after the other, while the alternate foot moved together with the appropriate hand movement. Again, the dancers moved in a circle formation with additional turns and walking in a small circle to keep the movements varied.

Dance movements in Mek Mulung performances were relatively easier in comparison to those in the Makyung. The Mek Mulung dance movements were based on a few key movements that were repeated in various combinations. The availability of a variety of combinations of dance movements within a certain general framework provided the performers with some amount of choice in dance movements that they wished to incorporate in their performance.

MEK MULUNG STORIES The Mek Mulung practitioners in Wang Tepus believed that there were originally about 12 Mek Mulung stories that have been performed in the past. These stories were passed down from generation to generation without the emergence of new stories up to the present time. True to traditional folk theatre of the oral tradition, many of these stories have disappeared leaving only five distinct stories that have been documented. Only two have continued to be performed in Wang Tepus up to 2014, namely Cahaya Bulan and Dewa Kaca. The rest of the stories were remembered only by their titles but not their content or story line. Thus, none of the existing elders have the knowledge to perform them.

According to one of the elders, the late Pak Leh, Dewa Kaca was among the most often performed Mek Mulung stories during wedding functions in the villages. The dialogue between the Awang and the Inang consisted of humorous conversations which were the strong points of the story line. Thus, a good performance could be the result of how good the Awang and Inang characters presented themselves.

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Zaleha Abdul Hamid, iaitu seorang pelajar Amin Sweeny, seorang ahli antropologi berbangsa British, telah melaporkan dalam kajian sarjana mudanya pada tahun 1975, bahawa Pak Taib telah menyatakan terdapat 12 cerita yang biasanya disampaikan secara tradisional. Antaranya ialah Malim Bongsu, Cahaya Bulan, Puteri 12 Beradik atau Lakon Aperot, Dewa Kaca, Batak Putih, Lakon Tok Raja Besar, dan Memburu Rusa. Daripada 12 cerita itu, hanya lima atau enam sahaja yang masih dipersembahkan pada tahun 1970-an.

Pada satu sesi temu bual bersama Zamzuriah, Pak Leh telah memberitahu bahawa dia hanya mengingati empat cerita daripada yang disenaraikan oleh Muzium Negara. Keempatempat cerita yang kekal menjadi cerita-cerita yang lazim dalam persembahan Mek Mulung masa kini, adalah Malim Bongsu, Dewa Kaca, Cahaya Bulan dan Dewa Muda. Pada sesi temu bual yang sama, Pak Leh juga melaporkan cerita yang paling kerap dipersembahkan adalah Cahaya Bulan dan Malim Bongsu. Cahaya Bulan pula adalah cerita yang paling kerap dipersembahkan oleh kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus. Halim, iaitu ahli persembahan utama masa kini, menyatakan dalam satu sesi temu bual bahawa dia melihat Pak Mat, yang kebiasaannya memainkan watak Raja kebelakangan ini, hanya membuat persembahan Cahaya Bulan sahaja dan tidak yang lain-lain.

Dewa Muda adalah cerita yang tidak eksklusif bagi Mek Mulung kerana ia pernah dipersembahkan dalam bentuk teater tradisional lain, khususnya Makyung dan Wayang Kulit.

Sungguhpun judul Dewa Muda dikekalkan, banyak bahagian ceritanya dalam persembahan Mek Mulung berbeza daripada apa yang terdapat pada Makyung dan Wayang Kulit. Zamzuriah mengakui terdapat banyak percubaan untuk membina semula persembahan Dewa Muda versi Mek Mulung kerana cerita asalnya hanya dapat diingati sebagai serpihan-serpihan.

Zamzuriah mengambil masa yang lama membuat kajian serta menyusun jalan ceritanya berpandu kepada nota-nota yang dikumpul daripada ingatan Pak Leh.

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Zaleha Abdul Hamid, who was a student of the late Amin Sweeny, a British-born anthropologist, reported in her undergraduate academic exercise written in 1975, that the late Pak Taib had mentioned that there were about 12 stories that used to be told traditionally. Among them were Malim Bongsu, Cahaya Bulan, Puteri Dua Belas Beradik or Lakon Aperot, Dewa Kaca, Batak Putih, Lakon Tok Raja Besar, and Memburu Rusa. Out of the 12 stories, only about five or six stories were still performed in the 1970s.

In an interview with Zamzuriah, the late Pak Leh reported that he could only remember four stories from a list drawn up by the National Museum. These four stories, which have remained the regular stories performed in current Mek Mulung presentations, are Malim Bongsu, Dewa Kaca, Cahaya Bulan, and Dewa Muda.

In the same interview, Pak Leh reported that the most frequently performed were the Cahaya Bulan and Malim Bongsu. Cahaya Bulan was by far the most commonly performed story by the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung troupe. Halim, the current main performer, reported in an interview that in the Wang Tepus troupe he had seen the late Pak Mat, who had regularly played the Raja character in recent years, performed only Cahaya Bulan but not others.

Dewa Muda is a story that is not exclusive to Mek Mulung because it has been performed in other forms of traditional theatre, specifically in Makyung and Wayang Kulit. Although retaining the title Dewa Muda, many parts of the story in Mek Mulung were different from those in Makyung and Wayang Kulit. Zamzuriah admitted that many attempts were made in reconstructing the Mek Mulung version of Dewa Muda because the actual story could only be remembered as fragments. It took Zamzuriah many years of researching and putting together the story line based on notations gathered from the late Pak Leh’s memory.

In terms of story presentation, it was not unusual for not finishing a story during a single performance. This could happen when performing during weddings and other events, whereby the troupe had a limited time frame to complete the performance.

To accommodate the tight time frame, performances had to be

Daripada segi pembentangan cerita, tidak menjadi sesuatu yang luar biasa jika sesebuah cerita itu tidak dihabiskan dalam satu persembahan. Situasi ini mungkin berlaku semasa majlis perkahwinan yang mana kumpulan dan acara majlis, di mana kumpulan persembahan mempunyai tempoh masa yang singkat untuk menghabiskan cerita. Bagi membuat penyesuaian kepada jangka masa yang singkat, keseluruhan persembahan terpaksa dipendekkan bagi memastikan tiada cerita yang tidak dihabiskan, yang selanjutnya menyebabkan keseluruhan cerita tidak disampaikan dengan sempurna. Apabila kerap kali bahagianbahagian tertentu dipotong atau dikeluarkan daripada cerita asal, ia terus dilupai dan akan menghasilkan jalan cerita yang lebih pendek. Satu perkara yang mungkin ada kaitan dengan hal ini ialah Pak Mat menyatakan pendapatnya bahawa cerita Dewa Kaca tidak dapat dikembangkan berikutan kelemahan jalan ceritanya. Pak Mat menerangkan bahawa Pak Leh mungkin tidak mampu mengingati keseluruhan cerita itu, dan semasa perkongsiannya dengan ahli-ahli kumpulan, sesetengah bahagian daripada jalan cerita itu tertinggal dengan tidak sengaja. Situasi yang sama mungkin turut berlaku pada cerita-cerita lain dalam Mek Mulung. Satu perkara yang memberi gambaran ini adalah perbandingan dua versi Dewa Kaca yang diberikan oleh Pak Leh semasa sesi temu bual dengan Zamzuriah dan jalan cerita asal yang dilaporkan oleh Zaleha pada tahun 1975. Jalan cerita Pak Leh mengekalkan hanya satu per tiga daripada keseluruhan cerita asal yang dilaporkan oleh Zaleha. Satu kemungkinan berlakunya keciciran bahagian-bahagian ini adalah satu amalan biasa bagi versi Mek Mulung kampung mempersembahkan jalan cerita yang lebih pendek dan mudah.

Bagi persembahan yang lazim diadakan di Wang Tepus, yang mungkin berlanjutan selama tiga malam, tidak ada tekanan untuk menamatkan jalan cerita dalam satu persembahan. Namun, ada keadaan yang mana sesuatu cerita itu sengaja tidak dihabiskan pada satu malam untuk menggalakkan penonton datang semula menyaksikan cerita selanjutnya dan seterusnya pengakhiran cerita itu pada malam berikutnya. Oleh itu, ahli-ahli persembahan

Mek Mulung bukan sahaja dibenarkan mempersembahkan bahagian-bahagian cerita secara berasingan, malah adalah menjadi amalan biasa membiarkan cerita tidak ditamatkan dalam sesebuah persembahan.

Perbincangan perihal jalan cerita di bawah ini sebahagian besarnya berdasarkan penulisan akademik Zaleha pada tahun 1975, kecuali cerita Dewa Muda dipetik berdasarkan nota-nota Zamzuriah daripada rakaman temu bualnya dengan Pak Leh sekitar tahun 2008 dan 2009.

shortened so as not to leave a story unfinished, which resulted in the entire stories not getting told. When particular parts of the story get omitted often enough, these parts finally become forgotten and sometimes leading to shortened story lines. A specific case relating to this situation was expressed by Pak Mat who felt that the Dewa Kaca story was not well developed because of the weaknesses in the story lines. His explanation was that Pak Leh could not have remembered the whole story and some story lines were unintentionally left out during the transmission. Similar situations could possibly happen to other Mek Mulung stories as well. A case in point is a comparison of the two versions of Dewa Kaca provided by Pak Leh during an interview with Zamzuriah and the original story line reported by Zaleha in 1975 which showed that Pak Leh’s storyline retained approximately only one-third of the story notated by Zaleha. A possible reason for the missing parts of the story is that it was common practice for the village version of the Mek Mulung to make the stories shorter and simpler.

In the case of normal performances in Wang Tepus, which could last up to three nights, there was no pressure to complete the storyline in a performance. Nonetheless, there were occasions when the story was deliberately left unfinished in one night’s performance so as to encourage the audience to come again the following night to follow the rest of the story as well as see the ending of the story.

Thus, for the Mek Mulung performers, it was not only permissible to present stories separately in parts but it was also common practice to leave a story unfinished in one performance.

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Cahaya Bulan Cerita ini bermula dengan Puteri Nang Mara mengingat semula mimpi yang dialaminya. Dalam mimpi tersebut, dia melihat seekor burung merpati putih hinggap di atas tapak tangannya. Apabila dia cuba memegangnya, burung itu terbang dan meninggalkan perasaan sayu kepada Puteri. Puteri memanggil Inang untuk menemaninya pergi menghadap Raja Cahaya Bulan di Ladang Balai. Apabila berhadapan dengan Raja, Puteri menceritakan mimpinya kepada Raja yang kemudian menenangkannya dengan berjanji untuk menyampaikan mimpinya kepada Tok Wak. Puteri dan Inangnya meninggalkan Ladang Balai dan pulang ke kediamannya, iaitu Anjung Istana. Raja kemudiannya memanggil Awang Pengasuh untuk menyampaikan mimpi tersebut kepada Tok Wak. Awang Pengasuh pulang dan melaporkan kepada Raja yang Tok Wak menasihatkan Raja bersiap sedia untuk kedatangan Raja Gergasi yang akan datang untuk mengambil Puteri sebagai tahanannya. Bagi memastikan Raja Gergasi tidak dapat memasuki kota, Raja telah mengarahkan penduduk mengadakan pelbagai persembahan terus-menerus selama tujuh malam, supaya tidak ada yang tertidur bagi menjaga keselamatan kota daripada serangan Raja Gergasi.

Walau bagaimanapun, Raja Gergasi berjaya memasuki kota dengan pertolongan bunyi satu alat tiupan sakti yang mempunyai kuasa menidurkan semua penduduk. Raja Gergasi kemudiannya membunuh Raja dengan sebilah anak panah dan membawa lari Puteri bersamanya. Puteri membuat permintaan terakhir supaya jasad Raja ditempatkan dalam satu keranda dan dilepaskan ke dalam sebatang sungai. Namun, keranda itu dihanyutkan oleh arus air ke hulu sungai.

Jasad Raja kemudiannya dijumpai oleh dua sahabat iaitu Epong dan Edeng yang sedang mengembara. Mereka berdua mempunyai kuasa sakti yang mampu memulihkan Raja. Setelah pulih dan sedar, Raja berterima kasih kepada dua sahabat itu, dan mereka bertiga kemudiannya memulakan perjalanan ke kawasan naungan Raja Gergasi yang digelar Benua Pak Kian

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The discussion of the story lines below is predominantly based on Zaleha’s academic exercise written in 1975, except for the story of Dewa Muda which was based on Zamzuriah’s notations of the recorded interviews with the late Pak Leh conducted sometime between 2008 and 2009.

Cahaya Bulan The story begins with Puteri Nang Mara (Princess Nang Mara) recalling a dream. In the dream, she saw a white dove perched on her palms. As she tried to squeeze the bird, the bird flew away and a melancholic feeling kept lingering in her heart. She summoned her Inang to accompany her to see the King, Raja Cahaya Bulan, in his throne room (the Ladang Balai). Upon seeing the Raja, the Puteri related her dream to the Raja who then reassured her that he would address this dream to the Tok Wak (the old sage).

The Puteri and her Inang then left the Ladang Balai to return to her quarters at the palace (Anjung Istana). The Raja then summoned his Awang Pengasuh or servant to ask him to convey the dream to Tok Wak. Awang Pengasuh reported to the Raja that Tok Wak advised the Raja to prepare for the arrival of Raja Gergasi (Ogre King) who was coming to take the Puteri as his prisoner. To prevent the Raja Gergasi from entering the city, the Raja must summon the people to play different types of performances for seven days and seven nights, so no one would sleep and helped protect the city from the Raja Gergasi.

The Raja Gergasi however succeeded in entering the city with the help of a magic horn that, when blown, caused everyone to fall asleep. Raja Gergasi then killed the Raja with an arrow and took away the Puteri. The Puteri made a final request to have the body of the Raja placed in a coffin and thrown into the river. The coffin however travelled upstream.

The body of the Raja was found by two wondering friends named Epong and Edeng. They both possessed magical powers that could heal the Raja. Upon awakening, the Raja thanked the two friends and the three of them travelled to the land of the Raja Gergasi called

untuk menyelamatkan Puteri. Pergelutan berlaku antara Raja dan Raja Gergasi yang berakhir dengan kematian Raja Gergasi. Raja membawa Puteri pulang dan memberi ganjaran kepada Epong dan Edeng atas keberanian mereka.

Benua Pak Kian to save the Puteri. There was a fight between the Raja and the Raja Gergasi whereby the Raja Gergasi was killed. The Raja then took the Puteri home and rewarded Epong and Edeng for their bravery.

Malim Bongsu

Malim Bongsu

Malim Bongsu merupakan satu cerita tentang seorang putera raja bernama Malim Bongsu yang keluar menangkap ikan di anak sungai bersama dua Awangnya. Apabila menghampiri anak sungai, mereka bertiga terdengar satu suara yang memberitahu bahawa tiada ikan di kawasan tersebut, tetapi di hulu sungai ada lebih banyak ikan yang dijaga oleh Siti Hagelan. Malim Bongsu serta Awang-awangnya membuat keputusan untuk pergi ke hulu sungai untuk menangkap ikan di situ.

Malim Bongsu is a story about a prince, Malim Bongsu, who went fishing at a nearby stream with his two Awangs. Upon reaching the stream they heard a voice telling them that there were no fish there but were abundant upstream where the fish were being tended

by Siti Jagelan. Malim Bongsu and his Awangs decided to travel upstream to fish there.

Berita perihal rancangan Malim Bongsu telah sampai ke pengetahuan Siti Jagelan yang kemudiannya bersama-sama dengan Inang-inangnya mengusir keluar Malim Bongsu dan Awang-awangnya dari kawasan itu. Terasa sedih dengan perbuatan itu, Malim Bongsu menuju ke hutan dan meminta Awang-awangnya mencari seekor ayam jantan untuk digunakan bagi menjampi supaya Siti Jagelan jatuh cinta dengannya.

Malim Bongsu kemudiannya meletak ayam yang telah ditangkap itu di kawasan taman Siti Jagelan. Sebaik sahaja Siti Jagelan mendengar ayam itu berkokok, dia mula berasa pening dan tidak selesa.

Siti Jagelan kemudiannya meminta Inang-inangnya mencari siapa yang cuba memikatnya dan meminta sebiji buah pinang.

Inang-inang pergi balik ke hutan dan telah berjumpa dengan Malim Bongsu yang kemudiannya memberi tiga biji buah pinang.

Siti Jagelan berasa lega setelah menjamah tiga biji buah pinang.

Tidak berapa lama selepas itu, mereka berdua telah saling jatuh cinta dan sebelum Malim Bongsu pulang ke istananya, ia berjanji akan datang kembali untuk berkahwin dengan Siti Jagelan. Satu perjanjian telah dibuat antara mereka, iaitu sekiranya Siti Jagelan tidak berpegang pada janji itu, dia akan bertukar menjadi seekor

News reached Siti Jagelan about Malim Bongsu’s plan and she and her Inangs chased away Malim Bongsu and his Awangs from the stream. Feeling dejected, Malim Bongsu headed to a forest where he asked the servants to find a rooster which he would use to charm Siti Jagelan so that she would fall in love with him. He then placed the rooster near Siti Jagelan’s garden. As soon as Siti Jagelan heard the rooster’s cry, she became light-headed.

Siti Jagelan asked her maids to find out who had charmed her and asked for a betel nut. Her Inang went into the forest and found Malim Bongsu who gave her three betel nuts. Siti Jagelan recovered after eating the third betel nut. Soon they became madly in love and before Malim Bongsu returned to his palace, he promised to come back to marry her. It was agreed that if Siti Jagelan broke her promise, she would turn into a crippled and mad monkey living on a volcano. On the other hand, if Malim Bongsu broke his promise, he would turn into a serpent swimming underneath the volcano under the sea.

As time passed, a young merchant by the name of Malim Panjang saw Siti Jagelan and fell in love with her. Siti Jagelan became sad when her father accepted Malim Panjang’s request to marry her. As she cried, her body was transformed into a monkey and was flown to a volcano. Meanwhile, Malim Bongsu who was travelling in the

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monyet gila yang tempang dan menetap di gunung berapi. Begitu juga, jika Malim Bongsu memungkiri janjinya, dia akan bertukar menjadi ular yang berenang di lautan di bawah gunung berapi.

Dengan peredaran masa, setelah sekian masa berlalu, seorang pedagang muda, bernama Malim Panjang, melihat Siti Jagelan dan telah jatuh cinta padanya. Siti Jagelan merasa sedih apabila ayahnya menerima pinangan Malim Panjang. Sambil menangis, badannya bertukar menjadi monyet dan diterbangkan ke sebuah gunung berapi. Sementara itu, Malim Bongsu yang sedang berjalan di hutan ternampak seekor monyet yang menyerupai Siti Jagelan. Malim Bongsu memasang sebuah perangkap dan menangkap Siti Jagelan. Mereka pulang ke kampung Siti Jagelan di mana Siti Jagelan bertukar kepada rupa asalnya sebagai manusia. Bapa Siti Jagelan kemudianya menikahkan Siti Jagelan dengan Malim Bongsu.

Dewa Kaca Cerita Dewa Kaca yang disampaikan oleh Pak Leh bermula dengan seorang Puteri yang sedang resah memikirkan suaminya telah lama tidak datang berjumpanya. Puteri memanggil dan meminta Inangnya pergi melawat Raja yang berada di Ladang Balai untuk mengetahui apa yang sedang berlaku. Semasa Inang menghampiri kawasan kediaman Raja, dia telah disambut oleh Awang yang memberitahunya bahawa Raja tidak balik berjumpa Puteri kerana sedang dilayan oleh beberapa orang wanita. Inang kembali berjumpa dengan Puteri dan melaporkan apa yang diberitahu oleh Awang. Puteri sangat marah dan mengunci dirinya di kediamannya.

Apabila Raja pulang untuk berjumpa dengan Puteri keesokan harinya, tiada sesiapa dapat masuk ke kediaman Puteri kerana semua pintu dikunci. Raja akhirnya berjaya memasuki kediaman itu dan bersemuka dengan Puteri. Puteri berkata-kata dengan perasaan marah kepada Raja, yang berikutan itu membuat keputusan menceraikan Puteri dan seterusnya kembali ke kediamannya bersama-sama dengan barang-barang miliknya.

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Awang menyedari kesalahannya dan memberitahu Raja pembohongannya kepada Inang. Raja dan Awang kembali semula untuk berjumpa dengan Puteri yang akhirnya memaafkan mereka.

Raja dan Puteri kembali kepada satu sama lain. Awang dihukum di atas kesalahannya dengan mengahwinkannya dengan Inang.

Versi Zaleha yang dilaporkan pada tahun 1975 hanya mengekalkan sebahagian kecil pada bahagian permulaan cerita itu. Versi ini mungkin disampaikan oleh oleh Pak Taib atau Pak Leh, yang ketika itu merupakan sumber bagi Zaleha mendapatkan maklumat.

Ia bermula dengan Puteri berasa putus asa kerana suaminya, iaitu Raja Dewa Kaca, sudah agak lama tidak pulang berjumpa dengannya. Puteri meminta Inangnya pergi berjumpa dengan Raja dan bertanya mengapa Raja tidak pulang untuk berjumpanya.

forest, spotted a monkey that resembled Siti Jagelan. He made a trap and captured Siti Jagelan. They returned to her village where she changed back into her human form. Her father then married off Siti Jagelan to Malim Bongsu.

Dewa Kaca The Dewa Kaca story narrated by the late Pak Leh started with the Puteri wondering why her husband had not come over to see her. The Puteri then summoned her Inang to visit the Raja at his residence (Ladang Balai) to find out what he was up to. The Inang approached the Raja’s residence and was greeted by Awang who then told Inang that the reason the Raja had not returned was because he was being attended by several women. Inang returned to the Puteri and told her about the Raja. The Puteri became furious and locked herself inside her residence.

When the Raja returned to see the Puteri the following day, no one was able to get in because all the doors were locked. The Raja eventually managed to enter the building and confronted the Puteri.

The Puteri spoke angrily with the Raja who then decided to divorce her and returned to his residence with his belongings.

Inang pergi ke kediaman Dewa Kaca dan setibanya telah disambut oleh Raja. Raja bertanya sama ada semua keperluan rumah mencukupi dan meminta Inang kembali kepada Puteri. Setelah pulang ke kediaman Puteri, Inang memutuskan untuk berbohong kepada Puteri dengan memberitahu bahawa terdapat wanitawanita lain di kediaman Dewa Kaca. Berasa marah dengan berita itu, tanpa selidik dengan lebih lanjut, Puteri mengarahkan Inang mengunci semua pintu dan tingkap untuk memastikan tiada siapa dapat masuk ke dalam kediamannya.

Keesokannya, apabila Dewa Kaca pulang untuk berjumpa dengan Puteri, Raja terkejut apabila mendapati kesemua pintu dan tingkap telah dikunci. Raja bagaimanapun berjaya masuk ke dalam kediaman Puteri dan bersemuka dengannya yang menyebabkan kemarahan Puteri. Dengan hati yang berat, Dewa Kaca meninggalkan Puteri yang sedang marah. Pada masa yang sama, Awang pula telah bergaduh dengan isterinya dan terus menceraikannya.

Dewa Kaca meminta Awang menyediakan kapalnya dan mereka berdua memutuskan untuk pergi berlayar. Di pertengahan laut, kapal tersebut berpatah balik dan bergerak menuju ke persisiran pantai. Mereka akhirnya mengetahui bahawa Puteri telah menjampi kapal tersebut dan menghalang Raja pergi berlayar.

Raja masih nekad untuk meneruskan pelayaran, dan Puteri telah memberi amaran supaya Raja tidak kembali kepadanya.

Dewa Kaca dan Awang meneruskan pelayaran mereka dan tiba di sebuah negara yang mana terdapat seorang Puteri yang ingin dikahwini oleh Dewa Kaca. Dewa Kaca telah berjumpa dengan Raja negara itu dan diberitahu sekiranya Dewa Kaca ingin mengahwini anaknya, Dewa Kaca perlu menghadiahkannya satu layanglayang emas sakti yang mampu membawa Raja ke kayangan untuk mencari ibu saudaranya.

Dewa Kaca berjaya memperoleh layang-layang itu dan mempersembahkannya kepada Raja tersebut. Malangnya, Raja terlepas pegangannya dan terus dibawa terbang. Raja terus meninggal apabila terjatuh ke tanah. Perkahwinan berlangsung

Awang realized his wrongdoings and told the Raja about his lie to the Inang. They both travelled back to meet the Puteri who eventually forgave them. The Puteri the Raja were back together. The Awang was punished by having him married off with the Inang.

The version narrated by Zaleha in 1975 retained only a small part of the beginning of the story. This version could have been narrated

by Pak Taib or Pak Leh who were her informants then. It started with the Puteri feeling in despair as her husband, the Raja Dewa Kaca, had not come to see her for some time. She asked her Inang to meet the Raja and find out why he had not come back to see her.

Inang travelled to Dewa Kaca’s residence and was greeted by the Raja upon her arrival. The Raja asked if all provisions back home were in order and then summoned the Inang to return to the Puteri.

Upon her return, Inang decided to lie to the Puteri saying that there were other women at Dewa Kaca’s residence. Furious at this news, and without investigating further, she ordered Inang to lock the doors and windows to prevent anyone in, especially the Raja.

The next day when Dewa Kaca returned to see the Puteri, he was surprised that all the doors and windows were locked. The Raja eventually managed to enter and confronted the Puteri who got into a rage. With a heavy heart, Dewa Kaca left the raging Puteri.

Meanwhile, Awang got into a fight with his wife and divorced her.

Dewa Kaca asked Awang to prepare his boat and they both decided to set off on a journey. In the middle of the ocean, the boat turned around and moved back to the shore. They eventually found out that the Puteri had put a charm on the boat to prevent the Raja from leaving. The Raja was determined to go on the journey and was warned by the Puteri not to return to her again.

Dewa Kaca and Awang resumed their travel and reached a kingdom in which there was a Princess whom Dewa Kaca wished to marry.

Dewa Kaca met with the King and was told that he could marry the Princess if he could get him a golden magic kite which could take him to travel to the celestial realm to find his aunt.

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seperti yang dijanjikan, tetapi tidak berapa lama kemudian Dewa Kaca berasa tidak senang hati dan memutuskan untuk meninggalkan isteri baharunya dan pulang ke tanah airnya. Dewa Kaca tidak pulang ke pangkuan isteri pertamanya seperti yang dijanjikan, tetapi dengan keadaan sedih Dewa Kaca dan Awang meneruskan pelayaran mereka ke merata tempat tanpa hala tuju tertentu.

Dewa Kaca successfully got the magic kite and presented it to the King. Unfortunately, the King lost his grip and flew off with the magic kite. The King died when he fell down to the ground. The wedding took place as promised but soon after Dewa Kaca felt uneasy and decided to leave his new bride to return to his homeland. Dewa Kaca did not return to his first wife as promised. Instead, Dewa Kaca and Awang sadly continued their travels to many places aimlessly.

Puteri 12 Beradik

Puteri 12 Beradik

Menurut Zaleha (1975), cerita ini mengisahkan sepasang suami isteri yang tidak mempunyai zuriat. Pasangan itu akhirnya mendapatkan bantuan seorang bomoh dan selepas itu berjaya mendapat seorang anak perempuan setiap tahun selama 12 tahun. Setelah beberapa tahun berlalu, pasangan itu sedar bahawa mereka tidak mampu menjaga kesemua anak mereka dan memutuskan untuk meninggalkan mereka di sebuah hutan.

Sambil berjalan-jalan di hutan, seorang tukang kapal berasa kasihan terhadap mereka lalu membuat keputusan untuk membesarkan mereka seperti anaknya sendiri.

According to Zaleha (1975), this story involved a married couple who were childless. The couple eventually sought the help of a shaman and from then onwards the couple had a daughter each year for 12 years. As the years passed, they realized that they were not able to care for the children and decided to leave them in the forest. While wondering in the forest, a boat maker took pity on the girls and raised them as his own.

Seorang Raja mengetahui kisah 12 beradik ini dan memutuskan untuk mengahwini kesemua 12 beradik tersebut. Tidak berapa lama selepas itu, kesemua puteri telah didapati mengandung. Satu Raksasa Perempuan berasa cemburu dengan kehamilan puteriputeri tersebut dan berazam untuk memiliki Raja untuk dirinya sendiri. Raksasa Perempuan itu memikat Raja dan memujuk Raja untuk membuang kesemua puteri itu ke dalam satu lubang yang dalam. Raksasa Perempuan itu mengorek keluar kesemua mata puteri-puteri itu, kecuali puteri bongsu yang mana ditinggalkan dengan satu mata. Akibat buta, kesemua puteri itu tidak dapat mencari sumber makanan dan akhirnya mereka terpaksa makan anak-anak mereka sebaik sahaja dilahirkan, kecuali anak kepada adik bongsu mereka.

Anak ini membesar dan berjaya mencari jalan keluar dari lubang tersebut. Pada suatu hari, anak itu berjumpa dengan Raja dan menyertai perlawanan sabung ayam bersama Raja. Dia bersetuju dengan Raja sekiranya dia menang, Raja mesti memberikan

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A King found out about the 12 sisters and decided to marry all 12 of them. Not long after that, all the princesses became pregnant.

An Ogress, jealous of the prosperous princesses, decided to have the King for herself. She courted the King and told him to leave the princesses in a deep hole. She dug all the eyes out of the princesses except the youngest who was left with one eye. Since the sisters were not able to find food, they ate all their children after they were born except for the child of the youngest princess.

The child grew up and managed to find his way out of the hole.

One day he met the King and entered a game of cock-fighting with the King. His agreement with the King was that if he won the King must give him a packet of rice as a reward. One day the boy won and he took the rice packet back to the hole to feed the princesses.

The King, however, had placed the rice in a sack that had a hole in it so that it would leave a trail when he returned to the hole. The King followed the trail and upon finding out about the princesses, realized that the boy was his own son.

sekampit beras sebagai hadiah. Satu hari, budak itu telah menang dan membawa pulang beras yang dimenanginya ke lubang tempat tinggal mereka untuk diberi makan kepada puteri-puteri tersebut. Raja bagaimanapun telah mengisi beras itu di dalam satu karung yang mempunyai lubang supaya ia meninggalkan kesan sepanjang perjalanan budak itu balik ke lubang tempat tinggalnya. Raja telah menjejaki kesan perjalanan pulang budak itu, dan setelah mendapat tahu tentang keadaan puteri-puteri itu, dia sedar bahawa budak itu adalah anaknya.

Raksasa Perempuan mendapat tahu tentang hal ini dan memutuskan untuk membunuh putera muda itu. Raksasa Perempuan telah menipu bahawa dia sedang sakit, dan memberitahu Raja bahawa putera muda itu mesti mencari penawar penyakitnya di dunia raksasa. Putera muda itu dikehendaki menunggang seekor kuda terbang dalam perjalanannya. Raksasa perempuan itu menulis dan meninggalkan satu surat yang digantung pada leher kuda. Surat itu menyatakan “Makan budak ini pada waktu pagi sekiranya dia sampai pada waktu pagi, dan makan anak budak ini pada waktu petang sekiranya dia tiba pada waktu petang. Putera muda itu memulakan perjalanannya dan berhenti berehat di suatu tempat.

Ketika putera muda itu sedang tidur, seorang sami yang berlalu di kawasan itu ternampak surat pada leher kuda. Sami itu berasa kasihan terhadap putera muda itu, lalu menukar apa yang tertulis di dalam surat itu yang sekarang menyatakan “Terima anak ini pada waktu pagi sekiranya dia sampai pada waktu pagi, dan terima dia pada waktu petang sekiranya dia tiba pada waktu petang, kerana pemuda ini adalah menantu Raksasa Perempuan”. Putera muda bangun daripada tidur dan meneruskan perjalanannya. Apabila sampai di dunia raksasa, semua raksasa yang berniat untuk memakan putera muda itu terhenti apabila ternampak surat yang tergantung pada leher kuda itu. Mereka meraikan kedatangan putera muda itu serta mengahwinkannya dengan puteri Raja Raksasa.

Setelah beberapa bulan berlalu, putera muda akhirnya mengetahui tentang bekas simpanan mata kesemua 12 puteri itu di dalam istana. Putera muda itu membuat rancangan untuk membawa pulang dan menyerahkan mata puteri-puteri. Dalam cubaannya untuk melarikan diri dari istana, puteri kepada Raja Raksasa itu membuat keputusan mengikut suaminya dengan menunggang seekor babi terbang. Putera muda telah membawa bersamanya satu minuman sakti yang mampu membunuh kesemua raksasa apabila dihempaskan ke tanah. Putera muda itu berjaya membunuh kesemua raksasa dan kembali untuk hidup bersama-sama dengan puteri 12 beradik.

The Ogress found out and decided to kill the young prince. She faked an illness and told the King that the boy must find a cure for her in the land of the ogres. The boy was to travel on a flying horse.

The Ogress wrote and attached a letter on the neck of the horse.

The message in letter said “Eat him in the morning if arrives in the morning, eat him in the evening if arrives in the evening.” The boy then left and along the way stopped to rest.

While the prince was sleeping, a monk passed by and noticed the letter. He took pity on the prince and changed the message in the letter which now read “Receive him in the morning if arrives in the morning, receive him in the evening if arrives in the evening, for he is the son-in-law of the Ogress.” The prince woke up from his nap and continued his journey. Upon arriving at the land of the ogres, the ogres were about to devour the prince when they noticed the letter. They celebrated the arrival of the prince and even married him off to the daughter of the Ogre King.

Months went by before the prince found out about the container in the palace in which the eyes of the 12 princesses were kept. The prince then made plans to escape from the palace to return the eyes to the princesses. While trying to escape, the daughter of the Ogre King decided to follow the prince on a flying boar. The prince brought along with him a potion that when it was smashed it would kill all the ogres. The prince killed the ogres and returned to be reunited with the princesses.

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Dewa Muda

Dewa Muda

Dewa Muda menceritakan perihal Raja yang bermimpi seorang tua memintanya memburu seekor rusa putih tanduk rencana di hutan. Jika Raja berjaya dalam pemburuannya, dia perlu menunaikan empat perkara. Daging rusa itu hendaklah diberi kepada orang ramai untuk dimakan dalam satu majlis kenduri, darahnya hendaklah diberikan kepada roh-roh di bumi, lemaknya hendaklah diberikan kepada roh-roh cahaya, dan tanduknya hendaklah dipamerkan di pintu masuk kota. Apabila terjaga daripada mimpinya, Raja mengarahkan Awang mencari Tok Wak untuk memberi tafsiran ke atas mimpi tersebut. Menurut Tok Wak, mimpi itu adalah satu petanda sesuatu peristiwa besar akan berlaku di dalam negara. Raja kemudiannya berangkat bersamasama Awang untuk memburu.

The Dewa Muda tells the story of a Raja who dreamt of an old man who told him to hunt for a “white deer with horns of great purpose” (Rusa putih tanduk rencana) in a jungle. If the Raja had a successful hunt, then he has to fulfil these four conditions. The flesh of the deer must be presented as a feast for the people, the blood must be offered to the spirits of the land, the fats must be offered to the spirits of the light, and the horns must be displayed at the city’s gate. Upon awakening from the dream, the Raja instructed Awang to find Tok Wak to interpret the dream. According to Tok Wak, the dream was a sign that a big significant event will take place in the country. The Raja then set off with his Awang to go on a hunt.

Di satu tempat yang lain, terdapat seorang puteri yang cantik jelita. Di dalam pekarangan taman istana, terdapat sebatang pokok gunut yang terlarang dan berbuah hanya sebiji sepanjang satu tahun. Puteri sangat ingin merasa buah yang terlarang ini, tetapi dia sentiasa disedari oleh Inang-inangnya. Suatu hari, Puteri berjaya mengalihkan pandangan Ketua Inang dan dapat memetik buah itu dari pokok. Inang-inang yang lain menjerit dan meminta supaya Puteri tidak memakan buah itu. Disebabkan perasaan ingin tahunya, Puteri menggigit buah tersebut dan terus menghilangkan diri.

Sementara itu, di istana, Raja mengambil semua keperluan memburunya dan kelengkapan makan minum dan lain-lain yang mencukupi untuk dibawa bersama semasa pergi memburu seperti yang dicadangkan. Raja memasang beberapa perangkap rusa sepanjang jalan, dan satu hari mereka ternampak seekor rusa putih. Sebelum rusa itu berjaya ditangkap, berlaku ribut yang memisahkan mereka berdua. Semua peralatan dan kelengkapan telah musnah. Awang bertemu semula dengan Raja; namun, kedua-duanya kepenatan. Raja dan Awang kemudiannya pergi mencari air untuk minum dan ternampak takungan air seperti

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In another land, there was a beautiful Puteri. Within a palace garden, there was a forbidden gunut tree which only bore one fruit throughout the year. The Puteri had longed to taste this forbidden fruit, but was always caught by her Inangs. One day she managed to distract the head Inang and plucked the fruit from the tree.

The other Inangs screamed and begged the Puteri not to eat the fruit. Out of curiosity, the Puteri took a bite into the fruit and she disappeared.

Back at the Raja’s palace, the Raja took all his hunting equipment and enough provisions for their planned hunting trip. The Raja set up several deer traps along their route, and one day they spotted a white deer. Before the deer could be captured, a storm caused the Raja and Awang to be separated. All of the belongings and provisions were destroyed. The Awang was able to be reunited with the Raja; however, they were all exhausted. The Raja and Awang then went in search of drinking water and came to a pool of water.

The Raja saw a special fruit which was going against the current.

The fruit was known as the gunut fruit. The Raja ordered Awang to take the fruit out of the water. But as Awang went closer to the fruit, the fruit went further away from him. The Raja then decided to pick up the fruit himself; but this time as the Raja went closer to the fruit, the fruit came closer to the Raja.

kolam. Raja ternampak sebiji buah istimewa yang bergerak melawan arus. Buah itu dikenali sebagai buah gunut. Raja mengarahkan Awang mengeluarkan buah itu dari air. Akan tetapi, semakin hampir Awang kepada buah itu, ia bergerak semakin jauh daripada Awang. Kemudian, Raja membuat keputusan untuk mengambil buah itu sendiri; tetapi, kali ini semakin hampir Raja dengan buah itu, ia datang semakin rapat dengan Raja.

Raja dan Awang membuat keputusan untuk membawa balik buah gunut itu ke istana. Setibanya mereka, pendudukpenduduk gagal untuk membelah buah itu. Oleh itu, Raja mengisytiharkan sesiapa yang berjaya membelah buah gunut itu akan diberi ganjaran. Namun, tiada siapa yang dapat membelahnya. Raja cuba membelahnya sendiri dan dengan kuasanya sebagai Raja Dewa Muda, buah gunut itu terbelah dan keluar seorang Puteri yang cantik jelita daripada buah itu.

Puteri itu tidak tahu daripada mana asal-usulnya, dengan itu Raja menamakannya Puteri Gunut. Tok Wak, yang menyedari apa yang sedang berlaku, memberitahu Raja bahawa memburu yang dimaksudkan dalam mimpinya adalah untuk menerima kedatangan bakal isteri Raja. Majlis perkahwinan telah berlangsung dan seluruh istana telah dihias secara besar-besaran serta kesemua rakyat telah dijemput datang ke majlis perkahwinan tersebut.

The Raja and Awang decided to bring the gunut fruit back to the palace. Upon arrival, people attempted but failed to open up the fruit. Therefore, the Raja decreed that anyone who could open up the gunut fruit would be rewarded. However, no one was able to open up the fruit. The Raja tried to open up the fruit himself and with his power as Raja Dewa Muda, the gunut fruit was split open and a beautiful Puteri came out of the fruit. The Puteri could not remember where she came from and so the Raja named her Puteri Gunut. The Tok Wak who was aware of the events then told the Raja that the dream meant that the hunt was to welcome the Raja’s future wife. When the wedding took place, the entire palace was decorated elaborately and all the Raja’s subjects were invited to the feast.

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04 BAB CHAPTER

MUZIK MEK MULUNG THE MUSIC OF MEK MULUNG

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Muzik memainkan peranan penting dalam persembahan Mek Mulung untuk mengiringi dan menyokong elemen-elemen tarian, serta menjadi penanda babak-babak penting dalam persembahan. Ia juga memberitahu penonton tentang konsep masa, ruang dan sesuatu hierarki dalam kalangan watak-watak dalam sesuatu persembahan. Muzik merupakan salah satu daripada elemen-elemen utama bagi persembahan Mek Mulung yang menyumbang kepada identiti persembahan itu. Sebagai satu elemen penting dalam persembahan Mek Mulung, apa-apa perubahan dan modifikasi kepada muzik mempunyai kesan yang besar ke atas keseluruhan persembahan.

Bab ini akan melihat bagaimana Mek Mulung dipersembahkan melalui beberapa format. Ini termasuklah rakaman muzik, transkripsi teks lagu beserta transkripsi notasi lagu berdasarkan lagu-lagu rakaman yang dikumpul daripada beberapa sumber.

Rakaman lagu yang dikeluarkan bersama buku ini adalah melalui hasil penyelidikan pihak Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN). Lagu-lagu rakaman juga dinyanyikan oleh pemuzik-pemuzik pihak JKKN kecuali bahagian serunai, yang telah dimainkan oleh Pak Din. Seperti yang dinyatakan dalam bahagian permulaan, rakaman lagu-lagu Mek Mulung ini bukanlah rakaman lapangan, tetapi rakaman digital yang dilakukan di luar Wang Tepus. Namun begitu, proses rakaman yang dijalankan dibuat dengan kehadiran tokoh iaitu Pak Din dan Pak Dan. Rakaman lagulagu ini ditranskripsikan dan ditulis dalam bentuk notasi barat oleh saya kecuali beberapa notasi tambahan yang ditulis daripada hasil kajian lapangan terdahulu. Transkripsi teks untuk bahagian ini adalah melalui hasil kajian yang dibuat oleh seorang lagi penyelidik yang telah hampir dua dekad mengkaji persembahan ini bersama arwah Pak Salleh. Terdapat variasi dalam penggunaan teks lagu serta gaya nyanyian. Pelbagai hasil kerja persembahan Mek Mulung yang diterbitkan Puan Zamzuriah bersama pelajarnya di Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) dan Universiti Malaya dapat dilihat di YouTube, sekiranya ingin melihat perbandingan gaya persembahan melalui kedua-dua sudut.

Juga diingatkan bahawa, notasi barat hanya digunakan sebagai rujukan bagaimana lagu ini dimainkan bagi pembaca yang

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Music plays an important part in the Mek Mulung performance to accompany and support the dance elements, as well as to mark important scenes in the music. It also provides the audiences with the knowledge about time, space or certain hierarchy among the characters in the performance. It is considered as one of the major elements of the Mek Mulung performance which contributes to its identity. Being an important element in the Mek Mulung performance, whatever changes and modifications made to the music would have a great impact on its overall presentation.

In this section, the music of Mek Mulung is presented in various formats. These include musical examples, transcriptions of song text, and also musical transcriptions which are derived from various sources. The musical examples recorded in this book are derived from the archives and research and development team of the National Department for Culture and Arts. The music, too, is recorded by the National Department for Culture and Arts musicians with the exception of the serunai, which has been played

by Pak Din. As I mentioned in the beginning of the book, these are also not field recordings, but actually digitally recorded outside of Wang Tepus. Nonetheless, two of the beholders of the tradition, Pak Din and Pak Dan were present during the recording process. These recordings are also transcribed by myself based on the recordings except a few additional scores that are taken from past research.

The song text transcription on the other hand was curated for almost two decades worth of investigation by Zamzuriah through her work with the late Pak Salleh. There will be varieties between the two song text choices and singing style based on their own approaches. A wide variety of Zamzuriah’s work on Mek Mulung with her students at The National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA) and Universiti Malaya are available on YouTube.

A comparison of the musical choices of the music of Mek Mulung from both angles can be done in this manner. Also note that the western notation is only used to demonstrate the notated sound for those who have a western notation background, and not how the beholders of the tradition notate their music.

mempunyai kebolehan membaca sistem notasi barat. Sistem ini tidak digunakan oleh pemuzik Wang Tepus untuk menotasikan lagu mereka, PERALATAN MUZIK MEK MULUNG Ensembel muzik Mek Mulung mengandungi beberapa jenis peralatan. Peralatan-peralatan digunakan dalam persembahan di Wang tepus lazimnya mengandungi (1) dua jenis idiofon iaitu peralatan muzik yang bergetar dan mengeluarkan bunyi, (2) beberapa jenis membranofon iaitu perlatan muzik yang mengeluarkan bunyi melalui kulit/selaput yang bergetar, dan juga (3) aerofon iaitu peralatan muzik yang mengeluarkan bunyi melalui getaran udara. Ensembel Muzik penting untuk menandakan sesuatu fasa dalam persembahan, dengan membangkitkan emosi ahli-ahli persembahan supaya membolehkan mereka menjiwai watak-watak mereka, mempastikan penonton-penonton menghayati bersama-sama pengalaman daripada persembahan itu, dan memberi sokongan kepada komponen teater bagi persembahan itu.

Serunai Serunai, iaitu satu peralatan aerofon pipit-bebas, memberi melodi utama kepada muzik Mek Mulung apabila suara manusia tidak digunakan. Dari segi aspek saiz, serunai bagi persembahan Mek Mulung lebih pendek berbanding serunai Kelantan, dan perhiasan di bahagian hujungnya atau kecopong, yang berbentuk seperti loceng tidak begitu menonjol. Terdapat reka bentuk yang tersendiri dan ikatan reben yang khusus yang memberitahu orang yang menghasilkannya. Tidak ada ukuran panjang yang standard, tetapi kebiasaannya berukuran 34 sentimeter, tanpa corong mulut. Pipit atau lidah serunai diperbuat daripada lapisan empat keping daun pokok lontar yang dikeringkan.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF MEK MULUNG The Mek Mulung music ensemble comprises several instruments.

The instruments used in the performance in Wang Tepus normally consists of (1) two types of idiophones (instruments that vibrate and produce sounds), (2) several membranophones (instruments that produce sound via a vibrating membrane), and also (3) aerophone (instruments that make sounds through vibrating air columns). The music ensemble is important in giving an indication of the particular phase of the performance, arousing emotions to the performers which enable them to identify and to act out their characters, ensuring vicarious experiences for the audience, and also providing support to the theatre component of the performance.

Serunai The serunai, which is a free-reed aerophone instrument, provides the main melody for the Mek Mulung music, when the human voice is not used. It is shorter than the Kelantanese serunai and is less ornate at the bell-shaped end. The special design on the serunai as well as a specific ribbon tied to it provide information on the person who made it. There is no standard length but it is usually about 34 centimetres, without the mouthpiece. The reed known as a pipit is made of four thin layers of dried leaves from the lontar palm tree.

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Pipit yang dibuat oleh Pak Din. A Pipit that is made by Pak Din.

Pandangan atas untuk melihat empat (4) lipatan pipit. Bahagian bulat di belakangnya merupakan penyandar bibir.

Top view of the pipit’s four folds. The circular part is known as a lip-disc.

Bahagian bawah bahagian mulut.

Bottom end of the mouthpiece.

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Bahagian mulut yang digunakan oleh Pak Din yang bersambung dengan badan serunai.

Pak Din’s mouthpiece attached to his serunai.

Serunai yang disambung dengan bahagian mulut.

A serunai that is assembled with the mouthpiece.

Pak Din meniup serunai.

Pak Din blowing the serunai.

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Terdapat dua jenis serunai yang digunakan oleh Pak Din, iaitu pemain serunai dalam kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung. Badan serunai diperbuat daripada kayu dan seperti yang diberitahu oleh Pak Din, serunainya diperbuat daripada kayu pokok cili. Bagi setiap serunai, terdapat tujuh lubang pada bahagian depan badan dan satu lubang bagi ibu jari pada bahagian belakang badan serunai. Apabila serunai dimainkan, pemuzik meniup daripada salah satu penghujung serunai melalui satu corong mulut yang dikenali sebagai pipit/lidah. Keseluruhan pipit dimasukkan ke dalam mulut pemuzik apabila serunai ini dimainkan dan bibir pemain harus menekan piring penyandar bibir. Piring penyandar bibir bagi serunai ini diperbuat daripada pelbagai bahan seperti plastik atau tempurung kelapa. Oleh sebab pipit serunai ini tidak dikawal oleh bibir pemuzik, pipit ini dianggap sebagai pipit bergetar bebas. Melalui kaedah membuka dan menutup lubang-lubang menggunakan jari pada badan serunai, seorang pemuzik mampu menghasilkan bunyi yang pelbagai pic atau nada. Pemain serunai harus mempunyai teknik pernafasan yang berterusan bagi menghembus udara keluar melalui pipit. Apabila pemain merasakan udara di dalam dada hampir kehabisan, pemuzik kemudian menyedut udara melalui hidung pada masa yang sama masih lagi meniup udara melalui mulut. Kaedah ini akan menghasilkan bunyi serunai yang berterusan bagi permainan sebuah lagu dari permulaan hingga akhir.

There are two different types of serunai used by Pak Din, the serunai player in the Mek Mulung troupe. The body of the serunai is made of wood, and as revealed by Pak Din, his serunai is made from the wood of the chilli tree. There are seven finger holes in the front and one thumb hole at the back of the serunai body. When playing the serunai, the musician blows at one end through the mouthpiece. The entire reed is inserted in the player’s mouth when the instrument is played and the player’s lips are pressed against the lip-disk. The lip-disk can be made from various materials such as coconut shell and plastic. Because the reeds are not controlled by the player’s lips, they are considered as free-beating reeds. By controlling the opening and closing of the holes along the body of the wooden serunai with the fingers, the musician is able to produce different pitches.

The serunai player uses either the continuous or circular breathing technique to push air through the reed. When the player feels that the air in his lungs has become almost depleted, the player then inhales through the nose while at the same time maintaining the stream of air through the mouth. This produces a continuous sound of the serunai as the piece is played from the beginning until the end.

Dua jenis Serunai yang diguna oleh Pak Din. Two types of Serunai used by Pak Din.

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Gendang Ibu, Gendang Anak dan Semborong

Gendang Ibu, Gendang Anak and Semborong

Peralatan membranofon bagi ensembel Mek Mulung terdiri daripada sepasang Gendang Ibu, satu Gendang Anak dan satu Semborong. Gendang-gendang berbingkai ini mempunyai rim yang lebih nipis dan lebih tirus di bahagian dalam berbanding rebana yang biasanya digunakan oleh ensemble muzik asli.

Gendang Ibu, iaitu membranofon yang paling besar, menghasilkan corak ritma utama bagi muzik Mek Mulung. Manakala Gendang Anak dan Semborong pula hampir sama dari segi saiz dan keduadua peralatan muzik ini mengeluarkan ritma yang bertingkahtingkah. Peralatan muzik ini mengeluarkan bunyi yang berlainan berdasarkan ketebalan kulit yang digunakan. Kulit yang digunakan untuk membuat Semborong adalah lebih tebal dan gelap.

The membranophones in the ensemble comprise of a pair of gendang ibu, one gendang anak and the semborong. These framed drums have thinner rims and are less tapered towards the inside if compared to the rebana which is commonly used in an Asli music ensemble. The gendang ibu, which is the largest of the membranophones, produces the main rhythm patterns of the music. The gendang anak and the semborong, which are about the same size, provide interlocking rhythms in the music. They however produce different sounds due to the difference in the thickness of the hide which is used to make them. The hide used to make the semborong is thicker and darker.

Gendang-gendang ini adalah gendang berbingkai yang mempunyai satu muka dan tidak mempunyai saiz yang tertentu. Gendang Ibu pada kebiasaannya mempunyai ukuran diameter/garis pusat 40-50 sentimeter, manakala Gendang Anak dan Semborong berukuran diameter/garis pusat 25-30 sentimeter. Set gendang yang digunakan oleh kumpulan Wang Tepus terdiri daripada Gendang Ibu yang berukuran 43 sentimeter, Gendang Anak yang berukuran 26 sentimeter dan Semborong yang berukuran 26 sentimeter. Rangka kayu yang digunakan kebiasaannya daripada pokok nangka (Artocarpus hetereophyllus) dan kadang kala daripada kayu pokok mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia).

Kulit lembu dan kulit kambing digunakan untuk membuat muka kulit gendang. Gendang Anak diperbuat daripada kulit lembu manakala Gendang Ibu dan Semborong kebiasaannya diperbuat daripada kulit kambing. Lazimnya, kulit yang digunakan adalah daripada anak lembu yang berusia dua tahun dan anak kambing yang berusia satu tahun bagi mendapatkan kualiti bunyi yang baik. Kulit diproses dan dirawat menggunakan rempah-rempah, ditumbuk, dibersih, diregang, dan dikeringkan sebelum dipasangkan pada bingkai gendang.

The drums are single-head frame drums. There is no specific size for the drums. The gendang ibu has a diameter of about 4050 centimetres and the gendang anak and semborong have a diameter of about 25-30 centimetres. The gendang set used by the current Wang Tepus troupe, consists of the gendang ibu measuring 43 centimeters, the gendang anak measuring 26 centimeters, and the semborong measuring 26 centimeters. The wood used to make the frame of the drum is usually from the jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus). Sometimes, wood from the mengkudu tree (Morinda citrifolia) is also used.

The hide used for the gendang comes from a mixture of cow and goat hides. The gendang anak used cowhide and the gendang ibu and the semborong used goat hides. Normally, hides of young calves about two years of age and one-year-old goat kids were used to achieve good quality sound. The hide was processed and treated with spices, pounded, cleaned, stretched and dried before attaching it to the frame of the drum.

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Kulit kebiasaannya diikat pada bingkai menggunakan tali rotan atau bahan sintetik. Sebatang rotan akan dimasukkan bagi meregangkan permukaan gendang sebelum dimainkan. Untuk menyimpan, rotan itu dikeluarkan untuk mengendurkan permukaan gendang. Satu peralatan kayu yang dipanggil penyedak digunakan bagi menolak rotan pada posisi yang betul untuk meregang dan mengetatkan permukaan gendang sebelum dimainkan.

Setiap gendang dimainkan oleh seorang pemain muzik menggunakan kedua-dua belah tangannya untuk memukul di permukaan gendang. Pukulan di bahagian tepi muka gendang berdekatan dengan bahagian tepi menghasilkan bunyi timbre yang lebih tinggi yang dipanggil ‘cak’ atau pun ‘tak’; sementara pukulan pada bahagian tengah muka gendang menghasilkan timbre yang lebih rendah yang dipanggil ‘dung’. Kombinasi timbre ini menghasilkan corak ritma yang mengeluarkan bunyi ritma bagi muzik Mek Mulung.

Set gendang yang digunakan oleh kumpulan Wang Tepus.

The drums set used by the Wang Tepus troupe.

The hide was laced to the drum using rattan or synthetic fibre material. A rattan insert was used to stretch the drum head when it was played. During storage, the rattan would be pulled out to loosen the drum head. A wooden tool called a penyedak, was used to push the rattan into position to tighten the drum head before it was played. Each drum was played by a single player using both hands to strike the drum head. Striking the side of the drum head at the rim produced a higher or sharper timbre called ‘cak’ or a ‘tak’; while striking the middle part produced a lower timbre called ‘dung’. The combination of the timbres to create a rhythm pattern produced the rhythm sound for the Mek Mulung music.

Gendang bersama alat-alat muzik lain yang akan digunakan dalam persembahan sekitar tahun 2001 oleh Jabatan Muzium Malaysia.

The drums used in the performance are laid out before a performance taken by the National Museums Malaysia Archive in 2001.

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Penyedak yang digunakan untuk meregangkan muka gendang.

Penyedak which is used to tighten the drum head.

Kelihatan Pak Saad sedang menyedak gendang ibu bersama pemuzik yang lain (Gambar dari koleksi arkib Jabatan Muzium Malaysia yang diambil sekitar tahun 2001).

Pak Saad is seen using a penyedak to tighten the gendang ibu. (Photo is taken from the collections of the Department of Museums Malaysia).

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Kecerek dan Gong Idiofon yang digunakan bagi persembahan Mek Mulung adalah Kecerek dan Gong. Kecerek adalah sepasang bilah buluh yang digunakan dengan menghasilkan bunyi apabila kedua-dua bilah itu dipegang dan dipukul bersama. Panjang peralatan muzik ini adalah tujuh hingga lapan inci dan satu inci setengah lebar. Kebiasaannya terdapat lima hingga tujuh pemain Kecerek dan bilangan pemain boleh ditambah sekiranya diperlukan. Gong tembaga berbusut pula digunakan sebagai penanda masa ketika persembahan muzik. Menggunakan pemukul yang dibalut, pemain gong akan memukul gong pada bahagian busut. Gong ini digantung pada rak kayu menggunakan tali. Gong yang mempunyai pelbagai pic boleh digunakan.

Beberapa bilah buluh kecerek yang dibuat oleh Halim, anak kepada Pak Saad.

Few kecerek pieces made by Halim, the son of Pak Saad.

Kecerek and Gong The idiophones consist of the Kecerek and the gong. The Kecerek is a pair of bamboo sticks that were used to produce sounds by hitting the sticks against each other. These concussion clappers are about seven to eight inches in length and about an inch and a half wide. There were about five to seven players playing the Kecerek; however, more players are possible. The brass knobbedGong is the main time keeper during a musical presentation. Using a padded mallet, the Gong player would strike the Gong which was suspended on a wooden frame by a string. Any pitched Gong could be used.

Kecerek sedia untuk dimainkan.

Kecerek ready to be played.

Gong tembaga berbusut yang digantung pada rak.

The brass knobbed-gong suspended on a frame.

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Peralatan Muzik yang Lain

Other Instruments

Melalui rakaman DVD dokumentari Mek Mulung oleh Jabatan Muzium pada tahun 2002, terdapat dua peralatan muzik tambahan yang menjadi sebahagian daripada ensembel muzik, iaitu Mong dan Canang. Mong, iaitu idiofon yang berbentuk gong kecil berbusut dimainkan dengan diletakkan mendatar di atas lantai dan dipukul menggunakan satu batang buluh. Canang pula merupakan satu idiofon berbentuk metalofon, iaitu ia dimainkan dengan gaya mengetuk sepasang batang buluh pada kepingan besi kecil yang diikat pada rangka kayu segi empat. Menurut Pak Saad, kedua-dua peralatan ini secara perlahan-lahan diketepikan daripada ensembel Wang Tepus dan tidak pernah diganti atau dibaik pulih. Ketika persembahan akhir Sambut Guru di Wang Tepus pada tahun 2011, kedua-dua peralatan muzik ini tidak digunakan.

In a DVD recording of a documentary on Mek Mulung by the Museum Department published in 2002, two additional instruments were part of the music ensemble, the mong and the canang. The mong, an idiophone gong chime, was played by placing it on the floor and was struck using a bamboo stick. The canang is an idiophone which is a form of metallophone-type instrument. The canang used in the video presentation was played by hitting a bamboo stick on two metal bars that were attached to a rectangular wooden frame. According to Pak Saad, these two instruments were slowly excluded in the Wang Tepus ensemble over the years, and were never replaced or repaired. In the last Sembah Guru performance in Wang Tepus in 2011, these instruments were not used.

Pemain memegang Mong. (Gambar daripada Jabatan Muzium Malaysia).

A player holding the mong. (Source: Jabatan Muzium Malaysia).

Dihadapan pemuzik merupakan canang dan mong pada sebelah kiri talam putih.

In front of the musicians lays the canang and mong on the left side of the large white tray.

Canang. (Gambar daripada Jabatan Muzium Malaysia).

The canang.(Source: Jabatan Muzium Malaysia).

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SISTEM PEMBELAJARAN

LEARNING SYSTEMS

Tidak terdapat latihan perantis secara formal untuk belajar menggunakan peralatan muzik Mek Mulung seperti mana dipraktikkan oleh pemuzik-pemuzik Makyung dan Wayang Kulit. Pak Din, pemain serunai yang masih aktif bergiat dalam persembahan Mek Mulung, menyatakan bahawa kebolehannya bermain muzik telah dipelajari daripada bapanya. Pak Din masih ingat, banyak kali bapanya memanggil Pak Din dan adik beradik yang lain meniup serunainya. Pak Din dapat meniup serunai dengan baik dan berjaya mewarisi serunai bapanya. Pak Din meneruskan tradisi keluarganya dengan menjadi pemain serunai dalam kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung. Bagi pihak Pak Din pula, anak lelakinya ada menunjukkan minat dan kemampuan untuk meniup serunai, dan Pak Din merancang untuk mewasiatkan serunainya kepada anak lelakinya itu pada masa hadapan. Halim pula, menyimpan penulisan ringkas teks lagu Mek Mulung serta cara mengingati pergerakan yang dipelajari oleh arwah Abang Mat.

There is no formal apprenticeship training in the use of Mek Mulung musical instruments as found in the case of Makyung and Wayang Kulit musicians. Pak Din, the serunai player in the current Mek Mulung troupe admitted that he developed his skills from his father.

He remembers on many occasions his father would call him and other siblings to blow their father’s serunai. Among them, he was able to blow the serunai with the greatest ease, and thus inherited his father’s serunai. He continues the family tradition by becoming the serunai player in the Mek Mulung troupe. On his part, his son has shown interest and ability to play the serunai and he plans to pass the serunai to him in the future. Halim keeps scribbles of the Mek Mulung songs text and written cues that he learnt from the late Abang Mat

Terdapat satu kepercayaan yang kuat dalam kalangan ahli-ahli persembahan Mek Mulung bahawa mereka telah terpilih secara istimewa untuk memainkan peralatan muzik tertentu berikutan bakat istimewa mereka yang semulajadi, ataupun mereka mewarisi kemahiran dan teknik-teknik memainkan peralatanperalatan muzik berkenaan. Tidak dapat dinafikan juga, sebagai sebahagian daripada kalangan pertalian keluarga Mek Mulung, persekitaran yang mana generasi muda ini dibesarkan memberi suasana keterbiasaan dan jangkaan bagi mereka memainkan peranan untuk mengekalkan tradisi ini. Ini termasuk memainkan peralatan muzik, menyanyi, menari atau melakonkan watak-watak.

Majoriti pemuzik tidak mempunyai peralatan muzik sendiri, oleh itu kebanyakannya bergantung pada peralatan muzik hak milik kumpulan yang kebiasaannya disimpan oleh ketua kumpulan.

Peralatan-peralatan muzik ini walau bagaimanapun sentiasa tersedia untuk digunakan oleh pemuzik-pemuzik dan juga individuindividu lain yang berminat sama ada bagi tujuan latihan dan belajar menjadi pemuzik dalam ensembel Mek Mulung ataupun sebagai satu bentuk aktiviti masa lapang.

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There is a strong belief among the musicians in the Mek Mulung troupe that they have been specially chosen to play their respective instruments because they naturally possess the special talent or by inheriting the skills and techniques to play them.

It cannot be denied also, that being part of the Mek Mulung family lineage, the environment in which the younger family members grow up provides the familiarity and expectations to play their part towards upholding the tradition. This would include playing musical instruments, singing, dancing, or playing character roles.

The majority of the musicians do not have their own instruments and thus rely on the instruments belonging to the troupe, which are kept by the leader. These instruments are made available to the musicians and other interested individuals either for purposes of practicing and learning to become a musician in the Mek Mulung ensemble or as a form of leisure activity.

REPERTOIRE MUZIK MEK MULUNG

THE MEK MULUNG MUSIC REPERTOIRE

Terdapat dua jenis muzik dalam ensembel Mek Mulung, iaitu muzik instrumental dan lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan. Daripada dua jenis ini, lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan lebih menonjol daripada muzik instrumental. Lagu-lagu merupakan bahagian yang besar dalam repertoir muzik Mek Mulung, dan mengiringi komponen teater dan juga bahagian-bahagian tarian.

There are two types of music in the Mek Mulung ensemble. One is instrumental music and the other is sung songs. The sung songs are the more prominent of the two. These songs make up the greater portion of the Mek Mulung’s music repertoire and they accompany the theatre component as well as the dance sections.

Buat masa kini, terdapat 15 buah karya lagu utama dan enam buah karya muzik instrumental yang dikenali sebagai repertoir persembahan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus. Dalam penulisanpenulisan masa lampau, seperti yang dibincangkan di dalam buku Skeat bertajuk Malay Magic pada tahun 1900, terdapat beberapa tajuk dalam repertoir yang wujud pada masa itu, tetapi tidak diketahui oleh kumpulan pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung sekarang. Dalam masa yang sama, berlakunya variasivariasi dan pengubahsuaian terhadap sesetengah lagu semasa membuat persembahan. Seperti yang diperkatakan di atas, lagu yang dinyanyikan jelas dimainkan sebahagian besarnya pada keseluruhan persembahan. Tidak semestinya kesemua lagu daripada repertoire itu akan dinyanyikan di sesuatu persembahan pada masa-masa tertentu. Namun begitu, bagi produksi-produksi yang besar, seperti persembahan-persembahan di kawasan bandar, hampir kesemua lagu yang terdapat dalam repertoir Mek Mulung akan dinyanyikan dalam satu persembahan. Oleh itu, muzik Mek Mulung boleh dikategorikan kepada dua jenis, iaitu (1) lagu-lagu wajib, dan (2) lagu-lagu pilihan.

Muzik memainkan peranan yang penting dalam menentukan bahagian-bahagian yang berlainan dalam sesebuah persembahan, ataupun memberi maklumat tentang aktiviti ahli-ahli persembahan pada ketika itu. Ia merupakan salah satu ciri utama yang memberi Mek Mulung identiti tersendiri, dan seterusnya membezakan persembahan Mek Mulung daripada persembahan teater tradisional Melayu yang lain,

Currently, there are 15 main sung pieces and six instrumental music pieces which are known to be the repertoire in the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung performance. In past writings, as discussed in Skeat’s book (Malay Magic, 1900), there are some repertoire titles which existed then that are not familiar to current practitioners. At the same time, variations and deviations of some of the songs have occurred during a performance. As mentioned above, the sung Mek Mulung pieces are predominantly played throughout the performance.

Not all of the songs from the repertoire would or must be sung in a specific performance at a given time. However, in larger productions, such as the performance in urban settings, almost all of the songs in the repertoire are sung in a performance. Thus, the Mek Mulung music can also be categorized as: (1) compulsory songs, and (2) optional songs.

The music plays an important role in determining the different sections of the performance or the current activity of the performers. It is one of the key features that give Mek Mulung its identity, hence differentiating itself from other Malay traditional theatre performances such as Makyung or Menora. In the earlier chapter, the performance structure shows that Mek Mulung follows a certain performance sequence, thus the music performed also follows a particular sequence.

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seperti Makyung atau Menora. Di dalam bab sebelum ini, struktur persembahan Mek Mulung menunjukkan bahawa ia mempunyai turutan persembahan yang tertentu, oleh itu muzik yang dimainkan juga mempunyai turutan yang tertentu.

Bahan rujukan muzik yang dibekalkan dalam penulisan ini adalah melalui dua sumber yang berbeza. Rakaman muzik serta transkripsi lagu, kecuali lagu Masuk ke Taman adalah berdasarkan sebuah bengkel yang dijalankan oleh JKKN pada 19 hingga 21 Oktober 2019 di pejabat JKKN Kedah.

Beberapa tokoh Mek Mulung yang terlibat dalam dokumentasi ini adalah Abang Mat, Pak Din, Pak Dan, Pak Ya serta dua anak kepada Pak Saad. Bengkel ini dijalankan bersama JKKN serta beberapa ahli Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia daripada Istana Budaya untuk merakam dan menotasikan lagu-lagu mek mulung. Gaya nyanyian yang dipersetujui melalui bengkel tersebut dijadikan contoh gaya nyanyian yang di jadikan bahan notasi. Setelah bengkel ini tamat dan tokoh berpuas hati pada rakaman yang dihasilkan JKKN, tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung telah meluahkan kata setuju dengan memberi tandatangan kepada hasil rakaman dan kajian JKKN.

The music materials published in this book are derived from two distinct sources. The recorded material and its main transcription, except for the Lagu Masuk ke Taman, is based on a workshop done

by JKKN on the 19th to the 21st October 2019 at JKKN’s Kedah state office. Several members of the Mek Mulung performers, Abang Mat, Pak Din, Pak Dan, Pak Ya and two of Pak Saad’s sons were involved in the music documentation process in this workshop. A blueprint of the Mek Mulung music suggested performing style was documented as a result of this workshop that was conducted by JKKN staff as well as members of the Malay Traditional Orchestra from Istana Budaya. By the end of the workshop, the members of Wang Tepus has agreed that the music documented is in good order and all of the invited Mek Mulung performers gave their signatures as proof that they approve the documented music.

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Sebuah lagi sumber muzik yang gunakan adalah melalui koleksi yang dikumpulkan oleh Zamzuriah Zahari, seorang penyelidik Mek Mulung dengan pengalaman lebih 10 tahun. Penyelidikan kedoktoran saya menggunakan sumber ini kerana sumber rakaman wawancara tokoh menjadi bukti. Dua bahan bukti ini dapat memberi sudut pandang berbeza pada perkembangan Mek Mulung daripada kedua-dua pihak. Gaya nyanyian, rakaman serta transkripsi dari sumber Zamzuriah akan dipersembahkan dalam penerbitan yang akan datang Senarai di bawah menunjukkan keseluruhan repertoir muzik yang dipersembahkan di Wang Tepus. Lagu-lagu dalam persembahan Mek Mulung mempunyai fungsi-fungsi tertentu yang dikategorikan seperti berikut: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Lagu Pembukaan Lagu Berjalan Lagu Memanggil dan Membalas Lagu Berkhabar Lagu Kegiatan Lagu Penutup Lagu Menurun (Lagu ini kebiasaannya digunakan bagi persembahan ritual)

Kebanyakan daripada lagu-lagu ini dipersembahkan hanya sekali dalam keseluruhan persembahan, walaupun ada beberapa buah lagu yang dinyanyi lebih daripada sekali. Sebagai bahagian utama dalam struktur persembahan, muzik dimainkan dalam setiap persembahan Mek Mulung. Ahli-ahli persembahan mungkin diiringi oleh pemain-pemain gendang yang memberi kesan-kesan bunyi tertentu untuk menunjukkan atau memperjelaskan lagi sesuatu babak tertentu atau aksi-aksi watak. Contohnya pemuzik akan memainkan corak-corak ritma pendek ketika babak tertentu bagi memberi penekanan kepada pergerakan-pergerakan yang bersesuaian, seperti semasa Awang datang menghadap Raja, babak yang menunjukkan pergaduhan atau Awang melakukan aksi-aksi komedi. Dalam sesetengah keadaan, biasanya apabila ahli-ahli persembahan baharu membuat persembahan sulung mereka, lagu-lagu bagi watak-watak tertentu boleh diganti atau

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The other source of music material, given in the form of song text, is mainly based on the collection Zamzuriah Zahari, a researcher with more than 10 years of experience researching Mek Mulung. For the development of my graduate studies, these were the primary source of material as the song texts were derived from recorded interviews that I have witnessed during the course of my study.

This allows the readers to compare the differences in the variation of the music documented in both parties. The large portion of the sung style recording and transcription of Zamzuriah’s collection will be presented in another publication.

The list below shows the entire music repertoire performed in Wang Tepus. Songs in a Mek Mulung performance have specific functions, which are categorized as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Opening songs (Lagu Pembukaan) Travelling songs (Lagu Berjalan) Call and Respond songs (Lagu Memanggil dan Membalas) Intention songs (Lagu Berkhabar) Action songs (Lagu Kegiatan) Closing song (Lagu Penutup) Trance song (Lagu Menurun) (this is specifically for ritual performances)

Most of the songs are performed once during the whole performance, although there are a couple of them that were sung more than once. Being a major part in the main performance structure, music was performed in every Mek Mulung performance.

Performers might be accompanied by drum players who provided particular sound effects to demonstrate or enhance certain scenes or actions of the characters. For example, the musicians would play short rhythmic patterns during certain scenes to emphasize appropriate movements, such as to demonstrate Awang coming down to meet the Raja, a fighting scene, or Awang’s comedic actions. In certain situations, usually when new performers made their debut performance, certain songs that were meant for certain roles could be replaced or omitted, with the exception of the compulsory song repertoire. It depends on the capability of the performers as well as the responses of the audience.

digugur, kecuali lagu-lagu wajib dalam repertoir. Ia bergantung kepada kemampuan ahli-ahli persembahan dan juga sambutan daripada penonton.

A general sequence of sung songs in the Mek Mulung repertoire is as follows: 1.

Opening songs a) Bertabik b) Gerak Timpuh c) Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq d) Makan Pinang

2.

Travelling song a) Berjalan

3.

Call and Respond songs a) Burung Odang b) Panggil Awang/Inang c) Timang Welu (non-compulsory) d) Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga

4.

Intention Songs a) Berkhabar

5.

Action Songs a) Mengulik (non-compulsory) b) Masuk ke Taman (non-compulsory)

6.

Closing Song a) Kecil Milik

7.

8.

9.

10.

Trance song (for ritual performance) Instrumental music in Mek Mulung Repertoire Bertabuh (the Pre-Opening song) Opening dance and Instrumental music a) Puteri Mabuk b) Anak Menora c) Gambang d) Sedayung

Satu turutan umum bagi lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dalam repertoir Mek Mulung adalah seperti berikut: 1.

Lagu Pembukaan a) Bertabik b) Gerak Timpuh c) Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq d) Makan Pinang

2.

Lagu Berjalan a) Berjalan

3.

Lagu Memanggil dan Membalas a) Burung Odang b) Panggil Awang/Inang c) Timang Welu (Tidak wajib) d) Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga

4.

Lagu Berkhabar a) Berkhabar

5.

Lagu Kegiatan a) Mengulik (Tidak wajib) b) Masuk ke Taman (Tidak wajib)

6.

Lagu Penutup a) Kecil Milik

7.

8.

9.

10.

Lagu Menurun (untuk persembahan ritual) Muzik instrumental dalam repertoir Mek Mulung Bertabuh (Lagu Pra-Pembukaan) Tarian Pembukaan dan muzik instrumental a) Puteri Mabuk b) Anak Menora c) Gambang d) Sedayung

11. Berjalan (instrumental version)

11. Berjalan (versi instrumental)

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Kesemua kategori lagu yang dinyanyikan adalah bahagian penting dalam keseluruhan struktur persembahan kecuali Lagu Kegiatan dan Lagu Menurun. Lagu Kegiatan hanya dinyanyikan bagi mengiringi aksi-aksi tertentu yang terdapat dalam jalan cerita tertentu. Sekiranya sesuatu jalan cerita itu digugurkan ataupun dipersembahkan dalam bentuk penceritaan, maka lagulagu itu tidak akan dimainkan dalam persembahan tersebut.

Lagu-lagu Kegiatan semakin kurang dimainkan dalam repertoir persembahan Wang Tepus setelah Pak Leh meninggal dunia disebabkan majoriti ahli persembahan sekarang tidak boleh menyanyikan lagu itu sepenuhnya. Keadaan yang sama berlaku pada lagu Timang Welu daripada Lagu Memanggil dan Membalas.

Oleh sebab lagu-lagu ini tidak dianggap sebagai lagu-lagu yang mempunyai keutamaan dalam sesuatu persembahan, maka ahli-ahli persembahan Wang Tepus masa kini, seperti Pak Mat dan Halim, memberi lebih perhatian kepada lagu-lagu lain yang terdapat dalam repertoir.

Sebagai Lagu Pembukaan, persembahan dimulakan dengan lagu wajib, iaitu lagu Bertabik yang mempunyai implikasi kerohanian dalam teks lagunya sebagai tanda hormat kepada semangat dan roh nenek moyang untuk memastikan persembahan dapat dijalankan dengan lancar. Muzik instrumental dalam persembahan Mek Mulung di Wang Tepus mengandungi enam buah lagu. Empat lagu tarian Pembukaan yang dimainkan secara berterusan seolah-olah menjadi satu lagu tarian yang panjang. Selain lagu Berjalan, lagu-lagu instrumental hanya dimainkan pada bahagian Pembukaan. Melalui rangkaian lagu-lagu instrumental dan lagulagu yang dinyanyikan dalam bahagian Pembukaan, terdapat lebih banyak muzik dimainkan pada permulaan persembahan.

Selain daripada lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dan lagu-lagu instrumental yang mencorakkan repertoir persembahan Mek Mulung, kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung mengaku mereka turut memasukkan muzik lain dalam persembahan Cahaya Bulan.

Sepuluh buah karya muzik berbeza yang mewakili pelbagai seni persembahan, seperti Makyung, Menora, atau Silat yang popular di kawasan itu, turut dimasukkan ke dalam repertoir persembahan biasa.

174

All the sung song categories are important parts of the entire performance structure with the exception of the Action songs and the Trance song. Action songs were sung to accompany a particular action within a certain plot. If the particular plot was omitted or was presented in the form of a narration, then the songs would not be included in the performance. Action songs have become less frequently included in the Wang Tepus performance repertoire after the passing of Pak Leh because the majority of the current performers are not able to sing the songs in its entirety. A similar case is the Timang Welu of the Call and Respond songs. As these songs were not considered to have the highest priority in the performance, current performers in Wang Tepus, such as Pak Mat and Halim, tend to give more focus on other songs in the repertoire list.

As the Opening song, the performance starts with the mandatory Bertabik song which has spiritual implications in its song text as a form of salutation to the spirits and ancestors to ensure a successful performance. The instrumental music in the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung performance comprised six pieces. The four Opening dance music pieces were played continuously which seemed to appear as one large dance piece. Besides the Berjalan song, instrumental songs were only played in the Opening section.

With the combination of the instrumental pieces and the songs that were sung in the Opening section, there was more music playing in the beginning of the performance. Apart from the sung songs and instrumental music which characterize a Mek Mulung performance repertoire, the Wang Tepus troupe admitted that they also included other music in their Cahaya Bulan performance. Ten different musical pieces representing various performing arts, such as the Makyung, Menora, or Silat which are popular in the area, were added to the regular performance repertoire.

GAYA MUZIK DALAM LAGU-LAGU MEK MULUNG Lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dalam Mek Mulung mempunyai gaya yang tersendiri dan ciri-ciri yang unik bagi persembahan itu. Lagu-lagu ini merupakan antara sifat-sifat utama yang para penonton kaitkan dengan sesuatu persembahan Mek Mulung, dan membezakannya daripada persembahan-persembahan lain seperti Makyung dari Kelantan. Kecuali beberapa perkara, kesemua gayanya adalah sama dalam kebanyakan lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dalam Mek Mulung.

Lagu-lagu Mek Mulung dinyanyikan secara berbalas-balas atau panggil dan jawab. Ini bermakna seorang ahli persembahan solo menyanyikan satu frasa melodi yang akan dibalas oleh korus yang terdiri daripada ensembel pemuzik Mek Mulung berserta penaripenari dan ahli-ahli persembahan lain yang berada di bangsal.

Korus membalas dengan mengulangi frasa yang dinyanyikan oleh penyanyi solo.

Sebagai contoh, sebuah rakaman Gerak Timpuh (Rakaman 01) dimuatkan di dalam buku sebagai untuk menunjukkan kaedah nyanyian berbala-balas ini. Puteri menyanyi “Eeee setelah sudah amboi di saya la eee bertabik…”, yang dibalas oleh korus dengan boleh mengulangi tiga suku-kata terakhir, iaitu “ber-tabik” itu atau dalam frasa hujung. Tiga suku kata dalam frasa hujung kemudiannya diulangi dengan rangkap frasa yang sama diulangi oleh korus. Kaedah nyanyian ini merupakan gaya nyanyian yang gunakan di Wang Tepus seperti transkripsi skor lagu Burung Odang yang dinyanyikan oleh Pak Mat dan Pak leh.

Puteri kemudiannya akan mengulangi frasa ‘ber-ta-bik” sekali lagi sebelum meneruskan verse seterusnya. Gaya nyanyian seperti ini berlaku pada keseluruhan persembahan, kecuali terdapat keperluan untuk memendekkan persembahan yang mana sesetengah lagu dinyanyikan tanpa korus. Walau bagaimanapun, lagu-lagu Pembukaan secara umumnya dinyanyikan bersama korus. Ada dalam lagu-lagu tertentu, terdapat frasa melodi tertentu yang diulang-ulang. Ini digelar bentuk stropik, yang ada persamaan dengan muzik blues Barat iaitu kaedah pengulangan permainan muzik bagi bahagian-bahagian tertentu yang biasa dimainkan pada muzik blues barat. Apabila setiap frasa

melodi diulangi, terdapat perubahan pada teks lagu. Satu yang terkecuali ialah lagu Bertabik yang menggunakan dua frasa melodi yang berbeza.

MUSICAL STYLE IN MEK MULUNG SONGS The sung songs of Mek Mulung have a very distinctive style and character that is unique to the performance. These songs are among the major features that audiences associate with a Mek Mulung performance, which set it apart from other performances such as the Mak Yong in Kelantan. With a few exceptions, the styles are similar in most of the Mek Mulung sung songs.

Mek Mulung songs are sung in a responsorial or call-and-answer manner. This means that a solo performer would sing a melodic phrase and this would be responded by a chorus which consisted of the musicians of the Mek Mulung ensemble as well as the dancers and other performers in the bangsal. The chorus responded by repeating the phrase sung by the soloist.

As an example, a recording of the Gerak Timpuh (Recording no.1) is included in this book to demonstrate this responsorial method of singing. The Puteri sings “Eeee setelah sudah amboi di saya la eee bertabik ...” to which the chorus responds by repeating the last three syllables “ber-ta-bik” in the phrase or the ‘tail’ phrase.

The three-syllable ‘tail’ phrase is then repeated, with the same verse being repeated by the chorus. This is a common practice in Wang Tepus depicted in the transcription of Pak Mat and Pak Leh singing together. The Puteri then may or may not repeats the phrase “berta-bik” again and continues with the next verse. This singing style is expected throughout the entire performance, unless there was a need to shorten the performance whereby some songs were sung without a chorus. However, opening songs were generally sung with choruses. In a particular song, there is a particular melodic phrase that would be repeated throughout. This is called the strophic form, similar to the idea of the western blues music. When each melodic phrase was repeated, there were changes in the song text.

An exception is the Bertabik song whereby two different melodic phrases were used.

175

Burong Odang q=60

° b 4 j Pak Mat & b b 4 ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. Œ Nya - wa bu - rong

Pak Leh

bb 4 b & 4 ¢

bu - rong

o-dang di - don - dang

∑

° b Pak Mat & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ 4

‰ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ ba - ngun - lah i - nang

∑ ∑

nya- wa dok

∑ ∑

∑

ba - ngun ke - nya- wa eee

Pak Leh

bb ‰™ b & ¢

j œ œ œ œ™ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ™

ke - nya- wa eee

° b Pak Mat & b b Œ 8

bb b & œ œ œ œ œ œ™œ ¢ ba - ngun ke - nya- wa eee

176

ba - ngun - lah i - nang nya- wa

≈ œ œ œ ™ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ . nya- wa eee

Pak Leh

ba - ngun i - nang bu - rong o - dang di don- dang

ge- rak ba - ngun bu - rong o - dang di - don- dang

∑

∑

ge- rak - lah ba - ngun gon- cang

∑

2

° b Pak Mat & b b œ œ œ 12

ja - ga

Pak Leh

bbb Œ & ¢

œ œ œ™ œ

∑

∑

≈ œ œ œ™ œ

‰ œj œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ

ber - gon- cang eee

gon- cang eee

° b Pak Mat & b b 15

ge - rak

œ œ œ

˙

ba - ngun bu - rong o - dang di don - dang

∑

∑

¿

Ó™

Ya!

Pak Leh

bbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ & ¢ eee

ge - rak lah

ba - ngun

ja - ga

ber - gon- cong oi

ja - ga

∑

eee

Lagu Burong Odang yang dinyanyikan Pak Mat dan Pak Leh Burong Odang Song that is sung by Pak Mat and Pak Leh.

Di penghujung lagu Bertabik, satu frasa melodi yang baharu diperkenalkan oleh penyanyi solo. Setelah diperkenalkan, prinsipprinsip yang sama digunapakai, dengan korus mengulangi frasa melodi yang baharu. Frasa melodi ini bagaimanapun tidak mempunyai hujung. Korus tidak lagi mengulangi hujung frasa, tetapi korus menyanyi setelah penyanyi solo selesai menyanyi. Oleh itu, tidak berlaku pertindihan penyanyi solo dan korus. Daripada penerangan di atas, dapat dilihat muzik Mek Mulung mempunyai dua gaya berbalas-balas, iaitu gaya bertindih dan gaya berhenti dan mula. Oleh itu, bergantung kepada suatu lagu itu, ia sama ada diulangi dalam bentuk bertindih atau tidak bertindih.

Towards the end of the Bertabik song, a new melodic phrase was introduced by the soloist. Once it was introduced, the same principle applies, whereby the chorus would repeat the new melodic phrase. This melodic phrase however has no ‘tail’. Instead of picking up the ‘tail’ phrase and repeating it, the chorus would sing when the soloist has finished and repeated the phrase. Therefore, there was no overlapping of the chorus and the soloist. From the description above, it can be observed that the Mek Mulung music has two responsorial styles, which is the overlapping style and the stop-and-start style. Therefore, depending on the song, it can either be repeated as overlapping or non-overlapping.

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Sebaik-baiknya, kesemua lagu sepatutnya dinyanyikan secara berbalas-balas. Persembahan di kampung tidak pernah lagi dinyanyikan tanpa sambutan daripada penyanyi korus. Namun, terdapat beberapa lagu yang dinyanyikan sepenuhnya tanpa korus bagi menjimatkan masa untuk persembahan di bandar. Lagu-lagu ini termasuk lagu Berjalan dan lagu Panggil Awang. Adalah amat penting lagu-lagu Pembukaan dinyanyikan dengan gaya berbalasbalas. Terdapat keadaan-keadaan yang mana beberapa rangkap ditinggalkan, terutama sekali disebabkan penyanyi solo tidak boleh mengingatnya ataupun untuk menjimatkan masa. Menggugurkan beberapa rangkap semasa persembahan adalah suatu yang dibenarkan. Namun begitu, menggugurkan rangkap-rangkap tertentu haruslah dilakukan mengikut peraturan-peraturan yang telah ditetapkan dan ini perlu dipantau rapat oleh tokoh-tokoh kumpulan persembahan.

Bagi lagu Pembukaan, rangkap-rangkap tidak semesti dinyanyikan mengikut sesuatu turutan yang tetap. Sebagai contoh, pada bahagian lagu Gerak Timpuh dinyanyikan yang menghuraikan Puteri menyiapkan diri boleh dinyanyikan dengan rangkaprangkap mengikut turutan yang sedikit berbeza selagi ia tidak mengganggu proses Puteri tersebut bersiap (sebagai contoh, Puteri mungkin memakai baju dahulu sebelum menyarung kain atau sebaliknya). Pada masa yang sama, beberapa aksi yang mengiringi lagu-lagu juga boleh digugurkan. Kadang-kala ini tidak dilakukan dengan sengaja; tetapi ada masa-masanya ia dilakukan untuk mengurangkan tempoh masa sesuatu lagu. Adalah penting bagi ahli persembahan mengetahui bagaimana hendak mengurangkan tempoh masa sebuah lagu tanpa membuang frasa-frasa tertentu yang penting.

Baris melodi yang dinyanyikan sama ada oleh penyanyi solo ataupun korus mungkin menunjukkan variasi dan hiasan dalam nyanyian mereka. Variasi-variasi yang berbeza oleh beberapa ahli persembahan boleh disebabkan kesan heterofoni, dengan itu menghasilkan tekstur yang lebih mewah berbanding nyanyian bersama secara seunison sepenuhmya. Tekstur ini menghasilkan suatu bunyi yang tidak serupa setiap kali persembahan Wang

178

Ideally all of the songs should be sung in a responsorial manner.

In Wang Tepus, it is almost never heard without a response from the chorus. However, there were some songs which were sung completely without the chorus so as to save time, seen in urban performances. These songs include the Travelling songs and the Panggil Awang song. It is crucial that the Opening songs were sung in a responsorial style. There were cases whereby some of the verses were left out, mainly because the soloist could not remember them or to save time. It is permissible to omit some verses during a performance. However, omission of certain verses would have to be done according to established rules and this was closely monitored by the elders in the troupe.

For the Opening songs, the verses need not necessarily be sung in a rigid order. For example, the section of the Gerak Timpuh song which describes the Puteri was getting dressed might be sung with the verses in a slightly different order, as long as the getting ready process is in a reasonable manner (for example, the singer may switch to wear the skirt before the shirt or vice versa). At the same time, some of the actions accompanying the songs could also be omitted. Sometimes this was not done intentionally; but there were times it was done to reduce the length of the song. It is important for the performer to know how to reduce the length of the song without leaving out certain important phrases.

The melodic line sung by either the soloist or by the chorus might have slight variations and ornamentations in the singing. Different variations coming from several performers could result in a slight heterophony, thus creating a richer texture in comparison to singing in complete unison. This texture created a sound that would not be identical each time a Wang Tepus performance took place. In addition, there was no special designated starting note pitch, which means that the starting note could be anything within the singer’s voice range following the melodic motive pattern.

Tepus diadakan. Tambahan pula, tidak ada pic not permulaan yang khusus, yang bererti not permulaan boleh berada pada mana-mana dalam lingkungan jarak vokal penyanyi berkenaan berdasarkan corak motif melodik.

Variasi-variasi ini adalah hasil daripada gaya khusus seseorang ahli persembahan yang mempunyai kemahiran dan pengalaman yang membolehkannya menghasilkan variasi-variasi ini. Daripada contoh transkripsi lagu Burong Odang yang dinyanyikan arwah Pak Mat dan arwah Pak Salleh, kelihatan rangkap-rangkap yang dinyanyikan adalah tidak serupa sepanjang masa. Rangkap pertama yang dinyanyikan oleh Pak Mat perkataan dondang, ‘dang’ dinyanyikan dengan sedikit dipendekkan. Pada bar 14 pula Pak Leh menyanyikan dengan agak panjang. Menghasilkan variasi-variasi dan menjadikannya identiti individu yang tersendiri, memerlukan latihan dan pengetahuan yang mendalam serta pemahaman tentang tradisi Mek Mulung. Secara umumnya, apabila membuat persembahan, korus mengulangi corak melodi dan ritma yang serupa dengan ahli persembahan solo yang seterusnya menghasilkan tekstur baris melodi secara unison yang lebih monofonik. Walau bagaimanapun, apabila ciri-ciri individu ahli-ahli korus diambil kira, melodi menghasilkan bunyibunyi yang mengandungi tekstur yang lebih heterofonik dan memberi keunikan kepada kumpulan ahli-ahli persembahan berkenaan pada malam tersebut.

Terdapat juga beberapa lagu yang menggunakan melodi yang sama dengan lagu-lagu lain. Ini berlaku pada Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh dan Makan Pinang (Rakaman 01 dan Rakaman 02). Bagi lagu-lagu ini, terdapat hanya tiga pic menghasilkan bahan melodi.

Lagu-lagu lain seperti Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, Berjalan, Panggil Awang/Inang, Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga juga menggunakan tiga pic. Bagi lagu-lagu tidak wajib seperti Masuk ke Taman, Mengulik, dan Timang Welu, lagu-lagu ini mempunyai lebih kumpulan not atau pic dalam muziknya. Lagu-lagu Kecil Milik dan Burung Odang juga mempunyai lebih daripada tiga not dan pic dalam melodinya.

Ini menghasilkan kontur muzik yang lebih luas serta kemungkinan mendengar lebih banyak melodi melismatic dalam muzik itu.

These variations were the result of the characteristic style of the individual performer whose skills and experience enabled them to create these variations. From the Burong Odang song sung by the late Pak Mat and the late Pak Salleh, you would see that the verses are not sung identical the whole time. You can see that in the first verse Pak Mat sung the syllable ‘dang’ in the word ‘dondang’ in a more detached manner, but Pak Leh in bar 14 even took more time to extend the length of the syllable ‘dang’ Thus, creating the variations and making it as their own individual identity takes practice and requires deep knowledge and understanding of the Mek Mulung tradition. Generally, when performing, the chorus would repeat the exact melodic and rhythm pattern of the solo performer thus resulting in a more monophonic unison melodic line texture. However, when individual characteristics of the chorus members were included, the melody produced sounds with a more heterophonic texture that was unique to the performance of that particular group of performers for that particular night.

There are also some songs in which they used the same melody that was used in other songs. This is true for the Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh, and the Makan Pinang (Track 01 and Track 02). In these particular songs, there are only three pitches that made up their melodic material. Other songs such as the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, Berjalan, Panggil Awang/Inang, Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga are also based on three pitches. The non-compulsory songs such as the Masuk ke Taman, Mengulik, Timang Welu have more groups of notes or pitches used in the music. The songs Kecil Milik and Burung Odang too have more than three notes or pitches in the melody.

These created a wider musical contour as well as the possibility to hear more melismatic passages in the music.

179

Selain daripada komponen melodi dalam lagu, gendang-gendang membantu dalam menghasilkan ritma, sementara peralatan muzik yang lain seperti Gong, Kecerek, Canang atau Mong digunakan bagi menandakan bit-bit tertentu dalam muzik itu. Bahagian ritma dan penjagaan masa bagi ensembel Mek Mulung memainkan peranan yang penting bagi penjagaan masa muzik itu sepanjang persembahan. Seperti motif-motif melodik yang merupakan pengulangan setiap frasa, komponen ritma dimainkan pada ritma yang tetap bagi setiap frasa melodik.

Bahagian ritma dalam ensembel mula bermain pada penghujung frasa itu. Contohnya, bagi lagu Timang Welu (Rakaman 04 dan 05), Gendang dipalu apabila perkataan ‘tuan’ disebut semasa di pertengahan verse. Satu frasa baharu kemudiannya dimulakan melalui tanda isyarat daripada bunyi gong. Pada ketika ini korus turut serta dengan mengulangi frasa yang berkenaan. Dalam lagu-lagu tertentu, seperti lagu Burung Odang, Berkhabar, Timang Welu dan Kecil Milik, ritma masuk pada pertengahan kedua frasa melodik. Keadaan ini lazimnya berlaku kerana corak ritma 8-bit diulangi sebanyak dua kali bagi satu frasa melodik. Bahagian ritma, bersama-sama dengan gong, terus bermain corak ritma yang berulang, dan memberi penanda bit.

Bahagian ritma mengandungi tiga gendang iaitu, khususnya Gendang Ibu, Gendang Anak dan Semborong. Dengan gendanggendang berbingkai ini, corak ritma yang dimainkan berulang kali memberi sokongan ritma kepada muzik. Corak-corak ritma boleh jadi sama daripada satu lagu dengan lagu yang lain, dan gendanggendang yang berlainan boleh mempunyai corak ritma yang sama dalam lagu-lagu yang berlainan. Gendang Ibu memainkan corak ritma yang utama. Gendang Anak kerap kali mengiringi Gendang Ibu, sementara Semborong memainkan ritma bertingkah-tingkah yang dihasilkan dengan cara baharu antara bit-bit utama. Semborong juga boleh memainkan corak ritma yang sama dengan Gendang Anak. Bagi lagu-lagu tertentu, Gendang Anak mengikut Gendang Ibu pada keseluruhan lagu itu. Corak-corak ritma yang dihasilkan juga bergantung kepada pengetahuan dan kemahiran ahli-ahli persembahan yang bermain gendang yang mana menentukan sejauh mana ritma bertingkah itu dapat dihasilkan dengan baik.

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Apart from the melody component in the song, drums helped to provide rhythm; while other instruments like the gong, the kecerek, and the canang or mong were used to mark specific beats within the music. The rhythm and time keeper sections for the Mek Mulung ensemble play an important role in maintaining the music’s timing throughout the performance. Similar to the melodic motives which were repetitions of each phrase, the rhythm component played a constant rhythm for each melodic phrase.

The rhythm section of the ensemble entered or started playing towards the end of the phrase. For example, in the case of the song Timang Welu (Track 05), the gendang was played when the word “tuan” was mentioned mid-way through the verse. A new phrase was then started which was signalled by the sound of the gong. It was at this point that the chorus entered by repeating the phrase. In certain songs, such as the Burung Odang, Berkhabar, Timang Welu, and Kecil Milik, the rhythm entered during the second half of the melodic phrase. This was usually the case because the 8-beat rhythm pattern was repeated twice in one melodic phrase.

The rhythm section, along with the gong, continued to play the repeated rhythm patterns and provided markers for the beats.

The rhythm section consists of the three gendang or drums, specifically the Gendang Ibu, Gendang Anak, and the Semborong.

With these framed drums, the repeated playing of the rhythm patterns provided rhythmic support to the music. The rhythmic patterns can be similar from one song to another, and different drums can have the same rhythm patterns in different songs. The Gendang Ibu plays the main rhythm pattern. The Gendang Anak often accompanied the Gendang Ibu while the Semborong played an improvisational interlocking rhythm in between the main beats.

The Semborong could also play the same rhythm patterns as the Gendang Anak. In certain songs the Gendang Anak followed the Gendang Ibu throughout the entire song. The rhythmic patterns produced also depend on the knowledge and skill of the performers playing the drums which determined how well the interlocking rhythm would turn out.

Pada amalan semasa, terdapat lima corak ritma yang khusus dalam struktur persembahan Mek Mulung. Lagu-lagu Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh dan Makan Pinang mempunyai frasa melodik yang sama, sekali gus menghasilkan corak ritma yang sama. Begitu juga, lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, Berjalan, Panggil Inang/Awang dan Inang/Awang Terkejut Jaga mempunyai frasa melodik yang sama, sekali gus mempunyai corak ritma yang sama. Lagu-lagu Burung Odang, Berkhabar dan Timang Welu mempunyai corak ritma yang sama walaupun melodi yang dihasilkan adalah berbeza. Lagu Kecil Milik mempunyai corak ritma yang sama dengan Burung Odang dan Timang Welu, tetapi terdapat perbezaan-perbezaan kecil.

Penanda-penanda masa untuk ensembel Mek Mulung menentukan posisi setiap frasa dalam sebuah lagu. Penandapenanda masa ini terdiri daripada Kecerek, Canang dan Gong.

Gong menandakan penghujung frasa. Satu kitaran 4-bit dan 8bit biasanya terdapat dalam kebanyakan lagu. Lagu-lagu seperti Gerak Timpuh mempunyai kitaran 8-bit. Ini bermakna bunyi Gong terdengar setiap 8-bit dalam lagu itu. Kumpulan persembahan Wang Tepus biasanya menggunakan Kecerek dan Canang apabila memainkan lagu instrumental, tetapi tidak untuk lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan. Gong digunakan sebagai penanda masa untuk lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan.

Penanda masa membantu untuk memastikan wujudnya bit yang tetap dan memberi maklumat kepada ahli-ahli persembahan di mana mereka berada dalam muzik itu. Penanda-penanda masa memaklumkan bilangan bit yang tepat supaya ahli-ahli persembahan boleh membuat penyesuaian yang sewajarnya kepada gerak-geri tarian mereka.

Gong masuk ke dalam bahagian ritma pada penghujung frasa ataupun di pertengahan frasa. Muzik yang menggunakan frasafrasa melodik untuk Berjalan dan Gerak Timpuh memasukan Gong dan gendang-gendang pada penghujung frasa. Bagi lagu-lagu lain seperti Timang Welu, Berkhabar, Burung Odang dan Kecil Milik, ritma dan Gong masuk di bahagian pertengahan frasa.

In current practise, there are five distinct rhythm patterns in the Mek Mulung performance structure. The Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh, and Makan Pinang are songs which share the same melodic phrase, thus resulting in the same rhythmic patterns. Similarly, the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, Berjalan, Panggil Inang/Awang, and Inang/ Awang Terkejut Jaga are songs which share the same melodic phrase and thus had the same rhythmic patterns. The Burung Odang, Berkhabar, and Timang Welu are songs which share the same rhythmic patterns even though the melody they produced was different. The Kecil Milik song has a similar rhythmic pattern with Burung Odang and Timang Welu, but there were slight changes present in them.

The time keepers for the Mek Mulung ensemble marked the positions of each phrase in the song. These time keepers were represented by the Kecerek, Canang, and the Gong. The Gong marked the end of the phrases. A 4-beat or 8-beat cycle was commonly found in most of the songs. Songs such as the Gerak Timpuh, have a 8-beat cycle. This means that the Gong sound was heard for every 8 beats in the song. The Wang Tepus troupe used the Kecerek and the Canang when playing instrumental pieces, but not in the sung songs. The Gong was the only time keeper for the sung songs.

Time keepers helped to maintain a steady beat and provided the performers with information about where they were in the music.

The time keepers marked the exact beats so the performers could make the appropriate adjustments to their dance movements.

The Gong entered with the rhythm section at the end of the phrase or in the middle of the phrase. Music that used the Berjalan and the Gerak Timpuh melodic phrases had the Gong and the drums entering at the end of the phrases. For other songs, such as Timang Welu, Berkhabar, Burung Odang, and Kecil Milik, the rhythm and Gong entered during the middle of the phrase.

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Frasa melodik Berjalan menggunakan kitaran 4-bit yang merupakan kitaran yang terpendek dalam keseluruhan repertoir Mek Mulung. Disebabkan kitaran yang pendek, bunyi gong memberi gambaran perasaan mendesak dalam muzik yang bersesuaian dengan babak menggambarkan gaya berjalan.

Kitaran frasa terpanjang dalam lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dalam Mek Mulung, yang menggunakan kitaran 8-bit, terdapat pada lagu Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh dan Makan Pinang. Lagu-lagu ini dipersembahkan di bahagian permulaan suatu persembahan yang mempunyai repertoir yang lebih besar dan panjang. Muzik yang dimainkan juga lebih perlahan. Frasa Gerak Timpuh, seperti kitaran untuk Berjalan, berakhir dengan bunyi gong. Disebabkan jarak di antara bunyi-bunyi gong adalah panjang, detik yang panjang memberi gambaran sebuah lagu yang panjang. Lagulagu Burung Odang, Berkhabar (versi Pak Leh), Timang Welu dan Kecil Milik mempunyai kitaran 8-bit dengan tempo sederhana.

Gong dimainkan sebanyak dua kali dalam frasa melodik lagu-lagu ini, tidak seperti frasa melodik dalam Berjalan dan Gerak Timpuh.

Ini bermakna kitaran 8-bit diulangi sebanyak dua kali dalam satu frasa melodik.

Apabila dimainkan dalam lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan, gong menandakan penghujung frasa, ataupun separuh daripada frasa apabila ia diulangi sebanyak dua kali. Ini adalah satu perkara yang lazim terdapat pada sistem gong di Asia Tenggara, yang mana frasa akhir selalunya dimainkan dengan nada yang lebih kuat sebagai satu kaedah memberi frasa-frasa berbentuk tekanan hujung, iaitu untuk memberi lebih kekuatan kepada bit terakhir.

LAGU-LAGU MEK MULUNG Lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan bagi persembahan Mek Mulung, seperti yang dibincangkan sebelum ini, merupakan sebahagian besar daripada lagu-lagu yang terdapat dalam keseluruhan struktur utama. Transkripsi muzikal ke atas muzik Mek Mulung dibincangkan di sini berdasarkan sistem notasi muzik Barat.

Notasi ini adalah sebagai panduan kepada pembaca dan tidak mewakili apa yang tertulis sebagai bahan rujukan untuk

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The Berjalan melodic phrase used a 4-beat cycle which was the shortest cycle in the entire Mek Mulung repertoire. Because of the short cycle, the gong sounds gave a sense of urgency in the music which was suitable to portray a walking or travelling pace.

The longest phrase cycle in the Mek Mulung sung songs, which used the 8-beat cycle, were found in the Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh, and Makan Pinang songs. These songs appeared at the beginning of the performance which made up a repertoire that was much larger and longer in nature. The music was also relatively slower.

The phrase of the Gerak Timpuh, like the Berjalan cycle, ended with the playing of the gong. Since the space between the gong sounds were longer, the longer pulse gave the impression of a longer song.

The Burung Odang, Berkhabar (Pak Leh version), Timang Welu, and Kecil Milik songs have 8-beat cycles with moderate tempo. The gong was played twice in the melodic phase of these songs, unlike the Berjalan and Gerak Timpuh melodic phrases. This would mean that the 8-beat cycle was repeated twice in one melodic phrase.

When played in the sung songs, the gongs marked the end of the phrase, or half of the phrase when it was repeated twice. This is a typical aspect of the South East Asian gong system in which the phrases were end-accented, that is to give greater strength to the last beat.

MEK MULUNG SONGS The Mek Mulung sung songs, as described earlier, made up most of the songs in the overall main structure. The musical transcription of the Mek Mulung music is discussed here according to the western musical notation system. The notation is just a guide for readers and does not represent what was written for use as a reference for the village performers. The village performers, instead, maintained their usual approach using the oral tradition discipline. Only in recent years, with access to modern technology, the younger generations have made use of their mobile phones to record music which they used for practice purposes. Among the young performers, Halim has embarked on making use of his own written song texts rather than relying totally on oral memorization. Access to the musical

ahli-ahli persembahan kampung. Ahli-ahli persembahan kampung sebaliknya, mengekalkan pendekatan biasa mereka yang menggunakan disiplin tradisi lisan. Hanya tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini, dengan kemudahan teknologi moden, generasi muda menggunakan telefon bimbit mereka untuk merakam muzik bagi tujuan latihan. Antara ahli-ahli persembahan muda, Halim menggunakan teks lagu yang ditulis sendiri, dan tidak bergantung sepenuhnya kepada tradisi lisan. Transkripsi lagu rakaman dalam bentuk sistem notasi barat dalam buku ini boleh dilihat dengan mengimbas Kod QR yang berada pada hujung bab ini.

Teks-teks lagu disertakan di dalam buku ini bagi memberi pemahaman kepada pembaca terhadap sesetengah maksudmaksud dasar pada lagu-lagu ini, terutama sekali kaitannya dengan aksi-aksi atau pergerakan ahli-ahli persembahan.

Walaupun loghat Melayu Kedah digunakan, terdapat banyak bahagian dalam teks yang mungkin tidak biasa didengar oleh pendengar-pendengar biasa. Malahan, ahli-ahli persembahan sendiri mengaku tidak memahami makna-makna kebanyakan lirik yang ada pada lagu Mek Mulung.

Lagu Pembukaan Lagu Pembukaan adalah lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan pada bahagian Pembukaan bagi setiap persembahan Mek Mulung dan merupakan kalangan lagu-lagu terpenting dalam keseluruhan persembahan Mek Mulung. Lagu-lagu Pembukaan adalah wajib apabila dipersembahkan oleh kumpulan Wang Tepus pada setiap persembahan Mek Mulung. Lagu-lagu Pembukaan akan menentukan suasana keseluruhan persembahan itu, dan menentukan ton untuk bahagian lakonan yang menyusuli selepas lagu-lagu Pembukaan.

Terdapat empat buah lagu Pembukaan dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Lagu-lagu ini ialah (a) Bertabik, (b) Gerak Timpuh, (c) Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, dan (d) Makan Pinang. Lagu-lagu ini sudah memadai untuk menghasilkan satu persembahan yang lengkap bersama-sama lagu Panggil Awang dan juga lagu Penutup.

Semasa persembahan kumpulan Wang Tepus pada bulan Julai

2011, hanya sedikit elemen lakonan dipersembahkan. Selepas lagu Panggil Awang dimainkan, Raja dan Awang mempunyai dialog yang ringkas sebelum mengakhiri persembahan teater. Ini diikuti oleh waktu rehat pendek sebelum memulakan bahagian ritual atau pengubatan. transcriptions written in western notation can found by scanning a QR code available on the final page of this chapter Song texts are included in this book to provide an understanding of some of the underlying meanings of the songs, especially their associations with the actions or movements of the performers.

Even though the local Kedah Malay dialect is used, there are many parts of the texts which may not be familiar to the ordinary listener.

Even the performers themselves have admitted not knowing the meanings of many of the lyrics.

Opening Songs Opening songs are songs that were sung in the Opening section of each Mek Mulung performance and are among the most important songs in the whole Mek Mulung performance. These Opening songs are mandatory when performed by the Wang Tepus troupe in every Mek Mulung performance. These Opening songs would determine the overall mood of the performance and set the tone for the acting sections which follow the Opening songs.

There are four Opening songs in the Mek Mulung performance.

These are the (a) Bertabik, (b) Gerak Timpuh, (c) Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq and (d) Makan Pinang. These songs, by themselves, are enough to make a complete performance together with the Panggil Awang song and the Closing song. During the Wang Tepus performance in July 2011, there was minimal acting elements in the performance. After the Panggil Awang song, the Raja and Awang had a quick dialogue before ending the theatre performance. This was immediately followed by a short break after which the Trance section of the performance was begun.

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Bertabik

Bertabik

Bertabik adalah lagu Pembukaan yang pertama dipersembahkan oleh kumpulan Wang Tepus dan berperanan sebagai lagu untuk tanda hormat ahli-ahli persembahan kepada semangat dan roh nenek moyang untuk memastikan kejayaan dan keselamatan persembahan. Lagu Bertabik adalah sebuah lagu yang agak panjang dan dinyanyikan oleh ahli-ahli persembahan dalam keadaan duduk di bahagian korus. Lagu ini memanggil semangat serta roh nenek moyang yang mana penduduk kampung percaya akan memberi perlindungan kepada ruang persembahan. Melodi untuk lagu Bertabik merupai melodi Gerak Timpuh, sebuah lagu yang akan dinyanyikan sejurus selepas Bertabik dinyanyikan.

Lagu Bertabik kebiasaannya hanya dinyanyikan di Wang Tepus.

Oleh sebab rakaman lagu-lagu Mek Mulung ini mengambil tempat di luar Wang Tepus, tiada contoh rakaman di sediakan.

The Bertabik, which is the first Opening song performed by the Wang Tepus troupe, served as a salutation piece by the performers to ask the spirits and ancestors to ensure a successful and safe performance. The Bertabik is a lengthy piece that was sung while the performers were seated in the chorus section. The piece called on to the spirits and ancestors whom the villagers believe would provide protection to the performance space. The melody for the Bertabik is identical to the song of the next song that will be played, the Gerak Timpuh. The song is also never sung from other than the performers of Wang Tepus itself, and as the recording of this music was taken place outside of Wang Tepus, a musical example is not recorded. The song text for the Bertabik song however is presented below (Figures 4.19).

Bertabik Kecil milik mengaranglah eee yang bunga Amboi bunga dikaranglah eee tidaklah eee bertali Amboi bunga keduduklah eee di dalam ayaq Amboi bunga mulunglah eee seberang paya Amboi bunga dah lawanglah di tanahlah eee yang lembah.

La amboi tabik dah ngecik dah tuanlah semua La amboi kami yang duduklah di dalam la ee belajar La amboi timbul nok sebutlah segala la ee yang ngejin La amboi ngejin yang tanahlah jembalang la ee yang bumi La amboi ngudur lah dirilah bertigo la eee yang langkah La amboi jangan dah ngan mu meninggai la eee yang jauh La kami nok mintak lah di tempatlah eee bermain La kawai di depanlah di kawai la eee belakang La Kawai kirilah di kawai la eee di kanan La Empat penahatlah Penjuru lah eee yang bangsai Kawai semualah di panjak la eee bermain Jangan dok bagilah dok kacau la eee yang cela Jangan dok bagilah dok pening la eee yang kelam Ngajin doh hitamlah memangku la eee yang bumi Ngajin doh putihlah meyulam la eee yang langit Nganjin doh kuninglah bertandang la eee yang desa La amboi Ngajin dah tunggal lah di pintu la eee yang langit La amboi hilang doh kisahlah segala la eee yang ngajin La amboi timbul nok sebutlah segala la eee keramat La amboi Keramat di lautlah keramat la eee di darat La amboi Keramat di laut lah tok pawang la eee yang sail/sain Keramat di darat lah tok pawang la eee…yang rimbo

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(Translation) Kecil milik (a character: small possession) composes eee of a flower Oh the flower is composed eee has no strings Oh the flower is positioned eee floating on the water Oh the flower Mulung eee is on the other side of the wetland Oh the star anise on the ground eee of the valley La oh I have salute humbly to all of you La oh all of us sitting inside here la eee are still learning La oh it’s the time to mention everything la eee of the spirits La oh the spirits of the earth and the ghosts la eee on this earth La oh retreat yourselves in threes la eee of the leap La oh don’t you leave again la eee of going afar La oh we would like to ask for this place, we perform eee the play La guard in front and guard la eee at the back La guard at the left and guard la eee at the right La four places at the corners la eee of the hut Guard all performers la eee that are performing Do not allow to be disturbed la eee lest it will become imperfect Do not allow us to become light headed la eee in the darkness Dark spirits that lives la eee on this earth The white spirits weave la eee across the sky The yellow spirits arriving la eee from the countryside La oh the single spirit at the door la eee of the sky La oh lost all the stories of the spirits la eee of the spirits La oh it is time to mention all la eee is sacred La oh the sacred of the sea and the sacred la eee of the land La oh the sacred in the sea la the medicine man la eee that arrives The sacred at on land of the medicine man la eee of the forest La oh the sacred place is here so salute la eee over here Salute alone I salute to you la eee to everyone

La amboi keramat di sini lah cik tabiklah eee disini Tabik seoranglah cik tabik lah eee semua Hilang dah kisahlah segala la eee keramat Timbul nok sebutlah di raja yang guru Amboi guru doh tua lah di guru la eee yang muda Peran dah tua la di peran la eee yang muda Guru dah tua la di orang la eee..pertama Guru dah muda lah di orang la eee permainan Peran dah tua la di ngorang la eee ke sakti Peran dah muda la di muda la eee yang lakling Hilang dah kisahlah diraja la eee yang guru La amboi timbul nok sebutlah di jeman la eee yang dulu La amboi ada dan dululah di ada la eee sekarang La amboi boleh doh ngeciklah dok bawak laeee bermain Perubahan Melodik Eeee…lagi mati raja doh raja bersalin raja Raja wei ooo.. raja bernama doh besar tok raja besar Besar wei ooo…bonda bernama lah sakti bongsu kesakti Sakti wei ooo.. lagi anak bernamalah bulan cahaya bulan Bulan wei ooo...lagi adik bernama lah mara puteri nang mara Mara weh oo… lagi duduk beradu dah setana anjung setano Stano wei oo..lagi ayah tidak lah tidak bonda pun tidak Tidak wei oo…lagi tidak sekali dah ngasuh inang pengasuh

Teks lagu Bertabik menunjukkan lagu ini dipersembahkan untuk tujuan spiritual dan ritual. Ia memohon roh-roh supaya tidak mengganggu perjalanan persembahan dan membantu dalam menjaga keselamatan persembahan. Lagu ini juga menyebut beberapa watak penting dalam persembahan Mek Mulung seperti Puteri Nang Mara, Cahaya Bulan dan Peran Tua. Ini adalah kaedah memberi berkat yang digunakan untuk memastikan kejayaan persembahan.

Selain daripada aktiviti dalam kalangan pemuzik yang mengambil posisi di bahagian belakang dan di kiri dan kanan bahagian tepi ruang persembahan, terdapat sedikit pergerakan di bahagian tengah ruang persembahan semasa lagu Bertabik dinyanyikan.

Penari-penari mula muncul dan bergerak ke ruang persembahan lebih kurang pada pertengahan lagu dan duduk dalam kalangan pemuzik sehingga pertengahan lagu berikutnya, iaitu Gerak Timpuh, apabila mereka mula bergerak.

All of the stories are lost la eee that are sacred This is the time to mention the king that is the guru Oh the old guru and the guru la eee and the young The elder servant and the servant la eee the young The old guru is the person la eee the first one The young guru is the person la eee in the performance The older servant is the person la eee with the magic The younger servant is younger la eee with the lakling magic Gone are the stories of the king’s la ee of the guru’s La oh it is time to mention the stories once upon a time la eee of the past La oh there is and before had la eee right now La oh is available to humbly carry la eee to perform Melodic Change Eee…when there is a death of a king a new king rises The king hey ooo…the king is named besar, (grand)Tok Raja besar (the grand ole king) Grand hey ooo…the enchanted queen is named, bongsu kesakti (enchanted youngest) Enchanted hey ooo…The child is then named from the moon, Cahaya bulan (the light of the moon) The moon hey ooo...the wife/princess is then named Mara, Princess Nang Mara Mara hey ooo the princess resides there at the palaces’ veranda Palace hey ooo…has no father nor have the mother Has nor hey ooo…is not together with the servant maid

The song text clearly indicates that the song was performed for spiritual and ritualistic purposes. It asks for the spirits not to interfere with the performance and to help guard the safety of the performance. The song also mentions several prominent characters in the Mek Mulung performance, such as Puteri Nang Mara, Cahaya Bulan, and Peran Tua. These are modes of blessing that were carried out to ensure a successful performance.

Apart from the activity among the musicians who positioned themselves towards the back and sides of the performance space, there was very little movement in the center of the performance space during the Bertabik song. The dancers made their appearance on the performance space about midway through the song where they remained in a sitting position among the musicians until about midway through the next song, the Gerak Timpuh, when they began to move.

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Gerak Timpuh

Gerak Timpuh

Lagu seterusnya, Gerak Timpuh (Rakaman 01), bermula selepas selesainya lagu Bertabik. Pada ketika ini, penari-penari yang keluar daripada kedudukan mereka dalam kalangan pemuzik untuk bergerak ke ruang tengah ruang persembahan dan memposisikan diri mereka di bahagian depan tiang seri. Mereka kekal di posisi ini sehingga pertengahan lagu apabila mereka mula menari. Lagu Gerak Timpuh adalah lagu yang memberitahu tentang watak terpenting dalam Mek Mulung, iaitu Puteri. Lagu ini memberi gambaran tentang kecantikan Puteri dan memberitahu bagaimana Puteri menyiapkan dirinya. Lagu ini menerangkan secara terperinci aksi Puteri ketika menyiapkan dirinya.

The next song, Gerak Timpuh, would start after the Bertabik ended.

The score and the text for Gerak Timpuh are as follows. At this point, the dancers positioned themselves in front of the tiang seri. They remained in front of the tiang seri until midway through the song after which they began to dance. The Gerak Timpuh is a song that describes the most important character in Mek Mulung, which is the Puteri. The song depicts the princess’ beauty by describing how she prepares to groom herself. The song explains in great detail the actions of the Puteri getting dressed.

Gerak Timpuh Eeee setelah sudah amboi di saya la eee bertabik Amboi timbui nak sebutlah di jeman la eee…dan dulu Amboi ada dan dulu lah di ada la eee…sekarang Amboi boleh dah ngeciklah dok bawak la eee..bermain Ee tokleh ralek ambo didagang la ee dok bilang La ngamboi lagi dok bilang bertambah lah eee yang banyak Lah ngamboi baik doh ngecek bersiap la eee bersimpan La amboi siap bersimpan pakaian la eee yang badan Doh amboi ambik doh sisiak cek sisiak la eee bersurai La ngamboi sisiak bersurai cek sanggoi la eee yang lipat Ya amboi tujuh doh lipat sembilan la eee yang ulai La amboi anak lah rambut di naga la eee berbelai Ya amboi anak nok rambut di sunting la eee terbelai Ya amboi ekor doh pipit di gerak la eee berjuntai La amboi ambik doh bedok cik lulur la eee ke muka La amboi lulur sekali semua la eee yang rata La amboi ambik doh celok cik pateh la eee di kening La amboi kening dah lentik di bentuk la eee yang tadi La amboi ambik doh kain cek sarung lah eee di kaki La amboi cerai di kaki cermin la eee di pinggang La amboi ambik doh baju cik sarong la eee ke badan La amboi cukup doh genap pakaian la eee yang badan La amboi sini doh tempatlah di dagang la eee berjalan (Bangun berjalan) Eee. ..Gerak dah timpuh merungkai la eee yang silo La amboi bagai dah sawo bergerak la eee yang lingkar La amboi bagai dah punai meluit la eee yang kawan

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(Translation) Eee…after I completed oh la eee…my salutation Oh so I begin to tell what happened once upon a time la eee…and before Oh there was before as there is now la eee…right now Oh I humbly present the performance la eee…a play Eeee I shall wait no longer oh to sing to you la eee…time is fleeting La oh time has passed; time and time again it has been lost la eee… more La oh I shall start prepare myself with my garments la eee…that have been kept La oh I shall get myself well-dressed with my garments la eee…on myself Have oh, I take my comb, I comb my hair la eee…untangled La oh, my hair that I have combed untangled, I fold into a bun la eee… that I fold Ya oh the seventh and the ninth have I folded la eee that have been folded La oh the hair has been kept majestically as a mighty dragon la eee… as I stroke Ya oh the hair fringe is trimmed la eee… I stroke Ya oh the tail of the sparrow part of my hair is, I moved la eee…as it drapes La oh I take my powder and brushed it over my face la eee…at my face La oh the powder I brushed, I wiped again la eee…thoroughly La oh I take an eyebrow liner and I coloured la eee…on my eyebrow La oh the eyebrows are designed and shaped la eee…as before La oh I take my skirt and I slipped it through la eee…my legs La oh the separations of skirt I checked through the mirror la eee at my waist La oh I take my clothes and I slipped it through la eee…on my body La oh my garments are completed la eee…the figure La oh here is the place I start to sing la eee…as I travel

La amboi bagai dah sirih melayah la eee yang junjung La amboi bagai dah tarok mencari la eee yang junjung La amboi sini tempat di dagang la eee berjalan La amboi tok leh dok ralek kepada la eee yang sini La amboi baik menuju ke bilik la eee yang ayaq La amboi bangun berdiri di tapok la eee yang tigo La amboi dagang nak pecah la eee yang limo La amboi taut dah jangkah menukar la eee yang kacang La amboi tarik dah limbai mengamboi la eee yang bayam La amboi sini dah tempat di dagang la ee berjalan La amboi selang berjalan membelang la eee melenggang Jalan selalu la eee

Dalam lagu Gerak Timpuh, Puteri memberitahu secara terperinci bagaimana dia menyisir rambutnya, memakai bedak pada mukanya, dan juga mengikat rambutnya. Puteri kemudiannya mengaitkan kecantikannya dengan keindahan alam semulajadi dengan merujuk kepada lemah gemalai burung-burung dan keberanian ular. Puteri juga menyatakan dia ingin ke bilik air selepas itu.

Dalam lagu Gerak Timpuh dan Bertabik, setiap frasa dimulakan dengan ‘Lah amboi’. Ia lebih merupakan pernyataan positif untuk memulakan baris seterusnya dalam teks lagu. Pernyataan ini memberi penekanan kepada teks lagu semasa persembahan dan berperanan menyatukan satu baris dengan satu baris yang lain.

Teks lagu untuk Bertabik dan Gerak Timpuh bagi kumpulan persembahan Wang Tepus mungkin berbeza sedikit daripada satu persembahan kepada satu persembahan lain kerana ahliahli persembahan tidak semestinya menyanyikan kesemua frasa dalam lagu tersebut. Mereka mungkin menggugurkan beberapa frasa ataupun tidak menyanyi mengikut susunan yang telah ditetapkan. Sebagai contoh, frasa yang menceritakan Puteri menyikat rambutnya boleh digantikan dengan frasa yang mana Puteri memakai bedak pada mukanya. Ini boleh berlaku sebab ahli-ahli persembahan Wang Tepus mungkin terlupa sebahagian daripada teks lagu tersebut dan akan menyanyikannya kemudian ke dalam lagu itu apabila mereka mengingatnya semula.

(Rises to dance) Eee…I move from my revering position to unravel la eee that we please La oh like the python moves la eee in a circular motion La oh like the pigeon opening its beak la eee of the flock La oh like the betel nut heavenly taste la eee…that balanced on the head La oh like how I misplaced and searched la eee…that balanced on the head La oh this is the place where I begin to sing la eee…I walk La oh I shall wait no further towards la eee over here La oh it would be better for me to head towards the place la eee the bathroom La oh I raise standing at this place la eee of the three La oh I sing to reveal la eee of the fifth La oh the creeping have changed its steps la eee of like the creeping of the peanut tree La oh the movements of the pulling and waving is delicate la eee like the spinach leaves in the wind La oh this is the time and place we sing la eee as we travel La oh we weave our steps together la eee casually We continue our travels la eeee

In the Gerak Timpuh, the Puteri tells in great detail how she combs her hair, powders her face, and ties up her hair. She then associates her beauty with the beauty of nature by referring to the graceful birds and boldness of the snake. The Puteri mentions that her next intention was to go to the washroom.

In the Gerak Timpuh song as well as the Bertabik, the beginning of each phrase starts with ‘Lah amboi’. It is more of a positive expression to actually start the next line in the song text. The expression accentuates the song text in the performance and serves to unite one line with another.

The song texts for the Bertabik and Gerak Timpuh for the Wang Tepus troupe might differ slightly from one performance to another as the performers might not necessarily sing all of the phrases in the songs. They could have left out a few phrases or would not sing in the same order as prescribed. For example, the phrase in which the Puteri combs her hair might be replaced by the phrase in which

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Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq Sebelum lagu Pembukaan diteruskan dengan lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq (Rakaman 01, 14:21), lagu Gerak Timpuh diikuti oleh tarian-tarian yang mengiringi lagu-lagu instrumental. Muzik kemudiannya secara berterusan memainkan lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq. Walaupun lagu ini diberi tajuk yang menggambarkan sebuah lagu Berjalan, tetapi pentingnya kepada struktur persembahan membuatkannya lebih sesuai dikategorikan sebagai sebuah lagu Pembukaan.

Lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq menceritakan selain daripada perkara-perkara lain, tujuan Puteri mengambil wuduk sebagai persiapan untuk menunaikan solat. Puteri kemudiannya masuk ke biliknya dan makan buah pinang. Frasa mempunyai keunikan yang tersendiri yang mana teks muzik menggambarkan berbagai aspek nilai agama Islam walaupun terdapat ucapan-ucapan panjang sebagai tanda hormat yang ditujukan kepada alam spiritual pada bahagian Bertabik di awal persembahan. Apabila sampai di penghujung lagu, semua penari bergerak keluar daripada ruang persembahan dan meninggalkan Puteri berseorangan di tengah ruang persembahan.

she powders her face. This could happen because the Wang Tepus performers could have forgotten some of the texts and would sing them later in the song when they remembered them.

Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq Before continuing with the next Opening song, Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, the Gerak Timpuh was followed by dances accompanying the instrumental songs. The music then flowed continuously into the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song. Although this piece is titled to reflect a Travelling song, but because of its significance to the performance structure it was more appropriate to be categorized as an Opening song.

The Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song tells among other things that the Puteri is going to perform her ablutions in preparation for her prayers. The Puteri then enters her chambers and eats her betel nut. This phrase is uniquely interesting as the music text reflects many aspects of Islamic values despite its lengthy salutation to the spirit world in the earlier Bertabik section. By the end of the song, all of the dancers have left the stage leaving the Puteri alone in the middle of the performance space.

Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq

(Translation)

Eee mana jatuh berjalan kita berjalan Jalan wei ooo lagi jatuh kami dah ayaq di bilik ayaq Ayaq wei ooo lagi jauh lagi dah masuk berlari masuk Masuk wei ooo lagi sampai dekat dah duduk merendah duduk Duduk wei ooo lagi rendah duduk dah kami menyampai kendi Kendi wei ooo menyampai kendi dah muka ku basuh muka Muka wei ooo lagi basuh muka dah kumur langsung berkumur Berkumur wei ooo kumur sekali la dua menyampai dua Dua wei ooo lagi dua tiga la sudah menolak sudah Sudah wei ooo lagi pinang belum lah lagi ku makan lagi Lagi wei ooo bangun berdiri dah syahadah mengucap syahadah Syahadah weii ooo mengucap syahadah dah tua menguji tua Tua wei ooo lagi belang lah tuju dah bilik ke pintu bilik Bilik wei ooo lagi jauh lagi lah masuk berlari masuk Masuk wei ooo lagi sampai dekat nak duduk merendah duduk Duduk wei ooo merendah duduk lah jorong menarik jorong Jorong weii ooo menarik jorong dah pinang ku makan pinang Pinang wei ooo makan sepiak dah dua menyampai dua Dua wei ooo lagi dua tiga lah sudah menolak sudah Yooo…

Eee…where we are at we travel Walking hey ooo…we have arrived at near the bath at the bathing chamber Bath hey ooo… it is still far to go but we entered and hurried in Enter hey ooo…as we draw near we sit, humbly we sit Sitting hey ooo… as we humbly sit, the bucket, we take the bucket Bucket hey ooo…as we draw the water, our face we wash our face Face hey ooo…we washed our face again then gargled, we continued to gargle water Gargled hey ooo…we gargled once then twice we did it twice Twice hey ooo…twice now thrice we have finished Finished hey ooo…the betel nut I have not eaten yet Again hey ooo…I rise up and stand for prayer, to recite a prayer Prayer hey ooo…I recite a prayer then I salute my elders My elders hey ooo…had moved to the direction of the room to the room door The room hey ooo…it is still far but I hurried to enter into the room Entering hey ooo…as I draw near I sit, humbly I sit Sitting hey ooo…as I humbly sit I pull my betel nut box, I take the betel nut case The betel nut case hey ooo as I take my box, the betel nut, I eat the

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Makan Pinang Lagu terakhir bagi kategori ini ialah lagu Makan Pinang (Rakaman 02) yang memperihalkan Puteri makan buah pinang berseorangan. Dalam lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq, teks menceritakan Puteri makan buah pinang. Namun, dalam lagu ini, Puteri meluahkan perasaannya sambil makan buah pinang berseorangan. Ia menceritakan perasaan kesepian akibat ditinggalkan oleh kedua-dua ibu bapanya, berdasarkan mitos Mek Mulung. Puteri akhirnya mendapat kekuatan untuk meneruskan hidupnya dan mula mencari Inangnya. Lagu ini pendek jika dibandingkan dengan lagu-lagu Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh dan Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq.

Makan Pinang Telah sudah amboi memakan la eeee…yang pinang La amboi memengunglah seorang la eee…sendiri Amboi sorang sendiri lah di sorang la eee…senyawa La amboi ayah dah tidaklah mak bonda la eee…pun tidak La amboi tidak la sekalilah di Inang la eee…pengasuh La amboi baik dah ngecik lah ke bilik la eee…lah Inang La amboi hari dah baik lah ketika la eee...yang molek La amboi manis nak dagang lah nak tiba la eee…berjalan La jalan selalu la eee….

Lagu Berjalan Lagu Berjalan dalam persembahan Mek Mulung digunakan secara meluas bagi menggambarkan watak-watak sedang bergerak di antara dua tempat. Lagu ini boleh dinyanyikan oleh mana-mana watak yang sedang berjalan dari satu tempat ke satu tempat yang lain. Ini adalah satu cara lain menggunakan muzik untuk menghubungkaitkan babak-babak dan menarik masuk daripada babak-babak lakonan.

Berjalan Lagu-lagu Berjalan dianggap sebagai pengisian-pengisian ringan dalam persembahan. Lagu-lagu ini biasanya pendek dan mempunyai frasa-frasa yang pendek. Satu keunikannya ialah teks

betel nut The betel nut hey ooo… I eat one bite and another, I eat the second The second hey ooo… the second and the third I finish and completed Yooo…

Makan Pinang The last song in this category is the Makan Pinang song which describes the Puteri eating betel nut alone. In the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song, the text describes the Puteri has eaten the betel nut.

However, in this song, she expresses her feelings while eating the betel nut alone. It describes her loneliness as a result of being abandoned by her parents, according to the myth of Mek Mulung.

The Puteri then found strength to move on with her life and began to look for her Inang. This song is short in comparison to the Bertabik, Gerak Timpuh and Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq songs.

(Translation) After I have completed oh eating la eeee…that betel nut La oh my thoughts are fleeting far on my own la eee…alone Oh on my own alone, I all alone la eeee…my life La oh father, nor mother, I have none la eee…also nor I have La oh not together with my maidens la eee…my servant maid La oh it’s better for me to be with my feelings in this room…the maid La oh the day is well; the day is fine at this moment la eee…the pretty La oh the sweet serenade is about to arrive la eee…travelling I continue my travels la eeee…..

Travelling Songs Travelling songs in the Mek Mulung performance were used widely to indicate that the characters were travelling between two places.

It can be sung by any character who was travelling from one place to another. It is another way of using music to connect scenes and retract from the acting scenes.

Berjalan The travelling songs are considered as light fillers in the performance. They are usually short in length and have short phrases. The unique part of the music is that the song text may vary

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lagunya mungkin berbeza setiap kali ia dimainkan. Bergantung kepada huraian tentang persembahan, di bawah ini adalah lagu Berjalan yang dinyanyikan oleh Inang semasa ia berjalan balik ke kediaman Puteri.

Berjalan (bagi Inang) Eeee…mana jatuh berjalan saya berjalan Jalan wei ooo, jatuh Inang dah setano anjung setano Setano wei…lagi sini tempat lah beradu selang beradu Beradu wei… selang beradu lah cara dengan bicara Yaaa..

Inang menceritakan ia berjalan pulang ke kediaman Puteri di Anjung Istana. Dalam frasa terakhir, dia menyatakan bahawa dia ke sana untuk berjumpa dan berbincang dengan Puteri. Sambil menyanyi, dia dan Inang-Inang lain berjalan dalam bentuk bulatan sebagai simbol yang mereka berjalan untuk satu jarak yang jauh.

Muzik yang serupa dimainkan apabila Awang melakukan aksi yang sama untuk menggambarkan ia sedang berjalan mencari seorang lagi Awang, untuk mereka pergi mencari tukang tilik, ataupun semasa melaksanakan perintah Raja. Kelainan yang hanya dapat dilihat adalah pada teks lagu, seperti yang dapat dilihat dalam teks lagu di bawah. Awang menyanyi yang dia juga perlu kembali berjumpa dengan Raja di kediamannya, iaitu Ladang Balai, supaya dia boleh berbincang dengan Raja.

Berjalan (bagi Awang Versi 1) Eeee…mana jatuh berjalan saya berjalan Jalan wei ooo, di jatuh Awang dah balai di ladang balai Balai wei…lagi sini tempat lah radu selang beradu Radu wei selang beradu lah cara dengan bicara Yaaa..

Dalam satu lagu Berjalan yang lain, Awang tiba di Ladang Balai, tetapi tidak menemukan Raja di situ. Awang kemudiannya berjalan di sekitar Ladang Balai untuk mencari Raja supaya dia boleh melaporkan kepada Raja penemuan-penemuan semasa perjalanannya. Awang kemudian berjalan dalam bentuk bulatan dengan penuh gaya sebagai simbol mencari Raja.

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each time the song is sung. Depending on the description of the performance, below is the travelling song sung by the Inang as she walked back to the Puteri’s chambers.

(Translation) Eeee… from the place that I stand I begin walking, I walk Walking hey ooo, I (the maid) have arrived at the palace, at the balcony of the palace The palace hey…this is the place of slumber, the princess’s slumber Slumber hey…the place of slumber is where I engage with the princess Yaaa

The Inang tells that she is returning to the Puteri’s chambers at the Anjung Istana. In the last phrase, she mentions that she was going there to meet and have a discussion with the Puteri. As she sang, she and the other Inangs walked in a circular formation to symbolise they were travelling for quite a distance.

A similar music was played when Awang did the same action to indicate he was travelling to look for another Awang, to search for the fortune teller, or executing the Raja’s commands. The only difference is the song text, which is presented in the song text below. The Awang sang that he too needed to return to the Raja at his residence (the Ladang Balai) and that would be where he would engage in a discussion with the Raja.

(Translation) Eeee…from the place that I stand I begin walking, I walk Walking hey ooo I (the servant) have arrived at the palace, the main palace Main palace hey…this is the place of slumber, where the king’s slumber Slumber hey, the place of slumber where I engage with the king Yaaa….

In another travelling song, Awang arrived at the Ladang Balai, but did not find the Raja there. He then travelled within Ladang Balai to look for the Raja so he could present the Raja with the discoveries he made during his journey. Awang then walked in a circle formation in a graceful manner to symbolize searching for the Raja.

Berjalan (bagi Awang Versi 2)

(Translation)

Eee.. tak leh ralek o sini kepada sini Sini eee… tuju balik oo balik oo balai ke ladang balai Balai eee.. selang berjalan ooo lenggang belang melenggang Lenggang eee.. pada berdahan oo duri baik berduri Duri eee kalau duri lah tupai digigit tupai Tupai eee… dari berjalan ooo lari baik berlari Jalan selalu la eee..

Eee…I can’t wait no more ooo here from here Over here eee.heading back towards ooo back to the palace, the main palace Main palace eee…step by step I stride ooo casually, very casually Casually eee…at a branch of a tree a thorn, there is a thorn Thorn eeee...if it is a thorn oh the squirrel will bite, will be bitten by the squirrel Squirrel eee…instead of walking I should better be running

Awang menyatakan dia tidak boleh lagi berlengah untuk mencari Raja. Pada barisan kedua terakhir dalam teks di atas, Awang menyatakan bahawa dia perlu berlari dan tidak boleh berjalan. Dalam lagu ini, Awang membandingkan dirinya dengan ketangkasan seekor tupai. Frasa “Lenggang eee….pada berdahan oo duri baik berduri, duri eee…kalau duri lah tupai di gigit tupai, Tupai eee…dari berjalan ooo lari baik berlari” menunjukkan bagaimana elemen alam semulajadi digunakan untuk menerangkan aksinya.

Awang mengaitkan dirinya dengan tupai dan terus mencari Raja.

Lagu-lagu Berjalan terbuka kepada pelbagai kemungkinan dari segi teksnya. Melodinya tetap dan tidak berubah. Ada lagu-lagu Berjalan yang panjang, namun kebanyakannya pendek berukuran antara empat dan lapan frasa. Lagu-lagu ini penting sebagai penyambung antara babak-babak dan juga sebagai selingan untuk jangka masa rehat yang pendek dalam bahagian lakonan.

Awang meneruskan perjalannya ke kampung di mana Wak Nujum berada. Dalam lirik lagu ini, dia menyatakan yang dia telah sampai di kampung tersebut dan akan berbincang dengan Wak Nujum apabila bertemu dengannya.

Raja menyebut dalam lagu ini yang dia tidak sepatutnya menunggu lebih lama untuk bergerak ke hilir sungai. Dia menyatakan yang mereka telah mengambil masa yang terlalu lama untuk sampai ke sungai. Lagu itu berakhir dengan penanda muzik “jalan selalu le eee” sebab lagu Berjalan versi instrumental terus dimainkan sebaik sahaja Raja berhenti menyanyi.

I will continue my travel eeee…

Awang mentioned that he must not wait any longer in trying to look for the Raja. In the second last line in the text above, he mentioned that he should run instead of walk. In this song, Awang made a comparison between him and an agile squirrel. The phrase ‘Lenggang eee…pada berdahan oo duri baik berduri, duri eee… kalau duri lah tupai di gigit tupai, Tupai eee…dari berjalan ooo lari baik berlari’ shows how the elements of nature were applied to explain his actions. Awang associated himself with the squirrel and continued to look for the Raja.

These Travelling songs are open to many possibilities in terms of the song text. The melody remains constant. Some Travelling songs are long, but most are usually short with between four to eight phrases in length. They are important in establishing the links between the scenes as well as in providing a short break in the acting part.

Awang travelled to the village where the Wak Nujum could be located. In the song text, he mentioned that he had arrived at the village and he would have a discussion with Wak Nujum when meeting him.

The Raja mentioned in the song that he should not wait any longer to travel to the mouth of the river. He indicated that it was taking them too long to reach the river. The song ended with a musical cue ‘jalan selalu le eee…’ because the sung Berjalan song continued with the instrumental version immediately after the Raja finished singing.

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Pada bahagian Pembukaan, lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq adalah sebuah bentuk lagu Berjalan. Berikutan lagu ini adalah sebahagian daripada bahagian Pembukaan, teks lagu ini tidak berbeza dengan apa yang telah ditetapkan. Muziknya mempunyai baris melodi yang sama dan fungsi-fungsi yang dinyatakan oleh Puteri apabila dia berjalan ke bilik air. Berbeza dengan berjalan dalam bentuk bulatan, pergerakan Puteri lebih menggambarkan seolah-olah dia menari. Oleh itu, lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq lebih menonjol pada bahagian Pembukaan walaupun ia juga dikategorikan sebagai lagu Berjalan.

Lagu Memanggil dan Membalas Lagu Memanggil digunakan oleh watak-watak tertentu dalam persembahan Mek Mulung sebagai satu cara untuk memanggil dan berjumpa dengan satu sama lain. Malahan, lagu-lagu ini dinyanyikan secara spesifik oleh watak-watak tertentu.

Apabila lagu ini dinyanyikan, ia memberitahu status watak yang menyanyikannya dan juga status watak yang mana lagu itu ditujukan. Terdapat tiga buah lagu Memanggil dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Lagu-lagu ini adalah: (1) Burung Odang, (2) Panggil Inang/Awang, dan (3) Timang Welu. Manakala, lagu Membalas ialah lagu Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga.

Burung Odang Lagu Burung Odang (juga ditulis dan disebut sebagai Burong Odang) (Rakaman 06) dinyanyikan oleh Puteri atau Raja untuk memanggil Inang atau Awang. Lagu yang nyanyikan ini merupakan cara penuh sopan kedua-dua watak ini memanggil pengasuh mereka. Puteri dan Raja memanggil pengasuh-pengasuh mereka pada kali pertama. Lazimnya, pengasuh-pengasuh ini tidak menyahut apabila dipanggil pada kali pertama. Puteri dan Raja perlu memanggil mereka semula dengan nada yang lebih kuat.

Lagu ini dinyanyikan secara lemah lembut untuk memujuk Awang keluar dan menghadap Raja (perkataan ‘Awang’ digantikan dengan perkataan ‘Inang’ sekiranya lagu ini dinyanyikan oleh Puteri). Raja memberitahu bahawa dia telah memanggil Awang untuk satu jangkamasa yang lama.

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In the Opening section, the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq is a form of travelling song. Because it is part of the Opening section, the music text does not differ from what has been established. The music however possesses the same melodic line and functions as indicated by the Puteri when she was going to the washroom.

Instead of walking in a circle, the Puteri’s movements resembled more like she was dancing. The Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq was therefore more prominent in the Opening section despite it being also a Travelling song.

Call and Respond Songs Call songs are used in Mek Mulung for certain characters to call for and meet each other. These songs are specific to certain characters. When sung, it tells the status of the character singing it and to which character the song is referring to. There are three Call songs in the Mek Mulung performance. These songs are: (1) Burung Odang, (2) Panggil Inang/Awang, and (3) Timang Welu. The Respond song is the Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga.

Burung Odang The Burung Odang (or sometimes pronounced and written as Burong Odang) (Track 06) is sung by the Puteri or the Raja to call upon the Inang or the Awang. The song was sung as a polite way to call for their servants. The Puteri or the Raja used this song to call for their servant for the first time. Usually, the servants did not respond the first time they were called. The Puteri or the Raja must call out to them again, but this time in a harsher tone. The song was sung politely to coax Awang to present himself to meet the Raja. (‘Awang’ would be substituted by ‘Inang’ if the Puteri was to sing this song). The Raja indicated that he had been calling out for Awang for a very long time.

(Translation) The life of the bird, the kingfisher is cradled Wake up my servant, wake up to the life of you eee Wake up and move the kingfisher is cradled Move to wake up, awake and moving oo awake eee So long the kingfisher is cradled So long I have summoned you, summoned you eee

Burung Odang Nyawa burung, burung Odang didondang Bangunlah awang nyawa dok bangun ke nyawa eee Gerak bangun burung odang didondang Geraklah bangun, jaga bergoncang ooo jaga eee Sangat lama burung odang di dondang Sangatlah lama saya panggil dok panggil eee Susah siang burung odang di dondang Susahlah siang malam menjadi ooo malam eee Itu saja burung odang di dondang Itulah saja, saya khabar bilang eee

Panggil Awang/Inang Selepas menyanyikan lagu Burung Odang dan mendapati tiada balas daripada pengasuh-pengasuhnya, Puteri atau Raja terus memanggil semula dengan nada yang lebih keras. Ini diikuti oleh Raja atau Puteri menyanyikan lagu Panggil Awang/Inang. Melodi kedua-dua lagu ini adalah sama dan ditujukan sama ada kepada Awang atau Inang. Perkataan Awang atau Inang akan digunakan dalam teks lagu mengikut situasi yang berkenaan. Lagu Panggil Awang atau Panggil Inang ini adalah sebuah lagu yang bertempo laju dan mirip lagu Berjalan, yang mana Raja dan Puteri memanggil pengasuh mereka buat kali kedua. Setelah nyanyian lagu Panggil Awang atau Panggil Inang selesai, Raja atau Puteri memanggil Awang atau Inang dengan kata-kata yang mana akhirnya mereka menyahut.

Lagu Panggil Awang/Inang adalah lagu pendek seperti lagu Berjalan. Lagu ini mempunyai ton yang lebih kasar bersesuaian dengan perwatakan pengasuh yang melucukan. Watak-watak jenaka adalah watak-watak yang tidak halus seperti watak Raja atau Puteri. Watak Awang atau Inang kebiasaannya hanya menyahut atau membalas panggilan apabila dipanggil dengan nada yang keras sebab itu sifat perwatakan mereka dalam persembahan. Lagu ini merupakan satu lagu yang berciri tegas atau mendesak yang memerlukan pengasuh-pengasuh keluar berjumpa untuk menghadap Raja atau Puteri dengan kadar yang segera.

The tough morning the kingfisher is cradled The tough morning has passed ooo and it is night eee That’s all the kingfisher is cradled That’s all I would like to say

Panggil Awang/Inang After singing the Burung Odang and realizing that there was no response from the servants, the Puteri or the Raja quickly began to call their servants again in a harsher tone. This was followed by the Raja or Puteri singing the Panggil Awang/Inang. The melody is the same for both songs which were directed either to the Awang or Inang. The word Awang and Inang was interchangeable in the text to suit the situation. The Panggil Awang or Inang song is a fastpaced song that resembles the Travelling song whereby the Raja or the Puteri called upon their servants for the second time. Following the singing of the Panggil Awang or Inang, the Raja or the Puteri verbally called out for the Awang or Inang to which they finally responded.

(Translation) Eeee…. Hurry up and wake up dear maid and respond this instant Right now eee…I have summoned you, I your lord have been summoning you for too long Calling eeee…that’s all I have to say Yaa…

The Panggil Awang/Inang song is short like the Travelling song. The song has a harsh tone because the servants are comic characters.

Comic characters are not refined characters like the Raja or the Puteri. The Awang or the Inang would only respond when they were called harshly because that is the nature of their character in the performance. The song is an assertive song that demanded the servants to meet the Raja or the Puteri immediately.

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Panggil Awang/Inang

Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga

Eeee… lagi bangun lekas la inang bilang segera Segera eee…lagi sangat lama dok panggil saya dok panggil Panggil eeee….itu saja la kabar saya berkabar Yaa…

The Awang or Inang responded to the call by the Raja or Puteri by singing a song. The Respond song is also similar to the Travelling song. It is a relatively short song in comparison to the other sung songs in the Wang Tepus repertoire. Awang or Inang responded to the Raja’s or Puteri’s second call with the song Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga (Recording 07). This song was sung while Awang or Inang remained among the other performers in the chorus section. They have not come forward yet to approach the Raja or the Puteri.

Awang/ Inang Terkejut Jaga Awang atau Inang menyahut panggilan Raja atau Puteri dengan menyanyikan sebuah lagu. Lagu Membalas adalah lagu yang serupa dengan lagu Berjalan. Lagu ini agak pendek berbanding dengan lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan yang lain dalam repertoir Wang Tepus. Awang atau Inang menyahut panggilan kedua daripada Raja atau Puteri dengan lagu Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga (Rakaman 07). Lagu ini dinyanyikan ketika Awang atau Inang masih lagi berada bersama-sama ahli-ahli persembahan lain di bahagian korus. Mereka belum lagi keluar untuk menghampiri Raja atau Puteri.

Dalam teks lagu ini, Inang mengakui dia telah dipanggil oleh Puteri.

Lagu ini pendek seperti lagu Berjalan, dan teks lagu mungkin berbeza walaupun maksud yang hendak disampaikan masih kekal, iaitu balasan kepada sahut-menyahut antara yang dipanggil dan yang memanggil. Awang mengakui bahawa dia telah dipanggil, tetapi dia tidak pasti siapa yang memanggil, lalu mengintip untuk mengetahui siapa pemanggil itu.

Awang/Inang Terkejut Jaga Terkejut jaga oi radu inang beradu Radu wei oooi, lagi diam tak diam dah panggil orang dok panggil Panggil wei oooi,itu saja dah khabar inang berkhabar Yaaa…

In the song text, the Inang acknowledged that she has been called by the Puteri. The song is short as in the Travelling song, and the text might differ even though the intended meaning was preserved, which was the response to the exchange between the one that is being called and the caller. Awang acknowledged that he was called but unaware who the caller was and decided to take a peek at the caller.

(Translation) Startled, I wake up oi I the maid, from my slumber My slumber hey oii the quietness has been broken as someone has been calling Calling hey oii that’s all I the maid I have to say Yaaa….

Following the above Respond song, the servants engaged in a dialogue with the Raja or Puteri before they finally come out to meet the Raja or the Puteri. From this point onwards, the characters began their acting part of the performance.

Timang Welu

Berikutan lagu Membalas di atas, pengasuh-pengasuh terlibat dengan dialog bersama Raja atau Puteri sebelum Awang atau Inang akhirnya keluar untuk menghampiri dan berjumpa dengan Raja atau Puteri. Bermula dari sini, watak-watak memulakan bahagian lakonan mereka di dalam persembahan itu.

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Another Call song is the Timang Welu (Track 04 and 05) which is sung by a character who is of lower status calling out for another who is of higher status. These include instances whereby Awang would call out for the Raja, Inang calling out for the Puteri, and the

Timang Welu Satu lagi lagu Memanggil adalah lagu Timang Welu (Rakaman 04 dan 05) yang dinyanyikan oleh watak yang berstatus lebih rendah untuk memanggil watak yang berstatus lebih tinggi. Ini termasuk keadaan-keadaan yang mana Awang memanggil Raja, Inang memanggil Puteri, dan Puteri memanggil Raja. Lagu Memanggil ini menunjukkan cara yang sopan untuk memanggil seseorang yang mempunyai status yang lebih tinggi. Lagu Timang Welu mempunyai teks lagu yang panjang dan mempunyai tarian mengiringinya. Sambil lagu itu dinyanyikan, agak-agak pada pertengahan persembahan itu, watak yang dipanggil akan muncul dan menari bersama-sama dengan watak yang menyanyikan lagu itu. Watak-watak ini kemudiannya menari bersama-sama dengan menunjukkan rasa bahagia apabila berjumpa di antara satu dengan yang lain.

Timang Welu Dok berjalan, timang welu sayang tuan lah jalan Dagang sayang berjalan, timang wela dodoi lah Kaki berjangkah, timang welu sayang tuan lah limbai La di anjung setano timang wela dodoilah Jauh lagi, timang welu sayang tuan lah masuk La berlarilah masuk, timang wela dodoilah Sampai dekat, timang welu sayang tuanlah duduk La merendah duduk timang wela dodoilah Mengangkatlah tangan, timang welu sayang tuanlah sembah La menjunjunglah sembah, timang wela dodoilah Sembah sekali, timang welu sayang tuanlah dua La menyampailah dua, timang wela dodoilah Dua tiga, timang welu sayang tuan la sudah La menolak lah sudah, timang wela dodoilah Ampun tuan, timang welu sayang tuanlah balik Inang sudahlah balik, timang wela dodoilah Yaaa..

Lagu ini menunjukkan penghormatan yang diberikan kepada watak-watak yang mempunyai status yang lebih tinggi. Teks lagu ini ada menyebut apabila watak yang dihormati itu dihampiri, watak yang mempunyai status lebih rendah akan tunduk atau memberi tanda sembah. Teks lagu juga menyatakan bahawa mereka memohon maaf dan menunduk sembah sebanyak dua

Puteri calling out for the Raja. This Call song shows the polite way of calling out for someone of a higher status. The Timang Welu song has a lengthy text and a dance accompanying it. As the song was sung, about midway through the performance the character which was being called would appear and dance with the character which was singing the song. The characters would then dance together expressing their happiness meeting each other.

(Translation) As I walk, timang welu (no particular meaning) my lord I walk As I travel, walking dearly, timang wela (no particular meaning) here I sing The foot strides, timang welu my lord I wave my hand At the palace balcony timang wela I sing From afar, timang welu come on in, my lord Come on in quickly timang welu I sing As I draw near, timang welu my lord sits I politely sit timang wela I sing I raise my hands, timang welu my lord I bow (sembah) I bow to respect timang wela I sing I bow once, timang welu my lord I bow the second time I bow again the second time, timang wela I sing Two and three, timang welu my lord I have finished I have arrived through the door, timang wela I sing Forgive me my lord timang welu I have returned Your maid has returned timang wela I sing Yaaa…

The song shows the respect accorded to characters of higher status. The song text mentions that as the respected character is approached, the character of lower status would bow or sembah.

The text also mentions that they asked for forgiveness and that they perform the sembah twice to the high-status character.

Despite the presence of humour and fun with the Raja or the Puteri, the servants maintained a sense of respect for them.

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kali kepada watak yang berstatus lebih tinggi. Walaupun terdapat elemen-elemen jenaka dan gurau senda bersama Raja atau Puteri, pengasuh-pengasuh ini masih mengekalkan rasa hormat terhadap mereka.

Lagu Berkhabar Lagu Berkhabar pada kebiasaannya merupakan lagu yang dinyanyikan oleh watak-watak berstatus tinggi untuk menyampaikan hasrat mereka kepada pengasuh-pengasuh mereka. Pengasuh-pengasuh ini akan mendengar dengan penuh teliti sambil watak-watak ini menyampaikan hasrat mereka yang seterusnya diikuti oleh cerita yang hendak dipersembahkan. Ini diberi tanda oleh lagu Berkhabar.

Berkhabar Terdapat tiga versi lagu Berkhabar yang dipersembahkan di Wang Tepus. Versi pertama adalah versi yang digemari oleh Pak Leh, sementara versi kedua adalah versi yang digemari oleh Pak Mat . Versi ketiga dinyanyikan dengan teks lagu versi satu atau versi dua tetapi dengan melodi lagu Berjalan sebagaimana dinyanyikan dalam rakaman dan transkripsi skor lagu diawal bab ini. Bagi rakaman yang dilakukan oleh JKKN, Berkhabar disebut sebagai Berkhabo (Rakaman 03).

Berkhabar (Versi Pak Leh) Dengar Awang di la di Awang ooi Dengarlah Awang, Awang ooi saya khabar bilang eeee Sebab panggil di la di Awang oii, Sebablah panggil, Awang oii pengasuh yang tua eeee Pengasuh letak di la di Awang oii, Pengasuhlah letak, Awang oii di ayah mak bonda eeee Sebab pinjam di la di Awang oii Sebablah pinjam, Awang oii di saya nak suruh eeee Saya suruh di la di Awang oii, Sayalah suruh, Awang oii di badan awang eee Tangkap lakon di la di Awang oii, Lakon bernama, Awang oii, di Dewa Kaca eee Itu saja di la di Awang oii, Itulah saja, Awang oii, lah di saya khabar eee Ya!

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Intention Songs Intention songs are usually those sung by the high-status characters to indicate their intentions to their servants. The servants would listen attentively while these characters presented their intentions after which the story was embarked in the performance. It was marked by the Berkhabar song.

Berkhabar There are three versions of the Berkhabar song which were performed in Wang Tepus. The first version was favoured by Pak Leh while the second version was favoured by Pak Mat. The third version was sung with the song text from either version, but with the melody of the Berjalan song. The recording and the score transcription example uses the style of the third version in the transcription in the early part of this chapter. However, the JKKN version recorded is listed as Inang Berkhabo (Track 03).

(Translation) Listen Awang di la di oi Awang Listen Awang, Awang oi as I reveal my intentions eee The reason I summoned you di la di, Awang oii The reason I summoned you, Awang oii, my eldest servant eee, The servants given di la di Awang oii, The servants given, Awang oii from my father and mother eeee The reason for summoning you di la di, Awang oii, The reason for summoning, awang oii, because I have work for you eeee I’m asking you di la di Awang oii, I’m asking you, Awang oii for your service Awang eeee Revealing the act di la di Awang oii The act is called, Awang oii of Dewa Kaca (the god of glass) That’s all di la di Awang oii That’s all, Awang oii I would like to say to you eee Ya!

The Berkhabar song may include verses which determine the story, the Pecah Lakon or Tangkap Lakon. This section is a short twoverse text that would be sung at the end of the Berkhabar song.

In Wang Tepus, one, two, or all three versions of the Berkhabar song might be sung in a performance to emphasize the Raja’s or the Puteri’s intentions to their servants. If more than two pieces of

Lagu Berkhabar ini mempunyai rangkap-rangkap yang menentukan cerita, iaitu Pecah Lakon atau Tangkap Lakon.

Bahagian ini mengandungi teks dua rangkap yang agak pendek yang dinyanyikan pada penghujung lagu Berkhabar. Di Wang Tepus, satu, dua atau ketiga-tiga versi lagu Berkhabar ini boleh dinyanyikan dalam satu persembahan untuk memberi penekanan kepada hasrat Raja atau Puteri kepada pengasuh-pengasuh mereka. Sekiranya lebih daripada dua lagu Berkhabar dinyanyikan dalam satu malam persembahan, lagu Pecah Lakon akan menjadi sebahagian daripada lagu terakhir yang dinyanyikan pada persembahan malam tersebut.

Lazimnya, Raja mempersembahkan lagu Pecah Lakon, walaupun dalam sesetengah keadaan ia dilakukan oleh Puteri. Lagu Pecah Lakon adalah sebuah lagu yang penting kerana maklumat mengenai cerita yang akan dipersembahkan diberitahu hanya melalui lagu ini. Raja akan menyanyikan lagu Pecah Lakon dan menari di hadapan pengasuh-pengasuhnya.

Frasa-frasa yang terdapat dalam teks lagu ini memberitahu penonton bahawa Raja telah menyampaikan hasratnya kepada pengasuh-pengasuhnya. Dalam lagu ini, Raja juga menyatakan bahawa Awang telah dipilih oleh kedua ibu bapa Raja yang memberi simbol pentingnya Awang dalam institusi istana.

Frasa-frasa seterusnya menunjukkan Raja mempunyai tugastugas yang perlu dilaksanakan oleh Awang kemudiannya dalam persembahan.

Versi kedua lagu Berkhabar lebih menonjol di Wang Tepus kerana ia digemari oleh Pak Mat. Anak Pak Saad, Halim, yang memainkan watak Raja di persembahan Wang Tepus selalu mendapatkan tunjuk ajar daripada Pak Mat. Ada kemungkinan versi kedua ini menjadi versi yang lebih digemari pada tahun-tahun yang mendatang.

Versi kedua lagu Berkhabar mempunyai isi kandungan yang hampir sama dengan versi pertama, tetapi perkataan-perkataannya disusun dengan cara yang berlainan. Terdapat kenyataan mengenai Awang yang telah dipanggil untuk melaksanakan tugas-

the Berkhabar song were performed in one night’s performance, the Pecah Lakon song would be part of the last song performed for that night.

Usually the Raja performs the Pecah Lakon, although in some cases it was performed by the Puteri. The Pecah Lakon song is an important song because information about the performed story that was going to take place was made known only through this song. The Raja would sing the Pecah Lakon song and dance in front of his servants.

The phrases in the above song text tell the audience that the Raja spoke of his intentions to his servants. In this song, the Raja also indicated that the Awang was chosen by the parents of the Raja which symbolized the importance of the Awang in the palace institution. The subsequent phrases show that the Raja had tasks to be executed by Awang later in the performance.

The second version of the Berkhabar song was more prominent in Wang Tepus because it was favoured by Pak Mat. Pak Saad’s young son, Halim, who has played the Raja character in the Wang Tepus performances often sought out guidance from Pak Mat. It is likely that the second version would be the more preferred version in the years to come.

(Translation) I called you oii because my dear servant The reason I called you dear elder servant eee Helpers lay ooo the reason dear servant Helpers have laid for father and mother eee Bring me down ooo patiently, dear servant Bring me down my dear helper eee The reason of my summoning la ooo the cause dear servant The reason for my summoning is because I would like to ask you something eee I would like to ask ooo the reason my servant I would like to ask to my servant eee Revealing the act ooo is the reason dear servant Revealing the act …for us The act is called ooo the reason dear servant The act is called Dewa Kaca (the god of glass) Yaa!!

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tugas yang telah diarah oleh Raja dan juga yang Awang telah dipilih oleh ibu bapa Raja. Walaupun Pecah Lakon ada dinyatakan dalam dua frasa, cerita yang dipersembahkan hanya beritahu dalam frasa yang terakhir.

Berkhabar (Versi Pak Mat) Sebab panggil la oii sebab lah Awang Sebab lah panggil Awang pengasuh yang tua eee Pengasuh letak la oo sebab lah Awang Pengasuh lah letak la di ayah mak bonda eee Turunkan saya la ooo sabaq lah Awang Turunkan saya la pengasuh saya eee Sebab pinjam la ooo sebab lah Awang Sebablah pinjam lah di saya nak suruh eee Saya nak suruh la ooo sebablah Awang Saya nak suruh la di badan Awang eee Tangkap lakon la ooo sebab la Awang Tangkaplah lakon…..kita Lakon bernama la ooo sebab la Awang Lakon bernama lah si Dewa Kaca eee Yaa!!

Dalam lagu Pecah Lakon ini, frasa terakhir ada menyatakan “lakon Bernama Dewa Kaca” yang menunjukkan bahawa persembahan pada malam itu adalah cerita Dewa Kaca. Teks lagu menceritakan pengasuh-pengasuh dipanggil dan diberi arahan untuk menjalankan tugas-tugas yang perlu dilaksanakan. Setelah Raja selesai menyanyikan lagu Pecah Lakon, dia akan membahagikan tugas-tugas kepada pengasuh-pengasuhnya, seperti untuk mencari penilik nasib, atau membuat persediaan untuk pergi memburu atau memancing, bergantung kepada cerita yang akan dipersembahkan.

Dalam kedua-dua versi ini, lagu Berkhabar mempunyai isi kandungan yang sama tetapi dinyanyikan dengan cara yang berbeza. Versi Pak Leh mempunyai lebih banyak perkataanperkataan pelengkap (fillers) ataupun suku kata yang tidak mempunyai sebarang makna seperti ‘di la di’; sebaliknya ini tidak banyak terdapat dalam versi Pak Mat yang lebih banyak menggunakan ‘eee’ dan ‘oii’ dalam teks lagunya. Dalam kedua-dua

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lagu ini, Raja atau Puteri menyatakan kenapa pengasuh-pengasuh dipanggil, dan diikuti oleh pengenalan kepada cerita yang akan dipersembahkan.

Lagu Pecah Lakon adalah sebahagian daripada struktur persembahan Mek Mulung dan dengan itu ia adalah komponen wajib. Setelah pengasuh-pengasuh diberitahu tugas-tugas mereka, bahagian teater menjadi lebih menonjol dalam persembahan Mek Mulung.

The second version of the Berkhabar song has almost the same content as the first, but the words were arranged differently. There was mention of Awang being summoned to carry out tasks as directed by the Raja and that Awang was chosen by the Raja’s parents. Although the Pecah Lakon was mentioned in two phrases, it was only in the last phrase that the story was revealed.

In this particular Pecah Lakon song, the last phrase mentions ‘lakon bernama Dewa Kaca’ indicating that the performance for this particular night was the story about Dewa Kaca. The song text describes that the servants were summoned and given instructions about the tasks that they would have to do. After the Raja finished singing the Pecah Lakon, he would delegate tasks to the servants, such as to look for the fortune teller, or to make preparations for a hunting or fishing trip, depending on the nature of the story.

In both versions, the Berkhabar song has the same content but was sung in a different manner. The Pak Leh version had more fillers or nonsense syllables like ‘di la di’, while Pak Mat’s version had less of these and used only ‘eee’ and ‘oii’ in the song text. In both songs, the Raja or Puteri indicated why the servants were summoned and this was followed by the introduction to the story that would be performed.

The Pecah Lakon song is part of the Mek Mulung performance structure and therefore is a compulsory component. After the servants were told what their tasks were, the theatre part becomes more prominent in the Mek Mulung performance.

Contoh rakaman yang disertakan mendendangkan lagu Berkhabar yang dinyanyikan oleh Inang. Inang sulung atau ketua inang boleh menyanyikan lagu berkhabar sebelum sesebuah tugas disampaikan dalam bentuk dialog. Jika didengari, ia mirip lagu Berjalan, tetapi mempunyai sedikit variasi dalam bentuk melodi yang dilagukan.

Gaduh Mana Gaduh Mana (Rakaman 08) merupakan sebuah lagu yang dinyanyikan oleh Awang sebelum sesebuah tugas diberikan kepada Awang tersebut. Teks lagu Gaduh Mana ini boleh disampaikan secara lisan tanpa nyanyian. Gaya nyanyian lagu ini adalah seperti lagu Berjalan yang dinyanyikan.

Lagu Kegiatan Lagu Kegiatan menunjukkan satu aktiviti yang dilakukan semasa persembahan. Terdapat hanya dua lagu yang kegiatan di dalam persembahan Mek Mulung, iaitu lagu Mengulik (lagu dendangan untuk tidur) dan lagu Masuk ke Taman (lagu pujian kecantikan taman). Lagu-lagu ini menunjukkan aksi-aksi tertentu dalam persembahan. Lagu-lagu ini bukan lagu wajib, dan tidak dinyanyikan semasa persembahan di Wang Tepus pada tahun 2011.

Oleh kerana lagu-lagu ini bukan lagu wajib, ia tidak memberi sebarang impak terhadap struktur utama persembahan apabila mereka digugurkan. Menurut Pak Mat, lagu ini disimpan untuk dipersembahkan oleh ahli-ahli persembahan yang lebih berpengalaman; oleh itu, ia adalah repertoir yang dipelajari pada peringkat akhir sekali. Pak Mat juga menyatakan bahawa dia tidak pernah mempersembahkan lagu Masuk ke Taman, dan hanya mendengar ia dinyanyikan oleh Pak Leh. Mengulik Lagu Mengulik (Rakaman 09) atau kadang kala dikenali sebagai lagu Mengulit, adalah sebuah lagu yang didendangkan untuk Raja pada lewat petang hari. Lagu ini selalunya dinyanyikan kepada Raja oleh Puteri atau watak wanita lain seperti ibu kepada

In the recording sample, the Inang sings the berkhabar. This is usually done by the head inang to alert the other servants that there is a task that is required to be done ahead of the instruction dialogue. Referring to the recording, the song mirrors the berjalan in terms of the rhythm with slight changes in the melody.

Gaduh Mana Gaduh Mana (Track 08) is a song that the Awang would sing to the Raja before a task is given to him. It can be recited rather than sung, and often performed in stage places, the recited version is usually preferred. It is sung in the style of the sung version of the Lagu Berjalan.

Action Songs Action songs show an activity that was being performed during the performance. There are only two activity songs in the Mek Mulung which are the Mengulik or the lullaby and the Masuk ke Taman or the serenade in the garden song. These songs show certain actions in the performance. They are not compulsory songs, and not performed in the performance in Wang Tepus in 2011.

Since these songs are not compulsory songs, they do not affect the main structure of the performance if they were omitted. According to Pak Mat, these songs were reserved for the more experienced performers; therefore, these are repertoires that were learnt last.

Pak Mat himself mentioned that he has never performed Masuk ke Taman before, and only heard it sung by the late Pak Leh. Mengulik The Mengulik (Track 09), or sometimes written as Mengulit, is an evening song for the Raja. It is usually sung to the Raja by the Puteri or another female character, such as the Raja’s mother in some performances. In the performance in which the Puteri sang the song, to lull the tired Raja, the Raja would lie down resting his head on her lap.

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Raja dalam beberapa persembahan. Dalam persembahan yang mana Puteri mendendangkan lagu ini, untuk menenangkan Raja yang keletihan, Raja akan baring dan meletakkan kepalanya di pangkuan Puteri.

Lagu Mengulik adalah lagu yang mempunyai gerak-geri melenggang yang bertujuan untuk menidurkan Raja di babakbabak tertentu. Lagu ini telah lama tidak dimainkan di Wang Tepus semenjak Pak Mat berhenti memainkan watak Raja. Anak Pak Saad, iaitu Halim, masih lagi belum menguasai lagu ini. Pada masa lalu, Pak Mat menyanyikan bagi pihak Puteri, terutamanya apabila individu yang memainkan watak Puteri tidak mempunyai cukup pengalaman untuk menyanyikan lagu tersebut. Dalam keadaan begitu, Pak Mat yang memegang watak Raja, akan berbaring sambil kepalanya diletakkan di pangkuan salah seorang penari.

Mengulik Si lo eee layang abang nak oii ke riba oi ngadik Adik eee lah nak olek nak oii di Raja beradu Tiup eee lah serunai nak oii di palu oi nobat Anak eee yang nak ulik nak oii di pantun menyanyi Kalau eee lah nak elak nak oii di guguq oi Nangka Kalau eee lah nak tidoq nak oii di tidoq oi mata Sarang eee lah penyengat nak oii di ranting oi pauh Jangan eee lah dok ingat nak oii di orang yang jauh

Masuk ke Taman Lagu Kegiatan seterusnya ialah Masuk ke Taman. Lagu ini adalah sebuah lagu yang menggembirakan hati yang dinyanyikan oleh Puteri bersama-sama Inang-Inang sebagai korus ketika mereka menghiburkan diri mereka di taman. Puteri akan mendendangkan lagu ini bagi dirinya dan kepada Inang-Inangnya yang bersuka ria sambil mereka menikmati keindahan bunga-bunga di dalam taman.

The Mengulik is a swaying song that is supposed to lull the Raja to sleep in certain scenes. The song has not been played in Wang Tepus for many years since Pak Mat stopped playing the Raja. Pak Saad’s son Halim, has yet to master the song. In the past, Pak Mat would sing on behalf of the Puteri, when the performer who played the Puteri did not have enough experience to sing the piece. In such a case, Pak Mat as the Raja, would lie down with his head resting on the lap of one of the dancers.

(Translation) Please eee dear my darling (husband/brother) oii on my lap, your sweetheart (little sister) I (your sweetheart little sister) eee would like to lull the oii king so that he would rest his eyes Play eee the shawm and ooii beat the drums of the Nobat (A royal court ensemble) Dearest child eee that asked to be lulled wants to be sung the rhythmic quatrains If eee the need to avoid oii the fall of the jackfruit If eee the need to sleep ooii do rest/close your eyes The nest eee of the wasp at oii the mango tree Do not remember those oii that are far away

Masuk ke Taman The other action song is Masuk ke Taman. This is a light-hearted song that is sung by the Puteri with the Inangs as chorus whilst they entertained themselves in the garden. The Puteri serenaded herself and her joyful maids while admiring the beauty of the flowers in the garden.

(Translation)

Masuk ke Taman

Entering the garden happily, casually oh entering the garden Oh swaying through the flower petals, they are beautiful eeee dear maid oiii All the white flower is ripening oh the white flower

Masuk ke taman melenggang sari amboi masuk ke taman Lah melenggang sari lawa eee mak inang oii Bunga yang putih habislah di masak amboi bunga yang putih, Habislah di masak lawa eeee mak inang oii Bunga yang masak habislah di kembang amboi bunga yang masak

All are ripe and are beautiful eee dear maid ooi The ripening flowers are in full bloom oh the ripening flower All are in full bloom and are beautiful eee dear maid ooi The full bloomed flowers are all wiltered oh the full bloomed flowers All are wiltered but are still beautiful eeee dear maid ooi

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Habislah di kembang lawa eeee mak inang oii Bunga yang kembang habislah dilayu amboi bunga yang kembang Habislah dilayu lawa eeee mak inang oii

Lagu Masuk ke Taman menceritakan keindahan bunga di dalam taman. Lagu ini menggambarkan perasaan gembira dan bahagia.

Seperti lagu Mengulik, lagu ini mempunyai kontur melodik dan jarak melodi yang lebih besar. Terdapat melodi yang berbungabunga yang berhias seperti ‘lawa eeeee’ yang berbeza dengan lagu Gerak Timpuh yang mempunyai hanya tiga pic utama. Seperti dinyatakan sebelum ini, lagu ini tidak lagi dimainkan semasa persembahan di Wang Tepus, sebab ahli-ahli persembahan mendapati lagu ini sangat mencabar untuk mereka kuasai. Tokoh di Wang Tepus yang mahir dengan lagu ini merupakan arwah Pak Salleh. Oleh sebab itu, transkripsi skor ini dibuat berdasarkan rakaman terdahulu Pak Salleh dan maklumat yang diperoleh penyelidik lain seperti Zamzuriah.

Lagu Penutup Lagu Penutup, Kecil Milik, memberi tanda pengakhiran sesuatu persembahan. Setelah ahli-ahli persembahan membuat keputusan untuk mengakhiri persembahan untuk malam tersebut, Raja atau Puteri mula menyanyikan lagu Penutup. Sekiranya persembahan mempunyai komponen Menurun untuk pengubatan, ini berlaku setelah selesai lagu Kecil Milik dipersembahkan.

Kecil Milik Lagu Penutup Kecil Milik (Rakaman 10) dinyanyikan dengan iringan sebuah tarian. Lagu ini dinyanyikan sebagai penghargaan ahli-ahli persembahan kepada penonton yang datang untuk menyaksikan persembahan Mek Mulung.

Teks lagu ini memberitahu penonton dengan penuh sopan santun dan beradab bahawa persembahan akan berakhir.

Verse-verse menyerupai teks pantun. Verse pertama lazimnya tidak mempunyai sebarang makna tertentu, tetapi verse kedua “Tabiklah tuan semua, saya nak mintak nandung sayang mohon

The Masuk ke Taman song describes the beautiful flowers in the garden. The song portrays a very happy and joyful mood. Like the Mengulik, it has a larger melodic contour and range. There are ornamented passages such as the ‘lawa eeeee’ that contrasts the music of the Gerak Timpuh with only three main pitches. As mentioned earlier, this song has not been played in the Wang Tepus performances, as the performers find this song too challenging for them. The last known performer who is familiar with this song is the late Pak Salleh, therefore the score is reconstructed by some of the older recordings of the late Pak Salleh and how it was described by other researchers like Zamzuriah.

Closing Song The Closing song, Kecil Milik, would mark the end of a performance.

Once the performance troupe decided that they would like to end the night’s performance, the Raja or the Puteri would start singing the Closing song. If the performance included a Trance component, it would take place after the Kecil Milik has been performed.

Kecil Milik The Kecil Milik (Track 10) Closing song is sung with the accompaniment of a dance. This song is sung to show the performers’ or troupe’s appreciation for the audience who had come to watch the Mek Mulung performance.

The song text presents politely the intention to end the performance.

The verses resemble pantun texts. The first verse has no particular meaning but the second verse ‘Tabiklah tuan semua, saya nak mintak nandung sayang mohon berhenti’ informs politely that the performers would like to end the performance. In the subsequent verses, requests were made to the audience so as not to make fun of their performance and that they were still continuously learning the art of performing Mek Mulung.

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berhenti” memaklumkan secara sopan dan beradab bahawa ahliahli persembahan berhasrat mengakhiri persembahan. Dalam verse-verse seterusnya, permintaan dibuat kepada penonton supaya tidak mencemuh persembahan mereka dan bahawa mereka masih terus mempelajari seni persembahan Mek Mulung.

Kecil Milik Ayo cik milik mengaranglah bunga Bunga di karang nandung sayang tidak bertali Tabiklah encik tuan semua Saya nak mintak nandung sayang mohon berhenti Putihlah bulan tidak melindung Lilit terlilit nandung sayang di kaki dulang Letihlah badan tidak menanggung Tak sabit kulit nandung sayang bercerai tulang Janganlah tajo jagunglah kami Jagung kami nandung sayang baru berpagar Jangan dok ajuk Mek Mulunglah kami Mek Mulung kami nandung sayang baru belajar..

Lagu Penutup adalah lagu terakhir dalam repertoir bahagian teater. Lagu Berjalan mungkin boleh ditambah sebagai tanda bahawa mereka mengundur diri daripada ruang persembahan. Di penghujung lagu Penutup, semua ahli persembahan meninggalkan ruang persembahan secara bersahaja tanpa mengikuti sebarang aturan. Para penonton juga bebas untuk beransur pulang setelah persembahan berakhir.

Pada masa lampau, keunikan lagu Kecil Milik terdapat pada pelbagai cara untuk mengakhiri persembahan yang mana ahliahli persembahan dan penonton terlibat dalam menjual-beli pantun. Menurut Pak Mat, tradisi ini tidak lagi diamalkan berikutan sambutan yang tidak memberangsangkan daripada pihak penonton yang mana ramai tidak lagi mempunyai kebolehan bertukar-tukar pantun ataupun tidak bersedia secara sukarela untuk menjual dan membeli pantun. Namun begitu, sekiranya sesi-sesi pantun ini dijadikan sebahagian daripada persembahan, suatu persembahan itu hanya berakhir apabila tiada lagi pantun daripada penonton.

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(Translation) Dear cik milik (a character that means small possession) composes a flower The flower composed in a love song has no strings.

I salute to you everyone I would like to ask in a love song a request to end the performance The white full moon has no shadow, Going around in tangles in a love song in the base of a large tray The body is tired and won’t last no more But not skinned in a love song is split from the bone Do not tamper with our corn Our growing corn in a love song have just started to rise Do not mock/look down our Mek Mulung performance For our Mek Mulung performance in a love song we have just started to learn

The Closing song was the last song in the repertoire of the theatre section. A Travelling song might be added to mark their retreat from the performance space. At the end of the Closing song, all the performers would leave the performance space freely without following any particular order. The audience was also free to leave once the performance had ended.

In the past, the Kecil Milik’s uniqueness was its improvisational possibilities whereby performers and the audience were involved in exchanging pantuns. According to Pak Mat, this tradition was no longer practiced because of its poor response from the audience due to fewer people having the ability and readily willing to participate in exchanging pantuns. However, if these pantun sessions become part of the performance, the end of the performance would take place when no more pantuns were offered by the audience.

Muzik Instrumental Mek Mulung

Mek Mulung Instrumental Music

Sebahagian besar daripada repertoire persembahan Mek Mulung terdiri daripada lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan. Namun begitu, muzik instrumental adalah satu komponen struktur persembahan utama dan dimainkan semasa bahagian Pembukaan persembahan Mek Mulung. Satu pengecualian ialah lagu Berjalan yang boleh dipersembahkan sebagai muzik instrumental atau lagu yang dinyanyikan.

A large portion of the Mek Mulung performance repertoire is made up of the sung songs. However, instrumental music is a component of the main performance structure and was played in the Opening section of a Mek Mulung performance. An exception is the Berjalan song which could be performed both as an instrumental music or as a sung song.

Terdapat tiga karya muzik instrumental di dalam Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan di bahagian Pembukaan oleh Puteri atau Raja untuk memanggil pengasuh-pengasuh mereka. Lagu Bertabuh, karya instrumental pertama, dimainkan semasa pembukaan persembahan. Karya seterusnya yang dimainkan untuk mengiringi para penari mengandungi empat karya tarian (a) Puteri Mabuk, (b) Anak Menora, (c) Gambang, dan (d) Sedayung. Karya-karya ini dipersembahkan selepas lagu Gerak Timpuh dan sebelum lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq dimainkan. Karya instrumental terakhir adalah lagu Berjalan yang juga boleh dipersembahkan sebagai versi nyanyian.

Bertabuh Lagu Bertabuh adalah sebuah karya pengenalan yang pendek yang dimainkan bagi memaklumkan bahawa persembahan akan bermula. Pemberitahuan ini bertujuan menarik perhatian penonton bahawa persembahan akan dimulakan sebaik sahaja lagu Bertabuh ini habis dimainkan. Ini memberi peluang kepada pemuzik-pemuzik membuat persediaan pada diri mereka, penyesuaian kepada peralatan jika perlu, dan persiapan mental untuk membuat persembahan sepanjang malam.

Rangkaian Empat Tarian: Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang dan Sedayung Rangkaian Empat Tarian, yang mana empat karya dimainkan secara berterusan bagi mengiringi penari merupakan lagu instrumental terpanjang dalam keseluruhan persembahan (Minit 11:08 hingga 14:22 pada Rakaman 1). Empat tarian, iaitu Puteri

There are three pieces of instrumental music in Mek Mulung which were performed in the Opening section by the Puteri or the Raja to call out for their servants. Bertabuh, which was the first instrumental piece, was played at the opening of the performance.

The next piece was played to accompany the dancers during the four- dance suite consisting of: (a) Puteri Mabuk, (b) Anak Menora, (c) Gambang, and (d) Sedayung. These were performed after the Gerak Timpuh song and before the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song. The last instrumental piece was the Berjalan song which could also be performed as a sung version.

Bertabuh The Bertabuh is a short introductory piece by the ensemble to announce the start of the performance. This was to indicate to the audience that the performance would start at the end of the piece.

It provided the musicians with time to warm up, make the necessary adjustments to their instruments, and get mentally ready for the long night’s performance.

Four-Dance Suite: Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang, and Sedayung The four-dance suite, which was played as a medley of four pieces to accompany the dancers, was the longest instrumental piece in the entire performance (at minute 11:08 to 14:22 in Track 1).The four dance pieces, the Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang, and Sedayung, were played continuously without any breaks between them, and were also played between the Gerak Timpuh song and Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song. The dances formed a substantial part of the Opening section which marked the beginning of a group of

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Mabuk, Anak Menora, Gambang, dan Sedayung dimainkan secara tanpa henti dan dimainkan di antara lagu Gerak Timpuh dan lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq. Tarian ini mengambil sebahagian besar masa pada bahagian Pembukaan yang menandakan permulaan persembahan lagu-lagu yang berterusan. Karya Empat Tarian ini secara keseluruhan menjadi bahagian utama dalam komponen tarian bagi persembahan Mek Mulung. Di bahagian Pembukaan, tarian-tarian ini adalah tumpuan utama, sebaliknya pada bahagianbahagian lain, tarian-tarian mempunyai peranan sokongan.

Bagi muzik instrumental Mek Mulung, baris melodi dimainkan oleh Serunai dan bukannya sebagai lagu yang dinyanyikan.

Serunai dimainkan apabila tanda diberikan kepada pemuzik untuk memulakan persembahan. Penanda muzik bagi memulakan persembahan Empat Tarian ialah berikutan tanda vokal, iaitu “jalan slalu la eee” (Bar 194), yang diikuti oleh perubahan ritma (Bar 195202) yang mana Serunai memainkan baris melodi Puteri Mabuk (Bar 203). Transkripsi permainan Serunai oleh Pak Din untuk karya Empat Tarian terdapat dalam skor Gerak Timpuh di awal bab ini.

Serunai memainkan baris melodi sepanjang lagu-lagu rangkaian Empat Tarian. Baris melodi bagi setiap lagu merupakan pengulangan beberapa motif yang dimainkan sepanjang lagu itu. Ini dapat dilihat pada beberapa bar terawal dalam lagu Puteri Mabuk di bahagian permulaan lagu. Terdapat perubahan yang ketara pada corak melodi dalam transkripsi, ditanda sebagai Anak Menora yang mana bahan melodi baharu diperkenalkan. Terdapat perbezaan yang jelas pada motif-motif dalam frasa yang diulangi selepas satu peralihan/transisi pendek. Peralihan-peralihan ini termasuk not-not yang diulangi, not-not panjang, dan perubahanperubahan tempo.

Motif-motif melodi dalam frasa-frasa menunjukkan variasi-variasi sepanjang persembahan. Merujuk kepada transkripsi petikan Serunai dalam Rangkaian Empat Tarian (Rakaman 1, Bar 195-322) ini, muzik bermula dengan lagu Puteri Mabuk (minit 11:17 dalam Rakaman 1). Lagu Anak Menora bermula pada bar 236 (pada minit ke 12:13 dalam Rakaman 1). Muzik ini mungkin diulangi bergantung

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continuous songs. Together, the four dances formed the main part of the dance component of the Mek Mulung. In the Opening section, the dances were the focal point, whereas in other sections of the performance the dances provided a supportive role.

In Mek Mulung’s instrumental music, the melodic line was played by the serunai rather than being sung as a sung song. The serunai was played when the musical cue was given to start the music.

The musical cue to begin the four dances was the vocalization of ‘jalan slalu la eee’ (Bar 194), followed by the rhythm transitions (Bars 195-202) after which the serunai played the Puteri Mabuk (Bar 203) melodic line. A transcription of Pak Din’s serunai playing is seen in the transcription mentioned earlier in this chapter (Gerak Timpuh transcription).

The serunai plays the melodic line throughout the four-dance suite.

The melodic line in each song appeared to be repetitions of a few motives that were played throughout the song. This can be seen in the first few bars in the Puteri Mabuk song, in the opening of the piece. There is a distinctive change of melodic pattern in the transcript, marked by Anak Menora where the new melodic material is introduced after the transition. There is a clear difference in the motives in the phrase which was repeated after the short transition.

Transitions include repeated notes, suspended long notes, and also a sense of a faster tempo due to the notes in the gendang section.

The melodic motives in the phrases showed variations throughout the performance. Referring to the transcription of the dance suite (Track 1, Bars 195-322), the music starts with the Puteri Mabuk (at minute 11:17 in Track 1). The Anak Menora song starts at bar 236 (at minute 12:13 in Track 01). The music may be repeated depending on the dance. However in this recording, it is only played once. In the recording of the performance in 2011, the Anak Menora was played twice with a slow three-note ‘turn’ pattern before repeating. The Gambang started with a long sustained note in bar 263 (at minute 13:00 in Track 01). The last piece, the Sedayung (at minute 13:47 in Track 01) was played when there was a significant change of tempo, whereby it began to get faster. The dance ended when the

kepada tarian berkenaan. Semasa rakaman persembahan pada tahun 2011, lagu Anak Menora dimainkan sebanyak dua kali dengan corak ‘turn’ tiga-not perlahan sebelum pengulangan dilakukan. Lagu Gambang bermula dengan satu not panjang yang tertahan pada bar 263 (pada minit ke-13:00 dalam Rakaman 01).

Lagu terakhir, iaitu Sedayung (pada minit 13:47 dalam rakaman 01) dimainkan apabila berlaku perubahan tempo yang jelas, yang mana temponya semakin pantas. Tarian ini berakhir apabila watak Puteri, selesai menari dan selesai menyanyikan Lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq (Rakaman 02). Keseluruhan lagu ini diakhiri dengan tanda vokal yang keras ‘Ya’!

utama sebelum memainkan corak ritma lagu seterusnya. Notnot ini menetapkan tempo bagi setiap lagu dalam rangkaian lagu empat tarian. Semasa transisi-transisi ini, Kecerek dan Canang turut dimainkan bagi setiap bit sehingga satu tempo baharu wujud untuk lagu seterusnya.

Motif-motif melodi dalam lagu-lagu yang dimainkan dengan serunai mempunyai banyak ornamentasi atau bunga, dengan tril-tril, not peralihan, dan ‘turn’ pada keseluruhan muzik. Terdapat lebih banyak perhiasan pada muzik lebih perlahan’ seperti Anak Menora dan Gambang, manakala bagi lagu yang lebih pantas seperti Sedayung mempunyai kurang perhiasan.

Melodic motives in the songs played by the serunai were highly ornamented with trills, passing notes, and turns throughout the music. There were more ornaments in the slower music such as the Anak Menora and Gambang, whereas the faster-moving song, the Sedayung, had less ornaments.

Penandaan metronom yang bertulis di dalam skor di atas menunjukkan tempo muzik apabila rakaman dilakukan. Ia memberi gambaran kepada tempo yang lazimnya dimainkan bagi lagu Empat Tarian. Tempo sebenarnya mungkin berbeza daripada satu persembahan kepada persembahan yang lain; namun begitu, kelajuannya tidak lari jauh daripada apa yang dapat dilihat dalam transkripsi di atas. Lagu Puteri Mabuk bermula dengan tempo sederhana yang kemudiannya berubah menjadi lebih perlahan apabila lagu berikutnya, iaitu Anak Menora dimainkan. Tempo ini menjadi semakin perlahan apabila lagu Gambang dimainkan.

Sedayung merupakan lagu yang mempunyai tempo yang paling laju dengan motif-motif melodi dan frasa-frasa yang pendek dan perhiasan yang sedikit. Lagu yang mempunyai tempo yang paling perlahan, iaitu Gambang, mempunyai frasa-frasa yang lebih panjang dan mempunyai lebih banyak perhiasan.

Perbezaan-perbezaan baris melodi berfungsi sebagai tandatanda apabila berlaku peralihan daripada satu lagu kepada lagu lain sepanjang lagu Empat Tarian dimainkan. Selain itu, transisitransisi juga ditanda oleh Gendang Ibu yang memainkan bit-bit

performer, Puteri, started singing the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq (Track 02). The entire piece is completed following the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song marked with the Puteri uttering the vocal cue, a stern ‘Ya’!

The written metronome marking in the score indicates the tempo of the music when the recording was made. It gives an idea of the tempo that was generally played for the Four Dances. The actual tempo could differ from one performance to another; however, the speed was not too far off from the one shown in the transcription.

Puteri Mabuk started with a moderate tempo which then slowed down when the next piece, Anak Menora, was played. The tempo became even slower when the Gambang piece was played. The Sedayung was the piece with the fastest tempo with short melodic motives and phrases and little ornamentations. The slowest piece, the Gambang, had longer phrases and used more ornaments.

The differences in the melodic line served as cues for the movement of one music piece to another throughout the four dances. In addition, these transitions were marked by the Gendang Ibu playing the main beats before playing the rhythm pattern of the next piece. These notes set the tempo for each of the songs in the group of dances. During the transitions, the Kecerek and Canang were also played on each beat until a new tempo would appear for the next piece.

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Kesemua lagu Empat Tarian ini mempunyai kitaran kolotomik 4-bit.

Bagi tiga lagu pertama, iaitu Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, dan Gambang, Gong dan Kecerek dimainkan pada penghujung setiap empat bit. Apabila ada canang, ia dimainkan pada setiap bit dalam kitaran itu. Canang mempunyai dua pic, iaitu ton yang mempunyai pic tinggi dan pic rendah. Bit yang pertama ditandakan dengan pic yang lebih tinggi yang dimainkan dengan pic rendah diselangselikan dengan pic yang tinggi pada setiap bit. Pada penghujung empat bit, bersama-sama dengan Gong dan Kecerek, pic rendah daripada Canang dimainkan. Walaupun kitarannya adalah sama, tempo bagi setiap lagu adalah berbeza.

Lagu kedua, iaitu Anak Menora, adalah lagu yang kebiasaannya dimainkan sebanyak dua kali sepanjang keseluruhan turutan tarian. Namun begitu, bagi rakaman makalah ini, lagu ini hanya didengari sekali sahaja. Lagu ini diulangi berikutan transisi daripada lagu Puteri Mabuk, dan berakhir berikutan transisi apabila lagu Gambang mula dimainkan.

Lagu terakhir, iaitu lagu Sedayung, mempunyai kitaran yang hampir sama dengan tiga lagu pertama sebelum itu, tetapi ia ada Kecerek yang dimainkan pada setiap bit yang kedua dan yang terakhir. Ia mempunyai kitaran empat-bit dengan tambahan mainan Kecerek antara mainan Gong yang memberi gambaran kesan tempo yang berganda kepada muzik. Ia membantu untuk menghasilkan satu tempo pergerakan sebelum terus memulakan lagu Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq.

Ritma keempat-empat lagu ini adalah berbeza dan dapat dikenali daripada satu dengan yang lain. Ritmanya adalah pendek dan diulangi keseluruhan setiap lagu sehingga sampai kepada setiap transisi.

Bagi lagu Puteri Mabuk, ritmanya adalah bercorak pendek empatbit yang diulangi sehingga ia berakhir apabila mulanya transisi.

Serunai memainkan melodi apabila ritma diulangi. Penjagapenjaga masa mengikut corak struktur kolotomik seperti yang dibincangkan sebelum ini. Namun, bagi lagu Gambang, frasa ritma

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All the four dance pieces have a four-beat colotomic cycle. For the first three pieces, the Puteri Mabuk, Anak Menora, and Gambang, the Gong and Kecerek played at the end of every four beats. When the Canang was available, it would play on every beat of the cycle.

The Canang has two pitches, a high- and a low-pitched tone. The first beat was marked with the higher pitch and played alternating the low and the high pitch in every beat. At the end of the four beats, together with the Gong and the Kecerek, the lower Canang pitch was heard. Although the cycle was the same, the tempo of each piece was different.

The second piece, the Anak Menora, was the only piece that should be played twice during the whole dance sequence. However, in this example it is only performed once. The song was repeated following the transition from Puteri Mabuk, and ended at the following transition after which the Gambang was played.

The last piece, the Sedayung, had an almost similar cycle as the first three pieces but it had the Kecerek playing on the second and the last beats. It has a 4-beat cycle with the addition of the Kecerek playing in between the gongs and thus giving the appearance of a double tempo effect to the music. It helped to create a movement pace before proceeding to the Berjalan ke Bilik Ayaq song.

The rhythms in these four pieces were different and could be distinguished from one another. The rhythms were short and repeated throughout each piece until the transitions.

In the Puteri Mabuk piece, the rhythm was a short 4-beat pattern which was repeated until it ended at the beginning of the transition.

The Serunai played the melody as the rhythm was repeated. The time keepers followed the colotomic structure described earlier. In the Gambang, however, the rhythmic phrase was longer. The score shows the 2-bar length rhythm that was repeated and the Gong being played on every bar or for every four beats.

During the performance, at the completion of each dance section in the performance in 2011, Pak Saad as the leader, started the transition after which all the other instruments would follow. During

adalah lebih panjang. Skor menunjukkan kepada ritma dua-bar yang diulangi dan Gong dimainkan pada setiap bar ataupun pada setiap empat bit.

the transitions, the rhythm section would start by playing on every two beats. This was followed by playing on every beat before settling on a new rhythm pattern.

Semasa persembahan yang dijalankan pada tahun 2011, apabila selesainya setiap bahagian tarian, Pak Saad iaitu sebagai ketua, memulakan transisi yang kemudiannya diikuti oleh semua peralatan yang lain. Semasa transisi-transisi ini, bahagian ritma akan bermula dengan memainkan pada setiap dua bit. Ini diikuti dengan memainkan pada setiap bit sebelum mendapatkan satu ritma baru.

Berjalan (Instrumental version)

Berjalan (Versi Instrumental) Lagu instrumental Berjalan (Rakaman 2, dari 2:50) adalah satu lagu yang pendek untuk menandakan ahli-ahli persembahan bergerak dari satu tempat ke tempat lain seperti yang ditunjukkan dengan pergerakan dalam bentuk bulatan (Bar 54 dalam transkripsi lagu Duduk Makan Pinang). Lagu ini adalah alternatif kepada versi yang dinyanyikan, yang mana ahli-ahli persembahan memainkan versi yang dinyanyikan berselang-seli dengan versi instrumental untuk menghasilkan kepelbagaian. Lagu Berjalan mempunyai pengulangan yang paling banyak. Motif melodiknya adalah pendek dan berulang-ulang, dengan itu, memberi transisi yang pantas ataupun memperlahankan persembahan, bergantung kepada bilangan ahli persembahan yang naik dan turun pentas.

The instrumental Berjalan (Track 2, from 2:50) is also a very short piece to mark the performers moving from one place to another as demonstrated by walking in a circle. (Bar 54 in the score transcription of Duduk Makan Pinang). It is an alternative to the sung version, where performers would alternate between the sung and the instrumental versions to create variety. The Berjalan appears to be the piece with the greatest number of repetitions.

The melodic motive was short and repetitive; therefore, offering quick transitions or slowing down the performance depending on the number of performers going onto and off the stage.

Imbas kod QR ini untuk transkripsi lagu dalam bentuk sistem notasi Barat Scan this QR code for music transcription in the form of western music notation http://neuarkib.jkkn.gov.my/neucanvas/pages/search.php?search=!collection881&bc_from=themes

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05 BAB CHAPTER

USAHA-USAHA PELESTARIAN DAN PROMOSI MEK MULUNG SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS AND PROMOTION OF MEK MULUNG

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Negeri Kedah dikenali mempunyai koleksi seni persembahan pelbagai genre yang besar selepas negeri Kelantan. Seperti yang dinyatakan sebelum ini, dalam kalangan persembahan rakyat utama yang terdapat di Kedah dan Perlis ialah Wayang Kulit, Menora, Gendang Silat, Mek Mulung, Hadrah, Awang Batil, Jikey dan Makyung Laut (Rahmah, 1979, 2005). Malangnya, kebanyakannya semakin kurang dipersembahkan dan terdapat beberapa yang hampir pupus. Situasi seperti ini tidak hanya berlaku di negeri Kedah, malah keadaan yang sama juga dihadapi di negeri-negeri lain. Oleh itu, isu ini merupakan perkara utama yang biasanya dibincangkan dalam penulisan-penulisan berkaitan dengan persembahan seni tradisional Melayu.

ANCAMAN KEPUPUSAN Banyak faktor telah dicadangkan yang mungkin menjadi ancaman kepada seni persembahan tradisional ini untuk terus kekal, dan kemungkinan ia menjadi pupus. Antara faktorfaktor yang menyumbang kepada ancaman tersebut adalah: penghijrahan penduduk luar bandar ke kawasan bandar, peningkatan tahap pendidikan dan seterusnya menyumbang kepada perubahan cita rasa dalam kalangan orang ramai, perkembangan media moden dan populariti filem-filem serta program televisyen asing, berkurangannya pengamalpengamal/ahli-ahli persembahan yang sedia ada, tiadanya generasi baharu sebagai pelapis sebab mereka tidak boleh bergantung kepada seni persembahan tradisional sebagai sumber pendapatan untuk menyara kehidupan, dan kurangnya peluang untuk menonton persembahan yang menyebabkan kurangnya pendedahan kepada pelbagai bentuk seni budaya sendiri. (Ghulam-Sarwar, 2008; 2009).

Di samping faktor-faktor di atas, terdapat elemen-elemen lain yang unik pada Mek Mulung yang mungkin menyumbang kepada ia menjadi pupus. Satu isu besar yang menjadi kebimbangan utama pada masa kini ialah ketiadaan generasi baharu ahli-ahli persembahan untuk meneruskan tradisi ini. Dalam kalangan generasi pengamal sekarang yang mewarisi tradisi ini secara turun-temurun, hampir kesemuanya sudah pun meningkat usia

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The state of Kedah has been known to have a rich collection of performing arts genres, next only to those found in Kelantan. As mentioned earlier, among the notable folk performances found in the northwestern states of Kedah and Perlis are Wayang Kulit, Menora, Gendang Silat, Mek Mulung, Hadrah, Awang Batil, Jikey, and Mak Yong Laut (Rahmah, 1979, 2005). Unfortunately, many are now barely surviving while several others are found to be almost extinct. Such a situation is not exclusive to Kedah as many other states are facing the same predicament. Thus, this issue has been a major point that has often been raised in the literature on Malay traditional performing arts.

THREATS TOWARD EXTINCTION Many possible factors have been proposed which threaten the continuity of these traditional performing arts to exist and the likelihood of their becoming extinct. Among the factors that have contributed to their decline are the migration of the rural population to urban areas, increase in the level of education and consequently changing tastes among the masses, developments in modern media and the popularity of foreign films and television programs, decline in the number of existing practitioners/performers, and the lack of a new generation of practitioners/performers as they cannot rely on the traditional art forms as a viable source of livelihood, and lack of opportunities for watching performances and thus having minimal exposure to their own cultural art forms.

(Ghulam-Sarwar, 2008; 2009).

In addition to the above factors, there are other elements unique to Mek Mulung which may lead it to its impending demise. A major issue that is of current concern is the unavailability of a new generation of performers to carry on the tradition. The current generation of hereditary practitioners, who are getting old with few of their young family members showing interest in continuing the tradition, are concerned that without proper transmission efforts and lack of enthusiasm amongst the younger generation, the tradition would slowly disappear and become extinct. This shortage of future practitioners has become more acute with no systematic apprenticeship programs to produce future generations of actors

dan terdapat hanya sebilangan kecil ahli keluarga mereka yang menunjukkan minat untuk meneruskan tradisi ini. Mereka risau sekiranya tiada usaha yang terancang untuk menyambungkan tradisi ini berserta dengan kurangnya semangat dalam kalangan generasi muda, tradisi ini akan perlahan-lahan hilang dan terus pupus. Masalah kekurangan ahli-ahli persembahan di masa hadapan menjadi lebih teruk apabila tiada program perantisan yang sistematik untuk menghasilkan generasi pelakon dan penyanyi seterusnya. Kebiasaannya, apabila ahli-ahli baharu diterima sebagai ahli kumpulan persembahan, mereka belajar dan membentuk kemahiran sebagai pemuzik, penyanyi dan pelakon melalui ingatan dan pemerhatian ke atas ahli-ahli persembahan yang berpengalaman. Amalan mengadakan persembahan hanya di Kampung Wang Tepus yang agak terpencil telah menghadkan peluang untuk Mek Mulung mendapat pendedahan dan seterusnya dikenali ramai dalam kalangan populasi umum. Satu lagi faktor ialah wujudnya hanya satu kumpulan persembahan yang mewariskan tradisi ini daripada satu generasi ke satu generasi seterusnya berdasarkan satu keturunan keluarga. Situasi ini sekarang berada pada peringkat kritikal berikutan kematian Pak Saad yang telah mengetuai kumpulan ini selama lebih 30 tahun.

Sehingga kini, masih tiada pengumuman rasmi siapa yang akan menjadi ketua kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung yang baharu daripada kalangan pewaris-pewarisnya.

Namun, terdapat situasi yang agak positif dengan peningkatan usaha-usaha daripada pelbagai pihak untuk memastikan teater tradisional terus dapat dinikmati oleh populasi Malaysia yang berbagai budaya melalui galakan dan sokongan kepada usahausaha promosi dan pementasan. Selain daripada programprogram yang kini dijalankan di beberapa buah sekolah menengah dan institusi pendidikan tinggi, terutamanya Sekolah Seni (sekolah yang memberi fokus terhadap seni persembahan) dan ASWARA, kerajaan menyedari peranannya yang signifikan terhadap usahausaha promosi dan pemeliharaan warisan budaya negara yang unik melalui pelbagai inisiatif oleh Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya. Satu tambahan semangat kepada komuniti dan penggiat-penggiat seni dan budaya adalah pengumuman yang dibuat baru-baru ini mengenai Dasar Kebudayaan Negara

and musicians. When new members are incorporated into the troupe, they learn and develop skills as musicians, singers, and actors through memorization and observations of experienced performers. Their continued tradition of confining their performances in the remote village of Wang Tepus has restricted the opportunity for Mek Mulung to get better exposure and thus familiar to the general population. Another possible factor is the existence of a single group of performers who passed down the tradition from one generation to another within a single family lineage. This situation is at its critical stage now with the recent passing of Pak Saad who has been the leader for over 30 years.

There is yet an official announcement who is the next leader of Mek Mulung from among his descendants.

On the brighter side, there have been increased efforts from various quarters to ensure that traditional theatre promotions and stagings continue to get encouragement and support so that they can be enjoyed by Malaysia’s multicultural population. Besides the ongoing programs at several secondary schools and higher institutions of learning, specifically the Sekolah Seni (secondary schools specifically focused on the performing arts) and ASWARA (the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy), the government has also recognized its significant role towards promoting and preserving the nation’s unique cultural heritage through various initiatives by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (previously called the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage). An added boost to the arts and culture community and enthusiasts is the recent announcement of the National Cultural Policy 2021 to give new directions and further emphases to the previous efforts as provided by the National Cultural Policy 1971. Besides its direct goal of preserving the nation’s cultural heritage, the ultimate rationale for the formulation of the policy is the recognition of the significance of nation building through arts and culture in consideration of the multitude of cultural backgrounds of Malaysians. Thus, Malaysian traditional theatre is going towards the right direction as an industry in itself with greater support through various incentives provided by the government, as well as positive participation by the corporate sector, non-governmental organizations, and private individuals.

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(DAKEN) 2021 yang menentukan arah tuju baharu serta memberi penekanan seterusnya kepada usaha-usaha sebelum ini yang terkandung di dalam Dasar Kebudayaan Kebangsaan (DKK) 1971.

Selain daripada matlamat untuk memelihara warisan budaya negara, tujuan sebenar penggubalan dasar ini adalah untuk memberi pengiktirafan kepada pentingnya seni dan budaya sebagai alat untuk pembangunan negara, dengan mengambil kira rakyat Malaysia yang berlatar belakang pelbagai budaya. Oleh yang demikian, teater tradisional Malaysia sedang bergerak ke arah tujuan yang tepat sebagai sebuah industri yang tersendiri dengan adanya sokongan yang kuat melalui pelbagai insentif yang disediakan oleh pihak kerajaan, selain daripada penyertaan positif daripada sektor korporat, organisasi-organisasi bukan kerajaan, dan individu-individu persendirian.

Walau bagaimanapun, kebanyakan daripada usaha-usaha untuk memberi lebih pendedahan dan keterbiasaan kepada populasi umum, serta untuk menarik minat mereka terhadap Mek Mulung, telah melibatkan persembahan-persembahan yang diadakan di luar kawasannya di Wang Tepus. Dengan cara membawa Mek Mulung keluar daripada konteks kampung, banyak adaptasi dan transformasi perlu dilakukan ke atas bentuk persembahannya daripada aspek struktur, pakaian, muzik dan lagu, tarian, peralatan persembahan, dan juga ahli-ahli persembahan.

Menurut Fernando (2004) apa yang akan berlaku apabila persembahan teater berpindah daripada tempat asal, yang bersifat tempatan dan berasaskan komuniti, kepada pementasan yang berbentuk kontemporari di lokasi yang bukan kebiasaan, adalah suatu yang berbentuk rekaan semula telah berlaku ke atas sesuatu persembahan tradisional itu. Madiha dan Quayum (2010) mempunyai pandangan yang sama dan menyatakan kekhuatiran mereka kemungkinan berlakunya satu persembahan yang tidak lagi mengutamakan keaslian dan ketulenan, sebaliknya tumpuan diberikan kepada aspek-aspek visual persembahan sebagai tarikan yang khusus untuk memberi hiburan kepada golongan

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penonton yang baharu. Namun, Anis (2001) berpendapat bahawa tolak ansur diperlukan bagi memastikan tradisi ini dibawa keluar dari Wang Tepus supaya ia mendapat penonton yang lebih ramai dan lebih menghargai tradisi ini. Oleh itu, sekiranya teater dan persembahannya di atas pentas prosenium merupakan strategi untuk kelangsungannya, maka adalah tepat dan sesuai baginya menggunakan ruang persembahan baharu ini. Ia adalah satu pendekatan yang logik ke arah memastikan pemeliharaan, kesinambungan, dan kelangsungan kewujudannya.

Nonetheless, many of the efforts to give the general population greater exposure and thus familiarity to, as well as hopefully, appreciation for Mek Mulung have involved stagings of performances outside of its traditional base of Wang Tepus. By taking Mek Mulung out of its village context, many adaptations and transformations must be made to the nature of the performance in terms of its structure, costumes, music and songs, dance, props, and the performers themselves. According to Fernando (2004), what could take place when the theatre performance was shifted from its original local, community base to that of a contemporary stage in an unfamiliar venue, is a reinvention of the traditional performance has taken place. Madiha and Quayum (2010) shared the same view and expressed the concern that the performance could steer off radically from its commitment to originality and authenticity when the main focus now has turned towards visual glamorization of the traditional form that is aimed specifically for entertaining a new type of audience. However, Anis (2001b) contended that these compromises must be sacrificed if it means bringing the tradition out of Wang Tepus to where it would garner potentially large and appreciative audience. Thus, if the theatre and its proscenium stage are the avenues for its survival, then it should deem appropriate for it to be the new performance space.

It seemed the logical approach towards ensuring its preservation, continuity, and ultimately its survival.

USAHA JKKN MENGETENGAH DAN MELESTARIKAN MEK MULUNG KEPADA KHALAYAK RAMAI

JKKN’S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AND REVIVE MEK MULUNG TO A WIDE AUDIENCE

Ekoran kejayaan Makyung diangkat dan diiktiraf sebagai Karya Agung Warisan Tidak Ketara Kemanusiaan, A Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity rakyat Malaysia oleh UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) pada 25 November 2005, JKKN kini giat mengenal pasti bidang-bidang seni persembahan lain yang boleh dipanjangkan dalam senarai tersebut. Bermula Jun 2006, dan berlarutan selama enam bulan, JKKN telah memulakan Program Perintis yang bertujuan untuk memelihara dan memulihara kesenian tradisional Mek Mulung melalui usaha mewujudkan kumpulan pelapis bagi kesenian tradisional yang hampir pupus.

Seramai 30 orang peserta telah dikenal pasti melalui jemputan bagi menyertai program ini yang terdiri daripada individu yang mempunyai kemahiran seni persembahan sekitar Kedah termasuk Artis Budaya JKKN Kedah sendiri dan Persatuan Warisan Seni Budaya (AKRAB). Aspek pembelajaran Mek Mulung dijalankan secara holistik iaitu pengetahuan mengenai Mek Mulung daripada segi teater, muzik dan aspek-aspek lain telah disampaikan kepada peserta. Tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung telah dilibatkan dalam program ini melalui sumbangan tenaga dan masa bagi melatih para peserta dengan ilmu Mek Mulung pada setiap hujung minggu. Kesinambungan daripada program ini pada tahun yang sama, sebuah bengkel Mek Mulung telah berlangsung bersama tokoh dan para penggiat seni Mek Mulung di Hotel Langkasuka Langkawi Kedah pada 13 hingga 18 November 2006. Tokoh-tokoh yang menghadiri bengkel ini termasuk Pak Leh, Abang Mat, Pak Dan, Pak Din serta Pak Ya. Seramai 50 orang peserta bengkel termasuk Artis Budaya JKKN Kedah, AKRAB, Kreatif Utama Budaya Anak Seni (KUBAS) yang kini diberi nama baharu iaitu Perspektif serta Persatuan Makam Mahsuri. Empat modul utama yang diajar menerusi bengkel ini termasuklah tarian, nyanyian, muzik serta lakonan.

After the success of Makyung being listed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005 by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the JKKN is now actively seeking potential traditions that could be included in the list in the future. Starting in June 2006 and for a length of six months, the JKKN has implemented the Mek Mulung Pioneer Project (Program Perintis Mek Mulung) which is aimed to preserve and restore the Mek Mulung performance by providing training to a group of individuals that would help sustain this declining performance. 30 participants were identified through the JKKN’s suggestions and were invited to participate in this program. Participants in this program were selected based on their background knowledge of performing arts and were part of performing arts societies within Kedah. These participants include performers of Kedah’s JKKN department and a local performing arts group that goes by the name of Persatuan Warisan Seni Budaya (AKRAB) (Literal translation of the group-The society of Heritage, Arts and Culture). The Learning process in this Mek Mulung workshop included a holistic learning experience that comprised elements of theatre, music and other aspects of the performance taught to the participants. The Wang Tepus performers were also heavily involved in the teaching process to the participants during the six months training program. That same year, another workshop was held at the Langkasuka Hotel in Langkawi between 13 to 18 November 2006. Wang Tepus performers including Pak Leh, Abang Mat, Pak Dan, Pak Din as well as Pak Ya were among those teaching in the workshop in Langkawi.

Participants participating in this workshop included those that were in the previous pioneering project, the performers of Kedah State JKKN, AKRAB with an addition of another group called Kreatif Utama Budaya Anak Seni (KUBAS) (Literal translation of the group Main Creative Culture Artists) which have renamed themselves as Perspective and the Makam Mahsuri (Mahsuri’s Tomb) Society. A total of fifty participants were accounted for in this project. Four main modules were delivered in this workshop also including dance, singing, music and acting.

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Tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus yang terlibat sebagai pembimbing program Perintis Mek Mulung pada tahun 2006. Dari kiri ke kanan adalah Pak Leh, Pak Ya, Abang Mat, Pak Saad serta Mat Hussin. Dalam gambar ini, hanya Pak Ya yang masih hidup ketika penerbitan ini dikeluarkan.

Mek Mulung of Wang Tepus performers participated in the Pioneer Program in 2006. From left to right, is Pak leh, Pak Ya, Abang Mat, Pak Saad and Mat Hussin. With the exception of Pak Ya, all of the other individuals pictured in the photographs are now deceased.

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Tokoh dan peserta bermain alat-alat muzik bersama dalam program Perintis JKKN. Performers of Mek Mulung of Wang Tepus performing with the participants of the Pioneer programme.

Persembahan oleh para penari.

Dance sequence in the performance.

Sesi Latihan pemain gendang.

Practice session with the drummers.

Sebahagian aksi lakonan.

An acting scene.

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Raja berdialog bersama Awang dan Wak Nujum.

The Raja is having a conversation with the Wak Nujum or the soothsayer and his clown servant or Awang.

Aksi dialog bersama Raja dan Puteri.

A dialogue between the Raja.

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Aksi orang kampung.

The villager’s scene.

Gambar berkumpulan peserta program perintis.

The participants of the Pioneer Program.

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Pada tahun berikutnya, program Perintis yang berlangsung pada tahun 2006 telah dijenamakan semula pada tahun 2007 sebagai program Perantisan Mek Mulung yang bertujuan untuk mewujudkan kumpulan pelapis baharu dan memberi pendedahan mengenai persembahan ini secara besar-besaran. Seramai 554 orang peserta dan 25 orang jurulatih telah mengambil bahagian dalam program ini. Majlis kemuncak apresiasi program dijalankan dengan mempamerkan ilmu Mek Mulung yang dipelajari menerusi penyertaan Festival Kesenian Rakyat Malaysia (FKRM) 2007 yang dijalankan pada 21 hingga 23 November 2007 bertempat di Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur oleh sebahagian peserta program Perantisan ini. Peserta-peserta yang terlibat merangkumi Persatuan Badan Kesenian Taman Budaya, AKRAB serta tokoh-tokoh dari Wang Tepus. Melalui festival ini juga, persembahan Mek Mulung diketengahkan melalui persembahan gala, persembahan poket serta bengkel kepada para tetamu yang hadir. Pada tahun 2008, program Perantisan ini diteruskan lagi untuk tahun ketiga. Laporan tahunan JKKN 2008 menyatakan bahawa program Perantisan yang dijalankan di seluruh negara ini melibatkan sejumlah 389 peserta termasuk wakil daripada program Perantisan Mek Mulung yang aktif menggiatkan tradisi masing-masing.

Mek Mulung dipersembahkan di Festival Kesenian Rakyat Malaysia 2007.

Mek Mulung Performance at the Malaysian Folk Festival 2007.

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The following year, the pioneering group was rebranded in 2007 as the apprenticeship program to create awareness and train interested individuals on the Mek Mulung knowledge on a larger scale. 554 participants, alongside 25 trainers, were brought together to execute this program. A performance was then carried out to showcase the knowledge garnered in the learning process from a selection of participants of the Mek Mulung apprenticeship program by participating in the Malaysia Folk Festival in 2007.

This event was held from 21-23 November 2007 at the Central Market, Kuala Lumpur. The participants representing Mek Mulung in this festival included performers from the Badan Kesenian Taman Budaya society (translated as the Cultural Village Artistic Organization society) AKRAB and the performers of Wang Tepus.

The Mek Mulung was presented during the Gala Night performance, pocket performances as well as conducting workshops to the festival attendees. In 2008, the apprenticeship program continued for the third year. A 2008 JKKN annual report has reported that this nationwide apprentice program, different performing arts highlighted in different states, involved 389 participants including the participants of the Mek Mulung team, who are actively promoting and propagating their traditions in their own states.

Raja sedang melakonkan aksi bersama Awang dan Wak Nujum.

Raja performing a scene alongside his clown servant, his Awang and the soothsayer, the Wak Nujum.

Tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung Wang Tepus bermain bersama peserta Program Perantisan.

Mek Mulung performers performing with the participants of the Apprenticeship Programme.

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Kesan daripada program-progam ini sebahagian daripada para peserta telah membuat persembahan Mek Mulung secara terbuka yang dihadiri khalayak umum pada tahun 2008 di Dewan Auditorium JKKN Kedah yang disertai dengan tokohtokoh Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus. Persembahan ini telah dijayakan oleh Artis Budaya JKKN Kedah (nama terdahulu Badan Kesenian Taman Budaya), AKRAB dan Kumpulan Mek Mulung Kampung Wang Tepus. Melalui penglibatan peserta yang sudah berkemahiran dengan Mek Mulung setelah program ini berakhir, peserta ini diamanahkan untuk memanjangkan ilmu Mek Mulung kepada orang ramai supaya dapat lebih mengenali Mek Mulung dari sudut pandang pelatih.

Untuk memastikan kelestarian program ini, para peserta juga telah digabungkan untuk membentuk kumpulan Mek Mulung baharu yang dinamakan Mek Mulung Seri Mahawangsa Kumpulan ini mempunyai 35 orang ahli aktif dan menjalankan program-program Mek Mulung berkala sepanjang tahun.

Persembahan Mek Mulung di Dewan Auditorium JKKN Kedah pada tahun 2008.

A performance of Mek Mulung at the Kedah State JKKN Auditorium in 2008.

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As a result of the learning process, some of the remaining participants then staged a Mek Mulung performance at the Kedah’s state JKKN Auditorium that aimed to promote Mek Mulung to the general public. The performance also showcased the Mek Mulung performers from Wang Tepus alongside participating members from AKRAB and the JKKN Kedah performers (the previous name they call themselves was Badan Kesenian Taman Budaya, which translates as the Cultural Village Society). Through participation in the programs organized

by JKKN, the participants now are expected to help spread awareness towards the greater public to help them understand Mek Mulung and its importance from the standpoint of a trainee.

Some of these participants now have created a dedicated Mek Mulung Group which they call themselves Mek Mulung Seri Mahawangsa. The group comprises of 35 active members and often carries out programs related to spreading the awareness of Mek Mulung throughout the year.

SATU WARISAN SENI PERSEMBAHAN NEGERI

A STATE PERFORMING ARTS HERITAGE

Sehingga 2005, teater Makyung adalah satu-satunya seni persembahan Malaysia yang mendapat pengiktirafan dalam senarai Proklamasi Karya Agung Warisan Budaya Lisan dan Tidak Nyata bagi Kemanusiaan UNESCO (UNESCO Proclamation of Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity).

Bermula tahun 2018, seni persembahan Malaysia yang lain, namun tidak mewakili bentuk teater, telah disenaraikan dalam Warisan Budaya Tidak Nyata bagi Kemanusiaan, iaitu Dondang Sayang (2018), Silat (2019), dan Pantun (2020). Hal ini menimbulkan persaingan yang hebat dalam kalangan genre-genre lain dalam seni persembahan untuk mendapatkan pengiktirafan yang sama di peringkat antarabangsa. Namun begitu, bagi penduduk tempatan di Kelantan yang mana tradisi Makyung telah diiktirafkan sebagai Warisan Tidak Ketara UNESCO, status ini tidak memberi erti yang besar kepada mereka. Dengan adanya pelaksanaan larangan ke atas persembahan Makyung di negeri Kelantan, tidak banyak dapat dilakukan untuk memperbaiki taraf kehidupan ahli-ahli persembahan tradisional, sama ada daripada segi ekonomi mahupun aspek-aspek lain. Ghulam-Sarwar (2014) yang terlibat secara langsung dalam usaha-usaha mendapatkan pengiktirafan Makyung daripada UNESCO, mencadangkan langkah yang lebih berkesan untuk genre itu terus kekal mungkin dengan mengadakan pelbagai inisiatif di peringkat akar umbi atau dalam konteks kampung, dan kemudiannya diperkembangkan di peringkat nasional.

Until 2005, Makyung theatre was the sole Malaysian performing arts to be recognized in the UNESCO Proclamation of Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity list. Beginning 2018, other Malaysian performing arts, although not representative of a theatre form, which have been listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, are Dondang Sayang (2018), Silat (2019), and Pantun (2020). UNESCO’s recognition of Makyung has created much rivalry among other performing arts genres to be the next to be accorded similar international recognition. However, for the local people of Kelantan whose Makyung tradition was recognized as a UNESCO intangible heritage, the status now has very little meaning to them. With the state ban on Makyung performances in effect, there was not much that could be done to improve the lives of the traditional performers, economically or otherwise. Ghulam-Sarwar (2014) who was instrumental in getting Makyung’s recognition by UNESCO, suggested a more beneficial way that the genre could sustain itself would perhaps be through various initiatives at the grass roots level in the village or kampung context, and then extended further at the national level.

Di Kedah, salah satu daripada resolusi-resolusi yang dibentangkan di simposium ‘Mek Mulung Sebagai Pemangkin Awal ke Arah Memartabatkan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negeri Kedah’ pada tahun 2013, anjuran Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN), Kedah, adalah cadangan untuk mengaktifkan Mek Mulung sebagai warisan seni bagi negeri Kedah. Akhirnya, pada bulan Oktober 2014, Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir selaku Menteri Besar pada waktu itu, mengisytiharkan Mek Mulung sebagai teater tradisional warisan bagi negeri Kedah. Penghargaan seperti itu layak diberikan kepada Mek Mulung berdasarkan ia sebagai satu tradisi yang mempunyai sejarah yang sah, keunikannya

At the home front in Kedah, one of the resolutions at the 2013 Symposium on ‘Mek Mulung as a Catalyst Towards the State’s Cultural and Arts Status’ (Mek Mulung Sebagai Pemangkin Awal ke arah Memartabatkan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negeri Kedah, 2013), organized by the State Department of Culture and Arts, was the proposal to recognize Mek Mulung as a state arts heritage.

Eventually, in October 2014, the then Menteri Besar (Chief Minister), Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, declared Mek Mulung as a Kedah state traditional theatre heritage. Such an accolade was deserving of Mek Mulung in recognition of it being verifiably a historical tradition, uniquely found in Kedah, of great significance to the state and its people, and under threat to its continued survival if not given due protection. In his speech, the Menteri Besar gave the state’s commitment, with the cooperation of various agencies in the state, to promote Mek Mulung at the national and international level. It was also hoped that the state heritage status would provide a path for Mek Mulung to be considered as a recipient of the

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yang hanya wujud di Kedah, pentingnya tradisi ini kepada negeri dan penduduknya, dan kelangsungannya yang terancam sekiranya tidak diberi perlindungan yang sewajarnya. Dalam ucapannya, Menteri Besar memberi komitmen daripada pihak negeri, dengan kerjasama daripada pelbagai agensi di dalam negeri, untuk mempromosi Mek Mulung di peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa. Memperoleh status warisan di peringkat negeri diharapkan dapat memberi laluan kepada Mek Mulung diberi penghargaan sebagai penerima warisan di peringkat dunia oleh UNESCO. Namun begitu, sejak diisytiharkan pada tahun 2014, tiada sebarang insentif, sama ada berupa kewangan ataupun dalam bentuk lain, seperti yang dijanjikan oleh pihak negeri. Hanya pada tahun 2019, perbincangan-perbincangan mula diadakan oleh Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN), yang mana Zamzuriah Zahari daripada ASWARA dan beberapa orang ahli akademik daripada Universiti Malaya telah diminta menyediakan dokumen untuk dihantar kepada pihak UNESCO sebagai permohonan untuk mendapatkan pengiktirafan Mek Mulung sebagai Warisan Budaya Tidak Ketara UNESCO (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage).

Mempamerkan Warisan di Pentas Antarabangsa Usaha-usaha advokasi warisan dan strategi-strategi promosi bagi Mek Mulung tidak terhad kepada peringkat nasional.

Pelbagai agensi dan organisasi telah menunjukkan minat supaya warisan Mek Mulung mendapat pendedahan yang lebih meluas kepada penonton-penonton di peringkat antarabangsa. Adalah satu cabaran untuk mempersembahkan Mek Mulung kepada penonton yang tidak mengenali tradisi ini yang khusus bagi Wang Tepus. Konteks dan idea-idea yang hendak disampaikan dalam persembahan itu kepada satu kumpulan penonton yang berlainan daripada kebiasaan mungkin tidak dapat disampaikan secukupnya dalam persembahan itu, yang seterusnya mengakibatkan kebanyakan daripada elemen-elemen ini dibentuk oleh imaginasi penonton-penonton itu sendiri. Walau bagaimanapun, ia memberi peluang untuk mempamerkan keindahan Mek Mulung kepada kumpulan penonton baharu yang mungkin akan menggalakkan mereka untuk lebih

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mengenali tradisi ini dan menghargai usaha-usaha mengekalkan kelangsungannya dan status warisannya.

Festival Monolit di Costa Brava, Sepanyol adalah festival tahunan bagi seni persembahan yang mana tarian-tarian daripada pelbagai negara dipersembahkan oleh para pelajar. Pada tahun 2017, Sekolah Seni Perak, iaitu salah sebuah sekolah seni persembahan di Malaysia, telah menjemput Zamzuriah untuk mengadakan satu bengkel kecil berkenaan Mek Mulung bagi menyediakan para pelajar untuk membuat persembahan di festival tersebut, khususnya dalam kategori Bakat Antarabangsa.

Bagi Festival ini, hanya lima orang pelajar dibenarkan untuk membuat persembahan selama lima minit dalam kategori yang berkenaan. Memandangkan masa yang terhad, Zamzuriah telah menghasilkan satu persembahan Mek Mulung yang mana pelajar-pelajar menggunakan satu minit untuk bahagian pembukaan dengan memainkan lagu yang dipetik daripada lagu Gerak Timpuh, tiga minit untuk bahagian lakonan, dan satu minit untuk bahagian penutup dengan memainkan lagu yang dipetik daripada lagu Kecil Milik. Dua orang pemuzik daripada kumpulan itu juga memainkan watak Awang dan Raja dalam bahagian lakonan.

UNESCO world heritage honour. However, since the declaration in 2014, there have been no incentives, financial or otherwise, as promised by the state. It was only in 2019 when discussions were organized by the National Department for Arts and Culture in which Zamzuriah Zahari of ASWARA and another academician from Universiti Malaya were asked to prepare a dossier to be submitted to UNESCO for an application to have Mek Mulung recognized and considered as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Showcasing Heritage on the International Stage Mek Mulung’s heritage advocacy efforts and promotional strategies do not end at the national level. Various agencies and organizations have shown interest to have the Mek Mulung heritage exposed to a wider audience at the international level. It

would be a challenge performing Mek Mulung to an audience very far removed from the tradition which is exclusive to Wang Tepus. The context and ideas of the performance to be projected to a different set of audience might not be sufficiently portrayed in the presentation, thus leaving most of these elements to the imagination of the viewer.

However, it would give an opportunity to showcase the beauty of Mek Mulung to a new group of audience which could encourage them to get to know more about the tradition and appreciate its continued efforts to maintain its survival and heritage status.

The Monolit Festival at Costa Brava, Spain is an annual performing arts festival that takes place every year in Spain where dances from various countries are presented by students. In 2017, Sekolah Seni Perak, one of the few Malaysia’s performing arts schools, invited Zamzuriah to conduct a small workshop on Mek Mulung for the students in preparation for the presentation at the festival, specifically in the Talent International category.

For this festival only five students were allowed to perform for a five minute presentation in their specific category. Considering the time constraint, Zamzuriah developed a Mek Mulung performance in which the students did a one-minute opening from the Gerak Timpuh song, three minutes of acting, and one-minute closing with the Kecil Milik song. During the acting sections, the Awang and the Raja characters were performed by the two musicians in the group.

Pelajar-pelajar Sekolah Seni Perak mempersembahkan Mek Mulung di Monolit Festival, Spain, 2017. (Gambar ihsan Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad).

Sekolah Seni Perak students performing Mek Mulung at the Monolit Festival, Spain, 2017. (Photograph courtesy of Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad).

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Pelajar-pelajar Sekolah Seni Perak mempersembahkan Mek Mulung di China Youth Spring Festival Gala Night and Global Youth Talent, Beijing, China, 2009. (Gambar ihsan Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad).

Sekolah Seni Perak students performing Mek Mulung at the China Youth Spring Festival Gala Night and Global Youth Talent, Beijing, China, 2009. (Photograph courtesy of Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad).

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Festival ini mengumpulkan pelajar-pelajar dari 26 buah negara membuat persembahan muzikal yang mewakili pelbagai tradisi daripada negara masing-masing. Satu detik yang membanggakan buat negara Malaysia, khususnya bagi Sekolah Seni Perak, adalah apabila kumpulan pelajar Sekolah Seni Perak telah mendapat hadiah pertama bagi kategori berkenaan.

Kejayaan mereka telah disiarkan secara meluas dalam media massa di Malaysia dan telah membuka satu lagi jalan untuk Mek Mulung, sebagai warisan seni untuk lebih dikenali bukan sahaja di peringkat nasional, tetapi juga di peringkat antarabangsa.

Berikutan kejayaan persembahan mereka pada tahun 2017, Sekolah Seni Perak sekali lagi bertanding pada tahun 2019 di Malam Gala Festival Belia Musim Bunga dan Bakat Belia Global (China Youth Spring Festival Gala Night and Global Youth Talent) di Beijing, China. Program itu telah disiarkan oleh rangkaian televisyen yang dikendalikan oleh kerajaan China iaitu Central China Television Network (CCTN), yang mempamerkan 80 kumpulan persembahan yang melibatkan 2,700 orang ahli persembahan yang membuat persembahan antarabangsa dari Amerika Syarikat, Kanada, Rusia dan Malaysia. Untuk pertandingan kali ini, Sekolah Seni Perak telah membawa kumpulan yang lebih besar untuk membuat persembahan Mek Mulung, dan sekali lagi telah berjaya dengan membawa pulang Anugerah Emas.

Kejayaan Sekolah Seni Perak mempamerkan Mek Mulung di luar negara telah memberi dorongan untuk menghasilkan produksi Mek Mulung sepenuhnya untuk persembahan di Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center (KLPAC) pada 3 hingga 5 Mei 2019. Persembahan itu adalah sebahagian daripada persembahan Teater Seni Rakyat oleh The Actors Studio sempena sambutan ulang tahun ke-30 The Actors Studio. Bagi persembahan ini, bilangan pelajar yang terlibat ditambah sehingga seramai 35 orang.

The festival brought together students from 26 countries who presented musical performances representing their nation’s various traditions. It was a proud moment for the nation, and specifically for the Sekolah Seni Perak, when the group was awarded the first prize in the particular category. Their success was widely covered in the Malaysian press, and this provided another avenue which Mek Mulung, as an arts heritage, not only could gain visibility at the national level, but also on the international front.

Following the success of the performance in 2017, the Sekolah Seni Perak competed again in 2019, this time at the China Youth Spring Festival Gala Night and Global Youth Talent in Beijing.

Broadcasted by the state-run television network Central China Television Network (CCTN), the program showcased a total of 80 groups of performances consisting of 2,700 performers presenting international performances from America, Canada, Russia and Malaysia. For this competition, Sekolah Seni Perak brought a larger cast for their Mek Mulung presentation, and again came back a winner with the Gold Award.

The Sekolah Seni Perak’s success in showcasing Mek Mulung overseas led to their full production of a Mek Mulung performance at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center (KLPAC) from 3 rd to 5 th May 2019 at Pentas 2. The performance was part of The Actors Studio’s Teater Seni Rakyat or folk theatre performance, and as part of Actors Studio’s 30-years Anniversary celebration. The students increased their cast to 35 performers in this production.

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Pelajar-pelajar Sekolah Seni Perak mempersembahkan Mek Mulung di Performing Arts Center (PAC), Kuala Lumpur, 2019. (Gambar ihsan Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad).

Sekolah Seni Perak students performing Mek Mulung at KL Performing Arts Centre, 2019. (Photograph courtesy of Mohamad Izwan Mohd Saad).

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Oleh itu, Sekolah Seni Perak telah membuktikan bahawa ada bakat yang mampu dihasilkan dalam kalangan populasi pelajar-pelajar tempatan yang berjaya menyertai dan memenangi anugerah dalam usaha mempromosi dan mempertahan tradisi Mek Mulung serta warisan tradisional Kedah. Melalui penyertaan pelajar dan pengiktirafan terhadap persembahan mereka di peringkat nasional serta di peringkat antarabangsa, bakat anak muda telah memberi satu impak ke atas usaha negara mempromosi seni persembahan tradisional.

Agensi-agensi seperti jabatan-jabatan kerajaan serta organisasi bukan kerajaan turut terlibat dalam berbagai cara untuk mempromosikan pelbagai tradisi dan seni budaya yang diamalkan oleh berbagai kumpulan etnik yang terdapat di Malaysia, sama ada di peringkat nasional mahupun di peringkat antarabangsa.

Bagi peringkat nasional, JKKN telah mempersembahkan satu pementasan yang diilhamkan daripada Mek Mulung di Pesta Budaya dan Pelancongan ASEAN ke-8 (8th ASEAN Culture and Tourism Fair) di Gwangju dan Andong, Korea Selatan. Acara tiga hari ini telah menarik lebih 5,500 orang pelawat bagi mendedahkan penduduk Korea Selatan kepada budaya daripada negara-negara ASEAN serta membuka peluang kepada mereka untuk mengenali warisan ASEAN di negara mereka sendiri.

Ada dinyatakan dalam program acara tersebut bahawa Mek Mulung adalah satu persembahan berasal dari Kedah, iaitu sebuah negeri di bahagian utara Malaysia. Ia melibatkan ahliahli persembahan lelaki yang memainkan kedua-dua watak lelaki dan wanita dan mengandungi cerita-cerita berdasarkan hikayat.

Ia turut menyatakan bahawa Mek Mulung mempunyai gerak tari yang asas dan mudah, dan suatu persembahan tradisional boleh berlangsung selama tiga malam. Sebagai maklumat tambahan, ia memberitahu persembahan yang diperlihatkan adalah versi moden berdasarkan versi tradisional Gerak Timpuh. Kumpulan Kesenian JKKN Kedah dari Malaysia membuat persembahan Mek Mulung yang melibatkan watak Raja, Puteri, Awang-awang beserta topeng mereka, dan Inang-inang yang menunjukkan isyarat-isyarat tangan serta gerak-geri kebiasaan dalam Mek Mulung.

Thus, Sekolah Seni Perak has shown that there are home-grown talents among the student population who have successfully participated and won accolades in promoting and upholding the Mek Mulung tradition and Kedah’s traditional heritage. From the students’ participation and recognition for their performances at the national level within the country, and overseas at the international level, young talents have created an impact on the nation’s promotion of traditional performing arts.

Other agencies, like government departments or nongovernmental organizations, have involved themselves in various ways to promote the multitude of traditions and cultural arts practiced by the different ethnic groups in the country, both locally and internationally. The national level JKKN Malaysia presented a Mek Mulung-inspired performance at the 8th ASEAN Culture and Tourism Fair in Gwangju and Andong, South Korea. The three-day event attracted more the 5,500 visitors to expose South Koreans with ASEAN culture and provide them opportunities to experience ASEAN heritage in their homeland. The event program described Mek Mulung as a performance that originates from Kedah, a state in the northwest of Malaysia. It involved male performers playing both male and female roles and that the stories performed were based on hikayat (epics). It described Mek Mulung having simple basic dance movements and that a traditional performance could last for three nights. As an added information, it described the performance was a modern representation of the traditional version of Gerak Timpuh. The Malaysian group performed a Mek Mulung presentation comprising the Raja, Puteri, the Awangs with their masks on, and Inangs showing hand gestures and movements typical of Mek Mulung.

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Pada Ogos 2015, Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya melalui Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN) telah menganjurkan Pesta Topeng Antarabangsa Malaysia (Malaysian International Mask Festival) bagi menyambut kepelbagaian dalam penggunaan topeng di seluruh dunia. Bersama-sama dengan 17 kumpulan lain, tradisi Mek Mulung yang menggunakan topeng dalam persembahannya, telah mewakili Malaysia. Ia diadakan di kawasan Esplanade Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park. Ahli-ahli persembahan daripada AKRAB dengan kerjasama ASWARA telah mempersembahkan beberapa lagu Mek Mulung di beberapa buah lokasi di pesta tersebut. Mek Mulung turut mengambil bahagian dalam perarakan topeng yang melalui jalan-jalan utama di Kuala Lumpur, bermula dari Jalan Ampang dan berakhir di Suria KLCC. Negara-negara lain yang turut serta termasuk Itali, Korea Selatan, China, Indonesia, dan Thailand. Seramai 379 orang peserta telah menyertai acara ini yang berlangsung selama empat hari.

MEMBENTUK PERSEMBAHAN GAYA BANDAR Melihat kepada peredaran sejarah Mek Mulung, terdapat perubahan-perubahan di dalam berbagai aspek persembahan daripada versi Wang Tepus yang berasaskan kampung kepada versi bandar yang berasaskan pementasan konsert. Pelbagai faktor telah menyumbang kepada bentuk yang jelas kelihatan pada persembahan Mek Mulung masa kini. Selain daripada bentuk tradisional yang telah melalui beberapa pengubahsuaian kecil, versi-versi moden telah berkembang selama 20 tahun sejak persembahan Mek Mulung versi konsert yang pertama dipentaskan kepada penonton-penonton bandar. Oleh itu, terdapat pelbagai bentuk persembahan Mek Mulung yang telah muncul sejak zaman persembahannya di kampung yang boleh dibezakan dengan jelas kepada tiga jenis kategori: (1) persembahan asli Mek Mulung berasaskan konteks kampung yang diadakan di bangsal di Wang Tepus, dengan beberapa perubahan kecil untuk disesuaikan dengan keadaan semasa; (2) versi konsert bandar yang dipersembahkan di pentas prosenium di dewandewan besar untuk penonton-penonton kosmopolitan yang sebahagian besarnya daripada golongan kelas pertengahan; dan (3) persembahan moden yang kreatif dan inovatif masa kini yang

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In August 2015, the Ministry of Tourism and JKKN Malaysia organized the Malaysian International Mask Festival to celebrate the wide diversity of masks found in many countries around the world. Together with 17 other groups, the Mek Mulung tradition, which used masks in their performances, represented Malaysia.

It was held at the Esplanade Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park.

Members from AKRAB, in collaboration with ASWARA, performed selected pieces from Mek Mulung at various locations within the venue. Mek Mulung was also part of the mask parade that passed through major roads in Kuala Lumpur, beginning at Jalan Ampang and ending at the Suria KLCC. Other countries that took part included Italy, South Korea, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. A total of 379 participants took part in this four-day event.

FRAMING AN URBAN STYLE In tracing Mek Mulung’s history, there have been changes to various aspects of the performance in terms of what is the Wang Tepus village-based version to that of the urban concertized version. Various factors have contributed to the recognizable form of today’s Mek Mulung. Aside for the traditional form which itself has undergone some minor modifications, the modern versions have evolved over the past 20 years since the first concertized Mek Mulung made its appearance for presentation to non-Wang Tepus or non-village audiences. Thus, from the varieties of forms that Mek Mulung has developed since its village performance days, they can be generally grouped into three distinct performance varieties: (1) the original village-based Mek Mulung as performed in the bangsal in Wang Tepus but with minor adjustments to suit current conditions, (2) the urban concertized version presented on the proscenium stage in concert halls to a largely middle-class and cosmopolitan audience, and (3) the more recent modern creative and innovative presentations inspired, directly or indirectly, from Mek Mulung elements to suit audiences from varied backgrounds.

It has been generally assumed that it was the PPAG that pioneered and helped to transform the village Mek Mulung into a concertized version. This was through the presentation of their debut Mek Mulung performance at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala

Mek Mulung dipersembahkan oleh Kumpulan Kesenian JKKN Kedah sempena 8th ASEAN Culture & Tourism Fair, Korea Selatan.

Mek Mulung performed by the JKKN Kedah Art Group in conjunction with 8th ASEAN Culture & Tourism Fair, South Korea.

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mengambil inspirasi daripada elemen-elemen Mek Mulung, secara langsung ataupun tidak langsung, dan disesuaikan kepada penonton-penonton pelbagai latar belakang.

Sudah menjadi andaian umum bahawa PPAG yang mempelopori dan membantu kumpulan Mek Mulung membuat perubahan ke atas persembahan mereka daripada versi kampung kepada versi konsert. Ini terlaksana semasa persembahan sulung mereka di Dewan Filharmonik Petronas di Kuala Lumpur pada tahun 2002.

Konsert ini telah disambut baik dan telah menarik perhatian penggemar-penggemar seni persembahan tradisional di Kuala Lumpur. Sebagai suatu bentuk persembahan teater, struktur persembahan Mek Mulung telah diadaptasi untuk disesuaikan dengan jangkaan-jangkaan daripada golongan penonton yang berlainan. Mek Mulung telah bertukar menjadi satu bentuk drama tari tradisional yang baharu, diolah semula dan dipersembahkan kepada penonton bandar. Faktor kekangan masa yang lazim dikaitkan dengan persembahan konsert, serta sifat penonton yang lebih sekular, memerlukan bahagian-bahagian tertentu pada struktur, seperti kebanyakan aspek ritual, tidak dimasukkan dalam persembahan, ataupun dilaksanakan di luar pentas.

Persembahan Mek Mulung versi bandar memberi lebih penekanan kepada aspek kehebatan persembahan. Salah satu elemen utama persembahan versi bandar adalah dengan membangkitkan keterujaan dalam kalangan penonton melalui kesan visual yang dipertingkatkan sehingga ia mengaburi intipati persembahan. Bagaimana hendak menarik perhatian dan minat penonton bandar yang membayar untuk dihiburkan, yang mana sebahagian besar mereka telah didedahkan dan terbiasa dengan pengalaman konsert bandar, adalah satu cabaran besar kepada pereka persembahan. Oleh itu, aspek-aspek visual persembahan menjadi fokus dengan menggunakan hasil kemajuan semasa dalam teater moden seperti pengcahayaan pentas dan set pementasan yang besar, sistem pembesar suara, peralatan pementasan dan kostum yang lebih

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berbunga-bunga, penglibatan lebih ramai ahli persembahan dan pemuzik, serta lebih penekanan terhadap komponen cerita.

Lumpur in 2002. The concert was very wellreceived and caught the attention of traditional arts enthusiasts in Kuala Lumpur. As a form of theatre presentation, Mek Mulung performance structure was adapted to suit the expectations of a different kind of audience. Mek Mulung was transformed into a new variety of traditional dance drama, which was reconstructed and performed for an urban audience. Constraints of time typically associated with concert performances, and the more secular nature of the audience, made it necessary to omit certain parts of the structure, such that many of the ritual aspects of the performance were left out or carried out offstage.

The Mek Mulung urban presentation put more emphases on the spectacle aspects of the performance. One of the key elements of the urban performance was to create excitement for the audience through enhanced visual effects to the extent they could cause the blurring of the essence of the performance. Capturing the attention and enjoyment of urban paying-audience, the majority of whom have been exposed to, and familiar with, similar urban concert experiences, would be the challenge for performance makers. Thus, the visual aspects of the performance became the focus with the use of current advances in modern theatre, which include stage lighting and large sets, amplified sound system, elaborate props and costumes, inclusion of a larger cast of performers and musicians, and greater emphases on the story component.

Persembahan Mek Mulung Cahaya Bulan oleh PPAG di atas pentas prosenium, Auditorium Dewan Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur, 2011. (Gambar ihsan Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

Mek Mulung Cahaya Bulan on the proscenium stage by the PPAG, Auditorium Dewan Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur, 2011. (Photograph courtesy of Mohd Nordin Abdolatip).

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Setelah membentuk identiti persembahan Mek Mulung yang tersendiri, hasil daripada berulang kali membuat pementasan, PPAG telah mempengaruhi umum atau penonton bahawa persembahan mereka mewakili persembahan Mek Mulung yang sebenar. PPAG secara berterusan mengekalkan identiti persembahan Mek Mulung yang tersendiri seterusnya menjadi acuan kepada persembahan-persembahan Mek Mulung versi bandar oleh kumpulan-kumpulan lain. Usaha yang besar oleh PPAG ini merupakan satu pencapaian besar kepada tradisi Mek Mulung yang mana konsert-konsert oleh PPAG memberi pendedahan yang meluas kepada populasi umum.

Namun begitu, setelah hanya mengadakan empat buah konsert Mek Mulung dalam tempoh 10 tahun, PPAG telah dibubarkan pada tahun 2012. Persembahan Mek Mulung oleh PPAG sepanjang 10 tahun ialah: Cahaya Bulan (2002), (2) Malim Bongsu (2007), (3) Dewa Muda (2010), dan Cahaya Bulan (2011).

Having established its own identity of a Mek Mulung presentation after repeated staging, the PPAG had imposed on the public or consumer-audience that their presentations represent a true Mek Mulung performance. The PPAG was consistent in maintaining its own identity of a Mek Mulung presentation and became a template for many other urban Mek Mulung performances that followed. This PPAG’s grand effort was a turning point for the Mek Mulung tradition as the PPAG’s concerts have brought Mek Mulung to the masses.

Sadly, with a total of four Mek Mulung concerts during a 10-year period, PPAG finally lowered their curtain in 2012.

The Mek Mulung performances by the PPAG during the 10year period were: (1) Cahaya Bulan (2002), (2) Malim Bongsu (2007), (3) Dewa Muda (2010), and Cahaya Bulan (2011).

Poster makluman pementasan terakhir PPAG, Mek Mulung: Cahaya Bulan, 2011.

Promotional Poster of PPAG’s last performance, Mek Mulung: Cahaya Bulan, 2011.

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Berikutan pembubaran PPAG, versi konsert Mek Mulung terus dipersembahkan kepada orang ramai, terutama di bawah naungan JKKN. Sebagai contoh, Mek Mulung: Putera Cahaya Bulan telah dipersembahkan di Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur pada 28 Februari hingga 1 Mac 2015. Bagi memastikan kelangsungan Mek Mulung dalam dunia persembahan setelah pembubaran PPAG, Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN), Kedah dengan kolaborasi AKRAB, telah membuat persembahan peringkat nasional ke seluruh negara pada tahun 2013. Dikenali sebagai “Jelajah Mek Mulung 2013”, inisiatif ini telah merangkumi enam buah negeri di seluruh negara.

Bertentangan dengan anggapan umum, langkah awal untuk membawa keluar Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus bagi tontonan penduduk negeri Kedah adalah hasil daripada satu kolaborasi antara ahli-ahli persembahan kumpulan Mek Mulung dengan JKKN Kedah. Perkara ini telah dilaporkan dalam akhbar New Straits Times pada tahun 1996 bahawa ahli-ahli kumpulan Wang Tepus sendiri yang membuat persembahan itu di Alor Setar.

Melalui perbualan dengan tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung ini, mereka turut menceritakan persembahan terdahulu yang pernah mereka buat sebelum pementasan bandar ini, terutamanya bersempena pesta-pesta dan acara-acara di merata bandar-bandar pada tahun 1970-an dan 1980-an. Ini menunjukkan bahawa ahli-ahli persembahan Wang Tepus sejak dahulu tidak mengehadkan persembahan mereka di bangsal untuk ditonton oleh pendudukpenduduk kampung. Oleh sebab tiada sebarang dokumentasi mengenai persembahan-persembahan awal mereka yang dibuat di bandar-bandar pada waktu itu, tidak dapat dipastikan sejauh mana mereka tetap mengekalkan aspek tradisional dalam persembahan itu ataupun terdapat pengubahsuaian yang telah dilakukan untuk disesuaikan kepada jenis ruang persembahan dan juga penonton-penonton yang tidak berlatar belakang kampung. Malahan, apa yang jelas ialah ahli-ahli persembahan itu sendiri menjadi agen perubahan dalam membawa keluar Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus, walaupun tiada rekod yang dapat menunjukkan apakah bentuk versi persembahan konsert bandar pada masa itu.

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Namun begitu, ia merupakan satu lonjakan ke hadapan yang besar bagi pengamal-pengamal tradisi ketika itu dengan melakukan suatu perkara yang bukan amalan biasa mereka, iaitu membuat persembahan yang memerlukan beberapa penyesuaian bagi menjayakan persembahan berbentuk pementasan konsert. Memandangkan ia melibatkan ruang persembahan yang berkonsepkan pentas panggung, bentuk

Following its demise, the concertized version of Mek Mulung continued to be presented to the public, particularly under the auspices of the JKKN Malaysia. For example, Mek Mulung: Cahaya Bulan was staged at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur from 28th February until 1st March 2015. An almost immediate response as an assurance that Mek Mulung would continue staging performances despite the demise of the PPAG, the Kedah State Department of Arts and Culture (JKKN Kedah) with the collaboration of AKRAB, embarked on a Mek Mulung national tour in 2013. Dubbed as the “Jelajah Mek Mulung 2013”, it covered a total of six states across the country.

Contrary to the general public’s perception, the initial step to bring out Mek Mulung out of Wang Tepus to be staged for presentation to the general Kedah population was a collaboration between the Mek Mulung village troupe with the Kedah State Department of Arts and Culture. It was reported in the New Straits Times that the practitioners themselves were the performers in the show that was staged in Alor Setar in 1996. Conversations with the elders themselves have mentioned of performances which they had made even prior to this staging, especially those made in conjunction with festivals and events held in various towns during the 1970s and 1980s. Thus, the Wang Tepus practitioners in the past did not limit their performances only to those in their village bangsal in front of their fellow villagers. Since there is no documentation on these early urban, staged performances by the Wang Tepus performers themselves, it is not possible to discern the extent to which they managed to maintain their traditional form or had to make adjustments to accommodate to the non-village performance

hubungan ahli-ahli persembahan dengan penonton tidak sama seperti hubungan yang wujud semasa persembahan di kampung.

Penonton-penonton lebih bersifat pasif dan kurang bersifat turut serta semasa persembahan. Ada kebimbangan bahawa sekiranya beberapa penyesuaian dilakukan bagi memenuhi keperluan dan cita rasa penonton-penonton bandar, ia mungkin melibatkan perubahan ke atas versi asli Mek Mulung. Ritualritual tertentu yang dikait rapat dengan tradisi persembahan kampung di bangsal mungkin terpaksa digugurkan ataupun sekiranya dilaksanakan, ia dilakukan di belakang tabir supaya tidak didedahkan kepada penonton.

Keperluan untuk melakukan perubahan kepada versi Mek Mulung tradisional kepada yang berbentuk konsert adalah berdasarkan rasional bahawa ia akan memberi lebih pendedahan kepada bilangan penonton yang lebih besar, yang mana sambutan yang positif boleh memastikan tradisi ini akan terus dinikmati oleh populasi umum dan sekali gus memeliharanya daripada terus merosot dan akhirnya pupus. Daripada sambutan penonton terhadap versi konsert yang dipersembahkan selama dua dekad yang lepas, dapat dibuat kesimpulan bahawa ia adalah satu kejayaan. Namun begitu, ada juga bahayanya persembahan Mek Mulung berbentuk konsert ini bukan setakat memastikan kesinambungannya, sebaliknya ini memberi ancaman kepada Mek Mulung asli ke arah penghapusannya. Dalam masa yang sama, pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung yang tidak ada banyak peluang membuat persembahan di bangsal di kampung mungkin tidak mendapat manfaat yang sewajarnya daripada sokongan yang diberi oleh pihak kerajaan dan agensi-agensi lain dalam usaha mereka mempromosi Mek Mulung di luar Wang Tepus. Ini boleh berlaku sekiranya insentif-insentif, sama ada berbentuk wang ataupun lain-lain, tidak sampai kepada mereka, tetapi dinikmati oleh kumpulan-kumpulan lain yang mengetengahkan versi bandar di luar Wang Tepus.

space and audience. Thus, the practitioners themselves have been their own agents of change in bringing out Mek Mulung out of Wang Tepus although no records are available to describe their nonvillage concert-style versions during those days.

Nonetheless, it was a great leap forward for the practitioners in the sense that they were doing something out of the ordinary, by performing in a show which has to accommodate to a concert stage setting. Due to the nature of the performance space which most likely would be the raised stage concept, a different form of performer-audience relationship could be expected which was more passive and less participatory in comparison to the village performer-audience relationship. There was the concern that performances that now cater to the expectations of urban audiences would involve making adjustments to the original Mek Mulung version towards a proscenium stage presentation. Certain rituals which have been traditionally associated with the village bangsal performances would be omitted, or if performed, are shielded from public view.

The need to transform the Mek Mulung traditional village version into a concertized form was based on the rationale that it would give more exposure when presented to a larger audience, whose positive reception, would enable the tradition to continue being enjoyed by the general population and thus protect it from declining further towards its demise. From audience responses to the concertized versions presented within the past two decades, it could be surmised that it has been a success. However, there is also the danger that instead of maintaining continuity, concert of Mek Mulung could lead to its own decline. The practitioners with their occasional and sporadic village bangsal performances might not benefit from the support provided by the government or other agencies to promote Mek Mulung outside of Wang Tepus.

This could happen if the incentives, monetary or otherwise, did not reach them but instead enjoyed by those involved in promoting the urban version outside of Wang Tepus.

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STRATEGI-STRATEGI KOLABORATIF

COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIES

Semenjak Mek Mulung semakin dikenali umum berikutan persembahan versi konsert bandar yang ditonjolkan oleh PPAG pada awal tahun 2000-an, banyak agensi, organisasi dan institusi lain turut menghasilkan persembahan mereka yang tersendiri berdasarkan apa yang mereka faham tentang Mek Mulung. Bagi memastikan persembahan Mek Mulung mereka menepati seperti apa yang mereka nyatakan, kebanyakan pengusaha-pengusaha persembahan dan penerbit-penerbit konsert merujuk kepada pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung untuk mendapatkan input semasa proses menghasilkan persembahan mereka. JKKN Kedah merupakan agensi terawal yang berkolaborasi dengan kumpulan persembahan Mek Mulung tradisi untuk membuat pementasan di luar Wang Tepus dengan menganjurkan pementasan Mek Mulung untuk tontonan orang awam di Dewan Bandaran Alor Setar pada tahun 1996. Semenjak itu, JKKN telah terus memberi sokongan kepada persembahan-persembahan Mek Mulung, sama ada secara langsung ataupun tidak langsung, yang melibatkan penyertaan pengamal- pengamal dari Wang Tepus.

Since Mek Mulung became recognized through its projection of an urban concert performance made popular by the PPAG in the early 2000s, many other agencies, organizations, and institutions have come up with their own particular presentations based on their understanding of Mek Mulung. As an assurance that a Mek Mulung performance was being presented as claimed, in most instances performance makers and concert producers have consulted the Mek Mulung practitioners for their inputs in the production process.

The Kedah State Department of Culture and Arts (JKKN Kedah) was the earliest agency to collaborate with the Mek Mulung troupe in terms of bringing the traditional Mek Mulung performance out of Wang Tepus for presentation to outside audience. The performance was staged by the Mek Mulung troupe at the Dewan Bandaran Alor Setar in 1996. Since then, the JKKN have continued to support Mek Mulung performances, directly and indirectly, involving the Wang Tepus practitioners themselves.

Semasa PPAG mempersembahkan konsert sulung Mek Mulung mereka pada tahun 2002, mereka telah berjumpa dan seterusnya menjemput pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung dari Wang Tepus ini untuk terlibat sama sebagai penasihat kepada projek tersebut, khususnya memberi latihan kepada ahli-ahli persembahan.

Keputusan yang sama telah dibuat oleh PPAG untuk konsert kedua mereka pada tahun 2007, di mana pengamal-pengamal dari Wang Tepus sekali lagi terlibat dengan proses latihan ahliahli persembahan. Pengamal-pengamal ini juga telah memberi input terhadap format umum bagi konsert tersebut, terutamanya daripada aspek struktur persembahan (Nur Izzati, 2014), tetapi bentuk versi akhir ditentukan oleh pengusaha-pengusaha konsert berpandukan kepada tujuan persembahan itu. Setelah berjaya menghasilkan versi konsert Mek Mulung mereka yang tersendiri, PPAG telah mempersembahkan dua buah lagi pementasan selepas itu tanpa bantuan daripada pengamal-pengamal Wang Tepus.

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When the PPAG embarked on their first Mek Mulung concert in 2002, the Wang Tepus practitioners were approached and invited to be the consultants for the project, specifically in the training of the performers. The same decision was made by the PPAG for their second concert in 2007, whereby the Wang Tepus practitioners were again largely involved in the process of training the performers.

The practitioners gave inputs towards the general format of the concert, especially in terms of the structure of the performance (Nur Izzati, 2014), but the final version was largely determined by the concert makers who were guided by the purpose of the performance. Having established their own Mek Mulung concert version by then, the PPAG presented their next two performances independent of the assistance from the Wang Tepus practitioners.

Kolaborasi bersama pengamal-pengamal tradisional Mek Mulung dianggap suatu strategi yang lazim ataupun mungkin satu kemestian untuk orang lain, sekiranya sesuatu persembahan itu ingin diterima sebagai benar-benar menggambarkan satu persembahan Mek Mulung. Strategistrategi kolaboratif boleh wujud dalam pelbagai bentuk dan tahap keterlibatan daripada pihak pengamal tradisi. Usahausaha kolaboratif antara penyelidik dan pengamal tradisi atau komuniti Wang Tepus seharusnya digalakkan supaya komuniti terlibat sama untuk menghayati dan ada perasaan kepunyaan dalam keseluruhan proses persembahan itu yang mana perubahan-perubahan tetap berlaku.

Apabila ASWARA bercadang untuk memperkenalkan Mek Mulung sebagai satu kursus yang ditawarkan dalam program mereka, Zamzuriah telah dihantar ke Wang Tepus pada tahun 2008 untuk mempelajari Mek Mulung secara langsung daripada pengamal-pengamal itu sendiri. Ini merupakan titik permulaan kolaborasi yang rapat antara ASWARA dan kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus sehingga masa kini. Zamzuriah mengambil masa yang panjang bagi setiap kunjungannya ke Wang Tepus dan telah mewujudkan hubungan yang rapat dengan ahli-ahli persembahan, terutamanya dengan Pak Leh, dan merakam segala pengalamannya di sana untuk mempelajari segala aspek Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan dalam bentuk asalnya di Kampung Wang Tepus. Kemudian, apabila ASWARA mula memperkenalkan Mek Mulung sebagai sebahagian daripada kurikulumnya pada tahun 2009, pengamal-pengamal tradisi dari Wang Tepus telah terlibat sama sebagai tenaga pengajar yang memerlukan mereka berulang-alik ke Kuala Lumpur pada setiap minggu.

Walaupun pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung tidak lagi terlibat dengan tanggungjawab mengajar pelajar-pelajar di dalam kelas, mereka masih lagi kerap dijemput oleh ASWARA dari semasa ke semasa untuk memberi input serta membuat penampilan khas di persembahan-persembahan ASWARA.

Collaboration with the traditional Mek Mulung practitioners seemed to be a usual strategy, if not a necessity for others, for a performance to be deemed a Mek Mulung presentation.

Collaborative strategies could be in many forms and degree of involvement on the part of the practitioners. Researcher and community/practitioner collaborative efforts should be promoted so that the community is engaged and feel a sense of ownership in the entire process whereby changes have to take place.

When ASWARA was planning to introduce Mek Mulung as part of their course offerings in their program, Zamzuriah was sent to Wang Tepus in 2008 to learn first-hand all about Mek Mulung from the practitioners. That was the beginning of the close collaboration between ASWARA and the Mek Mulung of Wang Tepus until the present. Zamzuriah would spend an extended amount of time during her regular visits there, developing close relationships with the practitioners especially with Pak Leh, and making recordings of her Mek Mulung experiences there. When ASWARA began introducing Mek Mulung as part of the curriculum in 2009, it involved the practitioners travelling from Wang Tepus to Kuala Lumpur every week to conduct classes for the students. Although the Mek Mulung practitioners are no longer involved in conducting classes, they continued to be invited by ASWARA from time to time to provide inputs as well as making special appearances in ASWARA’s performances.

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Pak Saad dan Pak Din terlibat secara langsung dalam persembahan bersama pelajar ASWARA, 2018.

Pak Saad and Pak Din participating with ASWARA students during rehearsal, 2018.

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Pak Saad dan Pak Din terlibat secara langsung sebagai pemuzik dalam persembahan bersama pelajar ASWARA 2018.

Pak Saad and Pak Din participating as musicians with ASWARA students in their performance, 2018.

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Walaupun sudah agak lama Mek Mulung tidak dipersembahkan di Wang Tepus, kebelakangan ini pengamal-pengamal tradisi ini agak sibuk memenuhi permintaan untuk berkongsi kepakaran mereka dalam pelbagai bentuk. Sejak kematian empat orang pengamal utama dalam kumpulan ini dalam tempoh 10 tahun yang lepas, hanya terdapat beberapa individu dalam kalangan mereka yang mempunyai cukup pengalaman untuk dirujuk sekiranya bantuan kepakaran diperlukan. Selain daripada mengajar para pelajar di institusi pengajian tinggi, pengamal-pengamal tradisi ini lebih banyak terlibat melatih ahli-ahli persembahan untuk pementasan yang bakal diadakan, dan terdapat juga situasi di mana mereka turut terlibat sama dalam sesuatu persembahan, sama ada sebagai pemuzik atau kumpulan korus. Para penyelidik atau mereka yang terlibat dalam usaha-usaha advokasi boleh memainkan peranan untuk menggalak dan menggerakkan aktiviti-aktiviti ataupun projek-projek bagi melahirkan ahli-ahli baharu sementara tokoh-tokoh/pengamal-pengamal yang sudah meningkat usia ini masih ada untuk memberi bimbingan.

Pelajar-pelajar di Universiti Malaya turut mendapat pembelajaran secara langsung daripada tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung pada tahun 2017, walaupun kelas yang dijalankan itu tidak intensif seperti di ASWARA. Satu keperluan yang lazim bagi pelajar-pelajar yang mengikuti kelas ini adalah dengan membuat satu persembahan Mek Mulung pada penghujung semester. Semasa pelajar-pelajar di Universiti Malaya membuat persembahan mereka, pengamalpengamal tradisi terlibat dalam sesi latihan dan dalam masa yang sama turut serta dalam persembahan itu sebagai ahli korus.

It has been quite some time since the last Wang Tepus Mek Mulung performance, but the practitioners have been kept busy meeting requests for their expertise in various capacities. Since the passing of at least four elders within the past 10 years, the remaining few must make themselves available for the needed assistance.

Besides teaching students at higher institutions of learning, the practitioners were very more often involved in training performers for upcoming shows, and there were instances where they also participated as performers in the shows either as musicians or part of the chorus. Researchers/advocates can play their roles to encourage and initiate activities or projects to generate new troupe members while the few remaining elders are still around to give guidance.

Students at Universiti Malaya also had first-hand instruction by the Mek Mulung masters in 2017, although the classes conducted by the practitioners were not as intensive as those at ASWARA. It was a usual requirement for these classes to have students make a Mek Mulung presentation at the end of the semester. In the student performance at the Universiti Malaya, the practitioners were involved in training the students to prepare for the performance whereby the elders themselves were part of the chorus.

Another unique aspect of this collaborative effort in terms of Wang Tepus inputs included the stage setting which was arranged so as to portray the bangsal of the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung with its four pillars complete with coconut flower decorations, and the water pitchers arranged on the platform towards the back of the performance space to represent the offerings on the altar.

Satu aspek unik dalam usaha kolaboratif daripada segi input daripada pengamal-pengamal Wang Tepus termasuk penyediaan pentas yang mana susun aturnya menggambarkan bangsal untuk persembahan Mek Mulung seperti yang terdapat di Wang Tepus.

Bangsal yang dibina di atas pentas ini lengkap mempunyai empat batang tiang, yang dihiasi dengan bunga-bunga kelapa sebagai dekorasi berserta buyung-buyung yang disusun di atas para di bahagian belakang ruang persembahan untuk mewakili bahanbahan penyembahan.

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Pak Din sedang memberi bimbingan ketika sesi latihan untuk persembahan oleh pelajar Universiti Malaya, 2018.

Pak Din during training session for a performance by Universiti Malaya students, 2018.

Pak Din, Pak Mat dan Pak Dan bersama para pelajar semasa sesi raptai bagi persembahan oleh pelajar Universiti Malaya, 2018.

Pak Din, Pak Mat and Pak Dan during rehearsal for the performance by Universiti Malaya students, 2018.

Susun atur pentas seperti bangsal di Wang Tepus, 2018.

The stage setting to resemble the bangsal of Wang Tepus, 2018.

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Usaha-usaha kolaborasi bukan hanya berbentuk bersemuka satu dengan satu antara pengamal tradisi dan organisasi serta agensi, tetapi juga berlaku dalam kalangan beberapa kumpulan atau individu berbeza untuk memberi kerjasama dalam menghasilkan satu persembahan. Satu kolaborasi terbaharu yang melibatkan sumbangan daripada banyak pihak adalah semasa produksi Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik pada tahun 2018.

Dibiayai secara penuh oleh JKKN dan Pusat Penerangan Perlancongan Malaysia (MATIC), ia adalah sebahagian daripada acara persembahan Panggung Seni Tradisional 2018 yang digarap oleh Zamzuriah daripada ASWARA. Zamzuriah membuat kajian dan mengolah semula persembahan Mek Mulung dengan merujuk kepada bahan-bahan arkib yang mengandungi satu cerita Mek Mulung yang telah dilupakan.

Collaborations did not only take place on a oneto-one basis between the practitioners and the organizations/agencies, but have occurred whereby many different groups or individuals work together to make a performance. A recent collaboration which involved many contributors was the production of Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik (Mek Mulung: Tale of 12 Sisters) in 2018.

Sponsored by the JKKN and MATIC (Malaysian Tourism Centre), it was part of the Traditional Arts Showcase 2018, and produced by Zamzuriah from ASWARA. It involved Zamzuriah investigating and re-imagining a Mek Mulung performance based on archival materials containing one of the forgotten Mek Mulung stories.

Poster promosi bagi persembahan Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik, 2018.

Promotional poster for the Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik (Tale of 12 Sisters), 2018.

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Oleh sebab kebanyakan cerita Mek Mulung yang diketahui telah dipersembahkan berkali-kali, Zamzuriah gembira dengan penemuan cerita Puteri 12 Beradik dan membuat keputusan untuk memperkenalkan semula cerita ini sebagai komponen Mek Mulung dalam persembahan Panggung Seni Tradisional ini. Sehingga kini, tiada sebarang percubaan untuk mengolahkannya semula sebagai satu elemen dalam senarai cerita Mek Mulung, dan ia telah dilupakan sepenuhnya oleh ahliahli persembahan kumpulan Wang Tepus sekarang. Kolaborasi ini melibatkan sokongan penari-penari daripada Kumpulan Tari Darinai, bekas pelajar dan pelajar semasa daripada ASWARA dan Universiti Malaya, penampilan khas artis-artis profesional, dan lima orang pengamal tradisi dari Wang Tepus. Dalam persembahan ini juga, terdapat penampilan khas oleh Pak Mat yang membuat persembahan solo.

Satu sumbangan penting dalam kolaborasi ini ialah daripada Zaleha Abdul Hamid, yang mendokumentasikan cerita Mek Mulung Puteri 12 Beradik ini berdasarkan sesi temu bualnya bersama Pak Taib bagi memenuhi aktiviti projek akademiknya pada tahun 1975. Sehingga kini, pementasan Mek Mulung ini adalah kolaborasi terbesar bagi satu persembahan di atas pentas prosenium yang melibatkan kumpulan Wang Tepus bersama-sama barisan ahli-ahli profesional. Lima orang ahli kumpulan Wang Tepus telah dijemput ke Kuala Lumpur terlebih dahulu untuk memberi latihan kepada ahli-ahli persembahan, terutamanya dari aspek penggayaan persembahan Mek Mulung.

Seperti apa yang dilakukan, semasa persembahan di Universiti Malaya yang mempunyai struktur seperti bangsal di atas pentas, persembahan Puteri 12 Beradik ini juga mempunyai binaan di atas pentas yang menyerupai bangsal Wang Tepus, lengkap dihiasi dengan bunga kelapa dan barisan kendi tembikar yang disusun di atas para di bahagian belakang bersama-sama dengan bahan penyembahan.

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Since most of the known stories have been repeatedly performed on many stages, Zamzuriah was delighted with the discovery of the story of the 12 Sisters and decided to reintroduce this story for the Mek Mulung component of her showcase. Up to this point, there has been no known earlier attempt to reconstruct this element of the Mek Mulung repertoire, and it has been totally forgotten by the current group of performers in Wang Tepus. The collaboration involved the support of dancers from Darinai Dance group, former and current students from ASWARA and Universiti Malaya, guest appearances by professional artistes and five Wang Tepus practitioners. In this performance, a special slot was given to Pak Mat who made his solo presentation.

A particularly important contribution in this collaboration would be Zaleha Abdul Hamid, whose write-up of the story of the Tale of 12 Sisters was based on her interview with the late Pak Taib for her academic exercise project in 1975. To date, this is the largest collaboration of performers from Wang Tepus with a professional cast, presenting Mek Mulung on an urban proscenium stage. Five performers from Wang Tepus were invited to Kuala Lumpur prior to the performance to provide training for the other performers, especially on the stylistic aspects of Mek Mulung.

Similar to the performance at Universiti Malaya which set up a bangsal-like structure on stage, the stage setting for the Tale of 12 Sisters was to look like the bangsal in Wang Tepus, decorated with coconut flowers, and complete with clay pots arranged on the para (altar) towards the back where the traditional offerings would be placed.

Pak Din, Pak Dan dan Pak Awie bersama ahli-ahli persembahan yang lain di penghujung persembahan Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik di MATIC, Kuala Lumpur, 2018.

Pak Din, Pak Dan, and Pak Awie with the performers at the end of the Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik performance at MATIC, Kuala Lumpur, 2018.

Pak Mat dalam slot khas persembahan solo bersama ahli-ahli persembahan ketika persembahan Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik di MATIC, Kuala Lumpur, 2018.

Pak Mat in a special solo slot with the performers during the Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik performance at MATIC, Kuala Lumpur, 2018.

Susun atur pentas yang menyerupai bangsal Wang Tepus, 2018.

The stage setting made to resemble the bangsal of Wang Tepus, 2018.

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Antara aktiviti-aktiviti yang diadakan oleh JKKN Kedah ialah menganjurkan program mentor seni seminggu sekali untuk sesiapa yang berminat. Satu bengkel nyanyian Mek Mulung turut dikendalikan oleh JKKN Kedah pada 11 Ogos 2018, sebagai satu acara perayaan ulang tahun kedua Siri Interaksi Seni 2018. Antara peserta bengkel ini adalah mereka yang mengikuti program mentor seni dan juga orang awam. Salah seorang daripada peserta menyatakan minatnya terhadap Mek Mulung muncul setelah menghadiri bengkel nyanyian Mek Mulung, sementara seorang lagi peserta yang pernah mengikuti program mentor seni melihat bengkel ini sebagai peluang untuk meneruskan minatnya serta meningkatkan kemahiran dan kebolehan memainkan watak dalam Mek Mulung, iaitu watak Awang. Remaja lelaki ini menunjukkan minat dan potensi yang baik untuk memperbaiki kebolehannya mempersembahkan jenaka selain membuat peserta bengkel yang lain tertarik dengan ciri karismatiknya. Inisiatif-inisiatif oleh JKKN ini bergerak tepat ke arah untuk menarik minat dan menyediakan platform bagi individu-individu, terutama bagi generasi muda untuk mempelajari seni persembahan tradisional tempatan.

Satu lagi usaha kolaborasi ialah bengkel dua hari yang dianjurkan oleh Jabatan Warisan Negara pada 2019 di Alor Setar untuk membincangkan langkah-langkah memelihara usaha-usaha mempromosi dan menjaga warisan Mek Mulung. Bengkel yang bertajuk ‘Bengkel Mek Mulung: Perlunya Penjagaan Segera’, melibatkan penyertaan ahli-ahli akademik daripada beberapa buah universiti dengan wakil-wakil agensi kerajaan, organisasi bukan-kerajaan dan pengamal-pengamal tradisi Mek Mulung sendiri.

Mesej penting daripada pelbagai kolaborasi yang dibincangkan ini kepada pengamal-pengamal Mek Mulung adalah mereka diperlukan untuk memberi bimbingan dalam memastikan Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan kepada penonton-penonton awam memberi gambaran sebenar tradisi ini. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat situasi yang mana bentuk akhir persembahan Mek Mulung tidak menggambarkan persembahan yang pengamalpengamal tradisi ini boleh diterima sebagai satu persembahan

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Among its activities, the JKKN Kedah organized an art mentoring programme on a weekly basis, whereby those interested can attend to learn various types of dances. A Mek Mulung singing workshop was also conducted by the JKKN Kedah on 11th August 2018, as part of the festivities to celebrate their second 2018 Arts Interaction Series. Among the attendees of this workshop were participants of the arts mentoring programme and members of the public. One of the participants indicated that her interest had been sparked in Mek Mulung after attending the workshop, while another teenage participant who had followed the arts mentoring program saw opportunities, like this workshop, to pursue his interest and develop his skills and ability to perform a particular character, the Awang. The teenage boy portrayed good potential and interest in improving his ability to perform jokes and captivated the workshop attendees with his charismatic charm. Such initiatives taken by the JKKN are moving in the right direction towards creating interest and providing a platform for Mek Mulung for interested individuals, especially the younger generations, to learn local traditional performing arts.

Another collaborative effort was a two-day workshop organized the National Heritage Department on 2019 in Alor Setar to discuss safeguarding efforts toward promoting and preserving the Mek Mulung heritage. Titled ‘Mek Mulung Workshop: In Need of Urgent Safeguarding’, participants included academicians from various universities and representatives from government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the Mek Mulung practitioners themselves.

An important message from these various collaboration to the Mek Mulung practitioners is that they are needed for their guidance in ensuring that the Mek Mulung being presented to the public would be a true representation of the tradition. Nonetheless, there were instances when the final form did not quite represent what the practitioners would endorse as a Mek Mulung presentation, but the practitioners would normally accept the extent to which their inputs were considered. It is not for the Mek Mulung elders to impose what should be done, or not to be done; the performance makers or concert producers are the final decision makers. After all, what

mempersembahkan sebuah tarian yang diilhamkan daripada Mek Mulung. Bertajuk ‘Gerak Timpuh’, ia merupakan sebuah tarian yang dipersembahkan dengan iringan lagu yang dimainkan pada bahagian pembukaan persembahan Mek Mulung.

Mek Mulung. Namun, mereka lazimnya menerima hakikat sejauh mana input mereka telah dipertimbangkan. Tidak sepatutnya tokoh-tokoh Mek Mulung ini mempengaruhi apa yang patut dilakukan ataupun apa yang tidak patut dilakukan; tetapi pengusaha persembahan atau pelaksana konsert yang berhak membuat keputusan akhir. Lagipun, apa yang dihasilkan bukan lagi versi asli Wang Tepus, tetapi satu versi persembahan Mek Mulung yang pembuat keputusan itu ingin persembahkan kepada penonton.

was being produced was not their Wang Tepus original version; but a version of Mek Mulung performance that the decision makers wanted to present to the audience.

KEMUNCULAN BENTUK-BENTUK KREATIF

EMERGING CREATIVE FORMS

Transformasi Mek Mulung, daripada bentuk persembahan tradisional di bangsal yang berasaskan kampung kepada versi persembahan konsert moden di pentas besar di bandar, telah berjaya membawa keluar tradisi ini dari Wang Tepus untuk dinikmati oleh penonton yang lebih ramai dan kosmopolitan di Kuala Lumpur. Usaha kreatif ini menunjukkan bahawa ada ruang untuk memperluaskan legasi Mek Mulung ini, walaupun bentukbentuk kreatif ini tidak semestinya dalam bentuk aslinya. Walau bagaimanapun, apabila aspek tertentu tradisi Mek Mulung digabungkan ke dalam ciptaan baharu, ia sudah pasti dapat dikenali; sama ada daripada lagu-lagu, muzik, jalan cerita, watak, gerak isyarat, tema atau idea-idea. Bentuk-bentuk kreatif baharu ini bukan ciptaan baharu Mek Mulung, tetapi satu ciptaan inovatif yang berasaskan dan diinspirasi oleh tradisi itu tersendiri. Melalui penerokaan dan percubaan pelbagai aspek tradisi tersebut, kumpulan-kumpulan persembahan seni dan individu-individu tertentu telah memperkenalkan idea baharu kepada pelbagai jenis seni persembahan.

Mek Mulung’s transformation from the village-based traditional bangsal presentation into the modern version concert performance on the proscenium stage has been successful in bringing it out of Wang Tepus to be enjoyed by a more cosmopolitan and larger audience in Kuala Lumpur. Such a creative attempt has shown that it is possible to extend further Mek Mulung’s legacy even though these new creations may not be in its original form. Nonetheless, when certain aspects of the Mek Mulung tradition is incorporated into new creations, then it cannot be missed; be it the songs, music, story plots, characters, gestures, themes, or ideas. These new creative forms are not Mek Mulung hybrids, but are innovative creations that are generated and inspired by the tradition itself.

Through exploration and experimentation with various aspects of the tradition, performing arts groups and certain individuals have introduced new ideas into various forms of traditional arts.

Tarian Diinspirasi oleh Mek Mulung Pertunjukan tarian tahunan, Inspitari yang dianjurkan oleh JKKN pada peringkat nasional, menyediakan satu platform untuk mempromosi ciptaan tarian kreatif. Setiap wakil JKKN negeri perlu membuat pementasan satu koreografi tarian yang mendapat ilhamnya daripada warisan atau identiti budaya negeri tersebut. Pada Festival Inspitari 2010, JKKN Kedah telah

Dance Installation Inspired by Mek Mulung The annual dance showcase, Inspitari, organized by the National Department of Culture and Arts (JKKN) at the national level, provided a platform for promoting creative dance pieces. Each state division of the JKKN was required to stage a choreographed dance instalment which derived its inspiration from the state’s own heritage or cultural identity. In the 2010 Inspitari Festival, Kedah state JKKN presented a dance piece which derived its inspiration from Mek Mulung. Titled Gerak Timpuh, it was a dance piece performed to a song in the opening section of the Mek Mulung performance.

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Persembahan ‘Gerak Timpuh’ oleh Kumpulan Kesenian JKKN Kedah mewakili negeri Kedah di Inspitari 2010 anjuran JKKN. Gerak Timpuh by the Kedah group at the 2010 Inspitari Festival.

Persembahan oleh Kumpulan Nyala Dance Theatre, 2018. (Gambar ihsan daripada Kumpulan Teater Tarian Nyala).

Presentation by the Nyala Dance Theatre group, 2018.(Photograph courtesy of Nyala Dance Theatre Group).

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Tarian itu dimulakan dengan permainan serunai dengan motif melodi tradisional Gerak Timpuh, di mana penari-penari lelaki memakai topeng berwarna emas dan merah menyerupai topeng yang dipakai oleh Awang dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Seorang penari solo lelaki, memegang rotan dengan tangan kanannya (menyerupai rotan yang digunakan oleh Raja dan Puteri dalam Mek Mulung), menari di hadapan penari-penari lain. Gerak-gerinya juga menyerupai gaya tari Raja dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Apabila gerak tarian utama dimulakan, motif Gerak Timpuh telah dipindahkan kepada papan nada elektronik dengan genderang elektrik. Walaupun persembahan itu sebahagian besarnya menggunakan isyarat-isyarat tarian Mek Mulung, tetapi terdapat isyarat-isyarat baharu termasuk pergerakan akrobatik dan pergerakan tangan bagi memastikan ia adalah persembahan kontemporari yang diinspirasi daripada Mek Mulung, bukan sebuah tarian asal Mek Mulung. Acara-acara seperti Inspitari ini memberi peluang dan ruang untuk mencuba perkara-perkara baharu keatas seni tradisional untuk menghasilkan bentuk-bentuk kontemporari yang seterusnya mengembangkan lagi seni tradisional pada masa hadapan.

The dance began with the serunai melodic motif of the traditional Gerak Timpuh, with male dancers wearing gold and red masks representing those worn by Awang in Mek Mulung performances. With a rotan (a whip which is a usual prop in Mek Mulung) in his hand, a solo male performer danced in front of the other dancers. His movements resembled those of the Mek Mulung’s Raja’s dance style. As the main dance piece began, the motif of the Gerak Timpuh was transferred to an electric keyboard with electric percussion. Although the piece largely utilized Mek Mulung dance gestures, there were new movements with acrobatics and hand movements to ensure that it was a Mek Mulung-inspired contemporary performance, not a strictly Mek Mulung dance piece. Events like Inspitari provided experimentations with traditional arts to create contemporary forms which can extend their possibilities.

Satu lagi tarian yang diinspirasi daripada persembahan Mek Mulung ialah ‘Awang Oi Awang’ yang dipersembahkan oleh Kumpulan Nyala Dance Theatre di Festival Seni Borneo, Labuan, Sabah pada tahun 2018.

The contemporary dance piece was performed by 12 dancers wearing red masks (similar to those worn by the Awang in Mek Mulung). Inspired by the Buka Panggung ritual and the Awang character, the dance gestures resembled those displayed

by Awang, such as large gestures, clumsy movements, and comedic acts, as well as some acrobatics. There were props such as smoke machines, flickering stage lights, and monotonous chanting. This was followed by a solo drum pattern and serunai playing the Bertabuh song. The music then shifted to a fast-paced gamelan-like sound before continuing with the Berjalan song. This presentation won the RM5000 second prize in the competition.

Tarian kontemporari ini telah dipersembahkan oleh 12 orang penari yang memakai topeng merah yang menyerupai topeng yang biasa dipakai oleh Awang dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Diinspirasikan oleh ritual Buka Panggung dan watak Awang, pergerakan tarian ini menyerupai gerak-geri Awang, seperti pergerakan kasar, gerak-geri janggal, dan aksi-aksi jenaka, serta pergerakan-pergerakan akrobatik.

Terdapat peralatan-peralatan pentas seperti mesin asap, lampu pentas yang berkelip-kelip, serta berdikir dengan nada yang sama.

Aksi ini diikuti dengan mainan gendang secara solo beserta serunai memainkan lagu Bertabuh. Muzik kemudiannya bertukar kepada rentak lebih laju seakan-akan bunyi gamelan sebelum diteruskan dengan lagu Berjalan. Persembahan ini telah memenangi hadiah kedua yang berjumlah RM5000 dalam pertandingan itu.

Another Mek Mulung-inspired dance piece, titled “Awang Oi Awang” was presented by the Nyala Dance Theatre group at the Borneo Arts Festival in Labuan, Sabah in 2018.

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Mek Mulung Dipersembahkan di dalam Siri Televisyen

Mek Mulung Performed in a Television Series

Mek Mulung turut tampil di kaca televisyen sebagai sebahagian daripada satu siri komedi bertajuk Mai Chek Mai yang disiarkan pada 2012 di Saluran 1 RTM. Pada tahun 2013, keseluruhan musim keempat siri tersebut telah direka untuk menampilkan persembahan Mek Mulung sebagai tema utamanya. Musim keempat siri tersebut telah difilemkan pada penghujung 2013 dan tayangan perdana telah disiarkan di televisyen nasional Saluran 1 RTM pada September 2014.

Mek Mulung also appeared on television as part of a sitcom series which was first aired in 2012 on RTM Channel 1, called Mai Chek Mai. In 2013, the whole of the fourth season was designed to include Mek Mulung performance as the theme. Season four was filmed in late 2013 and its premier was aired on national television on RTM Channel 1 in September 2014.

Siri tersebut mengandungi watak-watak seperti Awang dalam pelbagai situasi moden masa kini. Cerita Putera Cahaya Bulan telah disiarkan dalam episod pertama. Mai Chek Mai telah dirakamkan di hadapan penonton secara langsung di auditorium JKKN Kedah, di mana penduduk-penduduk tempatan dapat melihat proses rakaman secara percuma. Penyanyi Elly Mazlin dan personaliti televisyen Sheila Mambo adalah dalam kalangan selebriti jemputan yang membuat penampilan pada episodepisod terpilih. Watak-watak Mek Mulung telah ditampilkan di dalam kesemua 13 episod pada musim keempat siri tersebut.

Rakaman video beberapa petikan dalam proses produksi yang telah dimuat naik, menunjukkan ensembel muzik ‘Mai Chek Mai’ berada di bahagian tepi pentas sepanjang persembahan. Episod 1 menunjukkan perbualan Raja dengan Puteri. Dalam episod 2, kedua-dua Awang berada bersama Melur yang memberikan arah ke rumah Tok Wak. Episod 9 menunjukkan Tok Wak berada bersama kedua-dua Awang dengan seorang wanita cantik.

Dalam babak yang mana Melur bersama-sama dengan keduadua Awang, ditayangkan panel-panel LED yang menunjukkan latar belakang pemandangan kampung. Bagi babak yang mana Raja berbual dengan Puteri, latar belakang menunjukkan pemandangan dalam istana beserta dengan pemandangan awan bergerak di bahagian luar. Petikan pendek daripada ketigatiga episod ini cukup untuk memberi gambaran sejauh mana Mek Mulung Cahaya Bulan telah diperkembangkan di dalam 13 episod dalam produksi ini. Petikan-petikan pendek daripada

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The series included characters, such as Awang, in various modernday situations. The story of Putera Cahaya Bulan was presented in the first episode. Mai Chek Mai was recorded in front of a live audience at the Kedah State JKKN auditorium, where locals could watch the recording process for free. Celebrity figures, such as singer Elly Mazlin and TV personality Sheila Mambo, were among the guests who appeared in selected episodes. There were Mek Mulung characters in all of the 13 episodes in the fourth season.

In a video upload of selected snippets of the Mai Chek Mai production process showed the music ensemble at the corner of the stage throughout the entire performance. Episode 1 showed the Raja having a conversation with the Puteri. In Episode 2, the two Awangs were with Melur who gave directions to Tok Wak’s (the old sage’s) house. Episode 9, Tok Wak was with the two Awangs and a beautiful lady. In the scene where Melur met Awang, the LED panels showed a backdrop of a village scene. In the scene showing the Raja and the Puteri, the backdrop was that of the interior of a palace with moving clouds outside. The short clips of the three episodes were enough to reveal the extent to which the Mek Mulung Cahaya Bulan was expanded to be shown in thirteen episodes. Snippets of the three episodes (episodes 1, 2, and 9) discussed above, showed the process involved in transforming a stage performance into a television production. It is interesting to note that it closely resembled the village performance whereby the comedic scenes were the highlights in the performance.

ketiga-tiga episod 1, 2 dan 9 ini menunjukkan proses bagaimana persembahan pentas diolah menjadi satu produksi televisyen. Satu perkara yang menarik ialah, program ini telah menghasilkan satu produksi televisyen yang amat menyerupai persembahan di kampung, yang mana babak-babak komedi menjadi tarikan utama persembahan.

Watak-watak Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan dalam konteks komedi moden yang disiarkan di televisyen nasional semestinya boleh menarik bilangan penonton yang sangat besar yang mungkin mempunyai keinginan untuk lebih mengenali tradisi Mek Mulung beserta watak-watak dan berbagai jalan ceritanya. Siri komedi ini mengekalkan watak-watak dan sudut pandangan mereka, mempersembahkan cerita-cerita sedia ada yang diketahui umum, menggunakan loghat Kedah, dan menyanyikan lagulagu Mek Mulung. Rangkai kata yang digunakan dalam poster promosi ialah ‘Cerita Orang Utara untuk Kita Semua’, yang memberi maksud bahawa siri ini mensasar ke arah penonton rakyat jelata seluruh negara, bukan setakat penonton Kedah sahaja.

Performing Mek Mulung characters in a modern sitcom context aired on national television certainly would bring in a dramatically larger volume of viewers who may want to know more about Mek Mulung and its characters and plots. The sitcom retained the characters and their outlook, performed a known stock story, performed in Kedah dialect and sang the songs of the Mek Mulung. The tagline promoted in the poster “Cerita Orang Utara untuk Kita Semua” translates as “Northern stories for everyone”, thus implied that the series was targeted towards a mass national audience, not just the Kedah audience.

Poster promosi bagi rakaman Mai Chek Mai di Alor Setar, 2013.

Promotional poster for the Mai Chek Mai recording in Alor Setar.

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Mek Mulung dalam Produksi Teater Moden Kontemporari

Mek Mulung in Contemporary Modern Theatre Productions

Tidak seperti seni persembahan seperti Makyung dan Wayang Kulit yang lebih jelas kelihatan merata-rata, Mek Mulung secara perlahan-lahan muncul sebagai satu bentuk tradisi yang memberi asas kepada eksperimentasi kreatif yang baharu. Dua buah produksi teater oleh Zamzuriah, iaitu Jalan Primadona dan Section by Stesen, secara khusus telah memasukkan elemenelemen tradisional Mek Mulung ke dalam teater moden. Elemenelemen dan gerakan-gerakan Mek Mulung telah dimasukkan dalam persembahan, skrip watak-watak Mek Mulung digunakan, dan juga lagu-lagu nyanyian Mek Mulung dimasukkan. Produksiproduksi teater baharu ini telah memberi satu ruang untuk bentuk tradisional dipersembahkan di luar daripada lingkungan kebiasaannya, sama ada ia dalam bentuk tradisional-kampung mahupun konsert-bandar. Bagi kedua-dua Jalan Primadona dan Section by Stesen, penonton dimaklumkan terlebih dahulu sumber inspirasi bagi persembahan-persembahan ini yang memasukkan elemen-elemen Mek Mulung ke dalamnya.

Unlike traditional arts like Makyung and Wayang Kulit which are more visible, Mek Mulung is slowly emerging as a form on which new creative experimentations might be made. Two theatrical productions by Zamzuriah, namely Jalan Primadona and Section

by Stesen, have specifically included traditional Mek Mulung elements into modern theatre. Mek Mulung elements and gestures were incorporated into the performance, scripts from Mek Mulung characters were used, as well as the inclusion of sung songs from Mek Mulung. These new theatre productions provided an outlet for traditional forms to be presented beyond the conventional boundaries, be it in the traditional-village or the concertized urban form. In both Jalan Primadona and Section by Stesen, the audience were made aware beforehand of the source of inspiration for the performances with Mek Mulung elements incorporated into them.

Jalan Primadona adalah sebuah monodrama muzikal yang diarahkan oleh Faridah Merican daripada Actors’ Studio. Ia menggambarkan sebuah cerita mengenai seorang individu bernama Donaliah, yang sedang melalui proses menjadi seorang penghibur. Sepanjang proses pembelajaran, Donaliah telah berinteraksi dengan individu-individu lain yang berlainan etnik dan latar belakang dan telah mengalami pelbagai bentuk seni persembahan. Melalui monolog muzikal, Zamzuriah mempersembahkan kesemua watak dan memperkenalkan 12 komposisi baharu yang diciptanya sendiri. Sebahagian besar persembahan adalah berdasarkan pengalaman peribadi Zamzuriah sendiri sebagai pengamal seni persembahan tradisional, dan cabaran-cabaran yang dihadapinya sebagai seorang artis persembahan wanita dan beragama Islam. Satu tema penting dalam persembahan ini memberi fokus kepada memberi kesedaran tentang perubahan terhadap standard moral dan norma sosial yang boleh diterima dalam arena seni persembahan, seperti yang ditetapkan daripada sudut pandangan sebuah negara Islam. Artis wanita Muslim yang berhijab semasa

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Jalan Primadona, is a musical monodrama, directed by Faridah Merican of Actors Studio. It portrays the story of an individual, named Donaliah, going through the process of becoming an entertainer. Throughout the process of learning, Donaliah interacts with individuals from different ethnicities and backgrounds, and encounters various traditional art forms. In the form of a musical monologue, Zamzuriah performed all the characters and introduced 12 new compositions which she herself produced. A large part of the performance was based on Zamzuriah’s personal experience as a traditional performing arts practitioner, and her struggles as a female, Muslim performing artist. An important theme in the performance focused on bringing awareness that a shift had taken place in acceptable moral standards and social norms within the performing arts arena, as determined from the perspective of an Islamic-nation framework. Muslim female artistes donning the hijab while performing on stage or appearing in television programmes is no longer a rare phenomenon. Looking back to the past, such phenomena were very rare.

membuat persembahan di atas pentas atau penampilan di program televisyen bukan lagi satu fenomena luar biasa. Jika merenung kembali kepada masa lampau, fenomena seperti ini adalah suatu yang luar biasa.

Jalan Primadona mengingatkan penonton akan cabaran-cabaran dalam mempersembahkan seni persembahan tradisional yang bersaing dengan seni moden dan seni kontemporari tradisional untuk mendapatkan perhatian.

Pada poster persembahan Jalan Primadona, terdapat maklumat yang jelas bahawa persembahan ini menampilkan pelbagai genre seni tradisional, termasuk Mek Mulung. Apabila ditanya apa signifikannya persembahan ini kepada umum, Zamzuriah merasakan bentuk seni tempatan telah memperoleh banyak pencapaian yang diiktiraf dan dibincang pada peringkat antarabangsa; malangnya, dalam konteks tempatan, persembahan-persembahan ini diketepikan oleh komunitinya sendiri yang lebih berminat untuk berdebat berkenaan apa yang betul atau salah daripada aspek estetik dan moral dalam lingkungan sesuatu genre seni persembahan.

Jalan Primadona was designed to bring home to the audience the challenges of performing traditional performing arts in a situation where they have to compete for attention with modern and contemporarized traditional arts.

In the performance poster of Jalan Primadona, there is a clear indication that the performance showcased a variety of traditional arts genres, including Mek Mulung. When asked about the significance of this performance for the public,

Poster promosi Jalan Primadona, 2015. (Gambar ihsan The Actor’s Studio, Seni Teater Rakyat) A promotional poster for Jalan Primadona, 2015. (Photo courtesy of The Actors Studio, Seni Teater Rakyat)

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Dalam persembahan Jalan Primadona, komponen Mek Mulung diperkenalkan pada bahagian kedua dalam persembahan tersebut, iaitu berikutan berhenti rehat selama 15 minit. Ini diikuti oleh persembahan lagu Mengulik daripada Mek Mulung. Watak Donaliah turut menyebut nama-nama ahli persembahan kumpulan Mek Mulung Wang Tepus dan perasaan rindunya terhadap Wa atau Pak Leh. Pada bahagian-bahagian seterusnya, tiga lagi lagu Mek Mulung telah dipersembahkan, termasuk bahagian Bertabik, beberapa barisan daripada lagu Timang Welu, dan satu rangkap pantun lagu penutup. Lagu-lagu tersebut memberi contoh Mek Mulung sebagai pengenalan kepada penonton yang telah menerimanya dengan baik dan menyumbang kepada keseronokan mereka menonton persembahan itu. Publisiti daripada Jalan Primadona telah memperkenalkan Mek Mulung kepada penonton-penonton baharu. Dengan ini, ia adalah satu usaha kreatif yang berjaya memberi publisiti dan mempromosi tradisi Mek Mulung melalui persembahan teater moden.

Berikutan kejayaan Jalan Primadona pada tahun 2015, Zamzuriah telah mempersembahkan satu lagi monodrama pada tahun 2017 bertajuk Section by Stesen. Perkaitan antara Jalan Primadona dengan Section by Stesen adalah; Jalan Primadona menceritakan seorang primadona yang hampir bersara, manakala Section by Stesen adalah mengenai primadona yang muncul kembali ke atas pentas. Section by Stesen telah dipersembahkan sebagai sebahagian daripada Festival Seni Persembahan Damansara pada tahun 2017 dan merupakan salah satu perwakilan Malaysia di festival tersebut. Section by Stesen telah diarahkan oleh Ida Nerina, iaitu seorang pelakon televisyen yang dikenali ramai.

Dalam Section by Stesen, satu siri persembahan pendek yang diambil daripada Makyung Kelantan, Mek Mulung dan Makyung Riau telah dicipta menjadi satu bentuk yang sesuai untuk dipersembahkan sebagai satu produksi teater moden kontemporari. Dipilih daripada pelbagai genre seni persembahan tradisional, babak-babak pendek ini adalah satu contoh usaha Zamzuriah untuk memberi ciri kontemporari kepada persembahannya supaya disesuaikan dengan cita rasa situasi bandar. Berikutan satu babak Makyung Kelantan, bahagian

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Zamzuriah felt that local art forms have made achievements that are recognized and being discussed internationally; but, sadly within the local context, these performances were sidelined by the locals themselves who were increasingly concerned with debates about what is morally or aesthetically right or wrong within a specific genre of performing arts.

In Jalan Primadona, the Mek Mulung component was introduced in the second half of the performance, following the 15-minute intermission. This was followed by the Mengulik song from Mek Mulung. Donaliah, the character, also mentioned names of various real-life performers in the Wang Tepus Mek Mulung troupe, and how much she missed Wa or Pak Leh. In the following sections, three other Mek Mulung songs were performed, including parts of the Bertabik, a few lines of the Timang Welu and a quatrain of the closing song. The songs provided a sampling of Mek Mulung to the audience which were well received and contributed to the audience’s enjoyment of the performance. The publicity garnered from Jalan Primadona provided an introduction to Mek Mulung for new audiences. Thus, it was a successful creative effort in publicizing and promoting the Mek Mulung tradition through a modern theatre presentation.

Following the success of Jalan Primadona in 2015, Zamzuriah staged another monodrama in 2017 titled Section by Stesen. The connection between Jalan Primadona and Section by Stesen was that: Jalan Primadona was about a primadona on the edge of retiring, whereas Section by Stesen was about a primadona making a comeback to the stage. Section by Stesen was presented as part of the Damansara Performing Arts Festival in 2017 and served as one of the Malaysian representatives for that festival. Section by Stesen was directed by Ida Nerina, a well-known TV actor.

In Section by Stesen, a series of short performances taken from Makyung of Kelantan, Mek Mulung, and Makyung Riau were crafted into a form appropriate for a contemporary, modern theatre production. Selected from different traditional performing arts genres, these short scenes provided a sampling of Zamzuriah’s contemporarizations to fit an urban setting. Following a Makyung

Mek Mulung dipersembahkan pada pertengahan babak itu dengan kemunculan watak Puteri memanggil Inang. Penonton diperkenalkan kepada tiga perkara standard dalam karya Mek Mulung, iaitu ‘Burung Odang’, ‘Panggil Inang’, dan ‘Inang Terkejut Jaga’. Makyung Riau diperkenalkan pada bahagian berikutnya.

Bahagian-bahagian ini digabung dengan menggunakan satu siri rangkap daripada Dikir Barat, iaitu satu bentuk dikir dalam dialek Kelantan.

Watak dalam cerita itu menunjukkan pendiriannya yang menentang perubahan-perubahan moden yang tidak mengambil kira dan memberi pertimbangan terhadap persembahan tradisional apabila pementasan diadakan di kawasan-kawasan bandar. Kebimbangan yang dibangkitkan di Jalan Primadona, Section by Stesen juga berakhir dengan dialog watak yang meluahkan rasa sedihnya mengenai persepsi umum kontemporari terhadap pengamal seni daripada golongan wanita Muslim, dan membuat persembahan seni tradisional.

Mek Mulung dalam Teater Kanak-Kanak: Magika Mek Senik Satu lagi bentuk persembahan teater yang mengandungi aspekaspek Mek Mulung ialah produksi anjuran JKKN Kedah pada tahun 2016. Ia merupakan sebuah produksi teater muzikal kanakkanak yang bertajuk Magika Mek Senik. Persembahan ini adalah sebahagian daripada pertunjukan yang dipersembahkan untuk program mentor kesenian yang dikendalikan oleh JKKN Kedah bagi mempromosi seni di sekolah-sekolah di Kedah.

Ahli-ahli persembahan dipilih dalam kalangan pelajar-pelajar daripada beberapa buah sekolah rendah dan menengah di utara Kedah. Walaupun tidak dinyatakan persembahan ini diinspirasikan persembahan tradisional Mek Mulung, jelas terdapat elemen-elemen Mek Mulung dalam produksi ini. Aspekaspek ini dikemukakan melalui tanda-tanda yang jelas seperti nama-nama dan jenis watak. Sebagai contoh, watak utama wanita bernama Nang Mara adalah juga nama seorang puteri dalam persembahan cerita Mek Mulung Cahaya Bulan. Dalam produksi kanak-kanak ini, Nang Mara, juga turut dikenali sebagai

Kelantan scene, the Mek Mulung section opened mid-way with the character, Puteri, calling upon her Inang. The audience was introduced to three standard items of the Mek Mulung repertoire: the Burung Odang, Panggil Inang and the Inang Terkejut Jaga. The Makyung of Riau was introduced in the following section. These sections were tied together with a series of verses from Dikir Barat, a form of chanting in the Kelantanese dialect.

The character demonstrated her opposition to the thoughtless and inconsiderate modern changes made to traditional performances when they were staged in urban settings. Just like the concerns raised in Jalan Primadona, Section by Stesen ended with the character lamenting contemporary public perceptions of practitioners who were female, Muslim, and performing traditional arts.

Mek Mulung in Children’s Theatre: Magika Mek Senik Another form of theatre performance incorporating aspects of Mek Mulung was a 2016 production by the Kedah state JKKN. It was a musical theatre production for, and by, children titled Magika Mek Senik (Mek Senik’s Magic or the Princess’s Magic). The performance was part of a showcase presented for an art mentoring program, conducted by the state JKKN, to promote the arts in schools in Kedah.

Performers were selected from among students in several primary and secondary schools in northern Kedah. Although there was no mention of it being inspired by the traditional Mek Mulung performance, there were clear elements of Mek Mulung in the production. These aspects were brought forward through characteristic identifiers, such as the names and types of characters. For example, the main female character Nang Mara, was a princess in the popularly performed Mek Mulung story, Cahaya Bulan. In this children production, Nang Mara was also addressed as Mek Senik, which was also used to refer to the Puteri character in Mek Mulung regardless of their specific character names in the story plot. Other Mek Mulung characters in Magika Mek Senik included the Raja and Awang. The Raja in this

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Poster promosi Magika Mek Senik di Auditorium, Kompleks JKKN Kedah, 2016.

A promotional poster for Magika Mek Senik at the Auditorium, Kompleks JKKN Kedah, 2016.

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Mek Senik, iaitu juga satu panggilan watak Puteri dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Watak-watak Mek Mulung yang lain dalam Magika Mek Senik termasuk Raja dan Awang.

Raja dalam persembahan ini turut dipanggil Cek Wang, juga satu panggilan yang biasa digunakan oleh watak Awang ketika menghadap Raja dalam persembahan Mek Mulung.

Sesiapa dalam kalangan penonton yang telah mempunyai pendedahan atau pengetahuan tentang persembahan Mek Mulung boleh mengenal pasti watak-watak ini berasal daripada tradisi Mek Mulung. Kewujudan Mek Mulung turut dirasai daripada dialog-dialog yang menggunakan loghat Kedah serta persamaan corak interaksi antara Raja atau Che Wang dengan Puteri atau Mek Senik, seperti yang terdapat dalam persembahan Mek Mulung. Penglibatan watak-watak lain termasuk Raja dan Permaisuri Ligor.

Ligor dipercayai sebagai sebuah lokasi di negara Thailand, iaitu satu tempat yang dianggap asal-usul kewujudan Mek Mulung. Akhir sekali, Raja Gergasi, iaitu satu watak daripada Mek Mulung, turut menjadi salah satu watak dalam Magika Mek Senik.

performance was also addressed as Cek Wang, which was a common Mek Mulung term used by Awang when addressing the Raja. Anyone among the audience who has had exposure to, or knowledge of, Mek Mulung performances could identify these characters as coming from the Mek Mulung tradition. There was also the Mek Mulung feel in the use of the Kedah dialect in the dialogues, and the similar patterns of interactions between the Raja or Che Wang and the Puteri or Mek Senik to those used in the Mek Mulung performances.

Other characters included the Raja and Permaisuri of Ligor.

Ligor is believed to be the location in Thailand from where Mek Mulung was supposed to have originated. Finally, Raja Gergasi, another character from Mek Mulung was also among the characters included in Magika Mek Senik.

Salah satu babak dalam produksi Magika Mek Senik, 2016.

A scene in the Magika Mek Senik production, 2016.

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Sebagai sebuah persembahan teater kanak-kanak, kostum dan peralatan persembahan disesuaikan dengan watak-watak yang dimainkan oleh kanak-kanak. Sebagai contoh, watak-watak Awang dalam Magika Mek Senik menggunakan kostum badut dan tidak memakai topeng separuh muka berwarna merah yang biasa dipakai oleh Awang dalam persembahan Mek Mulung.

Jalan cerita melibatkan elemen-elemen fantasi baharu yang direka bagi menarik minat kanak-kanak, seperti bunga dan binatang yang mampu bercakap, serta latar belakang yang bergerak dan berciri fantasi. Ia mengandungi elemen-elemen muzikal daripada filem Tangled keluaran Disney yang berasaskan kisah dongeng negara Eropah bertajuk Rapunzel, tetapi mempunyai lirik lagu yang sesuai setelah ditulis semula dalam bahasa Melayu.

Tidak terdapat kenyataan tentang kaitannya dengan tradisi Mek Mulung. Namun begitu, amat jelas penulis skrip atau penerbit mempunyai Mek Mulung di minda mereka ketika mencipta persembahan ini. Idea sebuah produksi teater kanakkanak dengan menggunakan watak-watak Mek Mulung dalam sebuah produksi kecil di peringkat sekolah dilihat sebagai satu pendekatan yang baik dalam mengetengahkan Mek Mulung sebagai salah satu bentuk teater kontemporari.

Majlis Perkahwinan Bertemakan Mek Mulung Pada Jun 2014, seorang pemenang program bakat teater Anak Wayang yang disiarkan sebagai sebuah program realiti di televisyen oleh ASTRO, telah mendapat liputan media pada majlis perkahwinannya di Alor Setar, Kedah. Pemenang tersebut, Hairi Safwan, adalah salah seorang ahli AKRAB yang sekarang merupakan seorang pelakon drama televisyen yang berpotensi besar dalam bidang lakonan. Untuk majlis perkahwinannya, Hairi telah memilih tema Mek Mulung, yang mana dia dan isterinya telah merancang majlis resepsi melibatkan satu persembahan Mek Mulung yang berdurasi selama 30 minit dengan sokongan para jemputan, yang juga rakan-rakan sekerja Hairi semasa di AKRAB.

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Since it was a children’s theatre performance, the costumes and props were modified to be appropriate for characters played by children. For example, Awang characters in Magika Mek Senik were dressed in clown costumes instead of donning the red half-faced masks of the Awangs in Mek Mulung.

The storyline involved new fantastical elements designed to appeal to children, such as talking flowers and animals as well as moving fantasy-like backdrops. It incorporated musical elements from Disney’s movie ‘Tangled’ which was based on the European fairytale Rapunzel, but with song texts appropriately rewritten in the Malay language.

There was no mention of any association with the Mek Mulung tradition. Nonetheless, it was clear that the scriptwriter or producer had Mek Mulung in mind during the construction of the performance. The idea of a children’s theatre production employing Mek Mulung characteristics within a small school production is another instance of Mek Mulung making its presence in other contemporary forms of theatre.

Mek Mulung-Themed Wedding In June 2014, a reality TV programme winner of a theatre talent show, Anak Wayang, produced by satellite TV broadcasting service ASTRO, had media coverage of his wedding at his hometown in Alor Setar, Kedah. The winner, Hairi Safwan, was previously a member of AKRAB and now a promising television drama actor. For his wedding, Hairi had chosen a Mek Mulung-theme in which he and his wife had planned the wedding reception to include a half-hour Mek Mulung presentation with support of guests who were his colleages during his AKRAB days.

Majlis perkahwinan yang bertemakan Mek Mulung. (Gambar ihsan daripada Hairi Safwan, 2014).

Mek Mulung-themed wedding, 2014. (Photograph courtesy of Hairi Safwan, 2014).

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Seramai lebih kurang 1000 jemputan yang menghadiri majlis perkahwinan itu telah dihiburkan dengan persembahan Mek Mulung yang dipersembahkan oleh pasangan pengantin itu sendiri. Sambutan seperti ini menunjukkan bahawa individu seperti Hairi yang penuh bersemangat dan berpengaruh mampu memberi impak ke atas mengetengahkan Mek Mulung secara lebih meluas kepada populasi umum. Hairi terus terlibat dalam persembahan di kaca televisyen dan pementasan teater, serta telah terlibat memainkan watak Awang dalam produksi Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik pada tahun 2018.

About a thousand guests who came for the wedding were entertained by the Mek Mulung performance presented by the bride and groom. Such a celebration showed how a passionate and influential individual like Hairi could make an impact on giving wider visibility of Mek Mulung to the general public. Hairi continues to perform on screen, on theatre stages and was one of the star performers playing the Awang character in the 2018 production of Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik.

Penghasilan Barang Jualan Berinspirasikan Mek Mulung

Big budget musical performances in Malaysia are nearly always surrounded by supplementary commercial products associated with the performance and sold to consumer-audience as souvenirs and memorabilia. These could include t-shirts, playbills, CDs, DVDs and other products usually sold at the performance venue, that were perceived to add value to the audiences’ experience. This scenario was not an uncommon sight for traditional performances in Kuala Lumpur and other major cities in Malaysia. For example, the late Pak Majid, a Wayang Kulit Gedek dalang, or puppeteer, actively promoted various kinds of merchandise relating to Wayang Kulit when making his performances.

Persembahan muzikal di Malaysia yang mempunyai peruntukan besar biasanya menawarkan produk-produk komersial yang ada kaitan dengan persembahan untuk dijual kepada penonton sebagai cenderamata atau untuk kenang-kenangan. Ini termasuk kemeja-T, bahan cetak seperti buku program atau penerangan mengenai persembahan, CD, DVD, dan produk-produk lain yang dianggap boleh memberi nilai tambah kepada pengalaman penonton. Senario ini bukan suatu perkara yang luar biasa bagi persembahan-persembahan tradisional di Kuala Lumpur dan bandar-bandar utama lain di Malaysia. Sebagai contok, arwah Pak Majid, seorang Dalang Wayang Kulit Gedek, secara aktif memasarkan pelbagai jenis bahan jualan yang berkait dengan Wayang Kulit apabila mengadakan persembahan.

Tidak seperti persembahan muzikal moden, persembahan Mek Mulung di bandar jarang-jarang melibatkan barang jualan selain buku program dan nota program. Semasa persembahan Mek Mulung Cahaya Bulan oleh PPAG pada tahun 2012, sebuah beg yang bercetak dengan poster persembahan diberi kepada mereka yang membeli nota program. Semasa persembahan Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik pada tahun 2018, poster program dipamerkan di merata tempat di dewan sebagai ganti kepada nota program. Langkah ini seolah-olah terlepasnya peluang promosi memandangkan pentingnya dalam keadaan semasa mengadakan jualan barangan yang berkaitan dengan persembahan sebagai promosi tambahan dan juga mengingatkan kenangan yang menyeronokkan kepada penonton.

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Creating Mek Mulung-inspired Merchandise

Unlike other modern musical performances, Mek Mulung urban performances rarely involved side-merchandising apart from the playbills or programme notes. During the 2012 Cahaya Bulan performance by the PPAG, a bag printed with the performance poster was included with the purchase of programme notes.

During the 2018 staging of Mek Mulung Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik, printed posters were displayed during the performance in lieu of programme notes. This would appear to be a missed opportunity given the contemporary importance of the sale of supplementary merchandise during a performance to provide further promotional opportunities and to remind the audience about past enjoyable experiences.

Danesh (kanan) dan Izat (kiri) yang mengenakan pakaian wanita, sebagai Inang dalam sebuah produksi Universiti Malaya, 2016. (Gambar ihsan Pixelah, digunakan dengan kebenaran).

Danesh (right) and Izat (left) as cross-dressed Inangs in the Universiti Malaya 2016 production. (Photo taken by Pixelah, used with permission).

Pada tahun 2016, seorang pelajar Universiti Malaya, Danesh Raj Nagarajan, yang terlibat dalam produksi Mek Mulung Dewa Kaca, telah memainkan watak Inang Hitam. Pelajar lelaki berketurunan India ini telah mendapat banyak perhatian dengan menggayakan pakaian wanita untuk wataknya sebagai Inang.

Sebagai seorang ahli persembahan bukan berbangsa Melayu, dia berjaya menikmati status selebriti dengan penerimaannya oleh penonton yang sebahagian besar berbangsa Melayu dan seterusnya mempunyai kumpulan peminat yang besar. Dengan populariti semasa yang diperolehinya, Danesh mengambil kesempatan itu untuk memulakan sebuah perniagaan kecil yang menghasilkan produk kecantikan berkaitan dengan Mek Mulung dan wataknya. Dia memperkenalkan enam jenis warna gincunya sendiri menggunakan jenama Mak Inang Beauty.

In the 2016 Universiti Malaya student production of Mek Mulung Dewa Kaca, Danesh Raj Nagarajan played the character Inang Hitam. He had since gained much fame through the success of his cross-dressed Inang character.

Being one of the few non-Malay performers, he enjoyed celebrity status with a largely Malay audience, and he had established a large fan base. Taking advantage of his current popularity, he had embarked on a small business venture creating a product overtly associated with Mek Mulung and his character. He introduced the first six colours of his own lipstick line under the brand of Mak Inang Beauty.

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Label produk gincu yang berinspirasikan Mek Mulung. (Gambar ihsan Danesh Raj Nagarajan).

Product lable of lipstick inspired by Mek Mulung. (Photograph courtesy of Danesh Raj Nagarajan).

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Melalui akaun Instagramnya, terdapat maklumat yang pelanggan-pelanggan Danesh bukan sahaja daripada golongan wanita, tetapi juga lelaki yang gemar berpakaian wanita. Enam warna gincu telah diberikan nama-nama yang dikaitkan dengan watak-watak Mek Mulung, seperti ‘Red Mak Inang’, ‘Purple Inang Bongsu’, ‘Dark Nude Inang Hitam’, ‘Creamy Nude Inang Pengasuh’, ‘Red Mek Senik’, dan ‘Deep Nude Puteri Santai’. Barubaru ini, Danesh telah mengembangkan barisan produknya, iaitu pelembap bibir yang diberi nama lagu-lagu Mek Mulung, seperti Puteri Masuk ke Taman.

Populariti Danesh dan penglibatannya pertama kali sebagai Inang dalam produksi Mek Mulung telah memberinya peluang sekali lagi memainkan watak Inang dalam produksi komersial Mek Mulung yang terbaharu. Dalam Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik, dia memainkan watak ketua Inang, iaitu Inang Sulung atau Inang Tua. Sepanjang persembahan yang berlangsung selama tiga malam itu (17-19 Ogos 2018), Danesh dengan watak Inang telah mempromosikan barisan peralatan soleknya dengan menyelitkannya secara bijak semasa pementasan sebagai sebahagian daripada persembahan. Pendekatannya secara berjenaka mengetengahkan gincunya menggembirakan penonton, dan seterusnya memberi penekanan kepada perkaitan gincu Danesh, watak Inang, dan Mek Mulung. Walau bagaimanapun, Danesh tidak membuat sebarang percubaan mempromosi atau menjual gincunya setiap malam persembahan, sama ada sebelum mahupun selepas persembahan.

Mek Mulung dalam Masa Pandemik COVID-19 Seperti seni persembahan tradisional yang lain, persembahan Mek Mulung turut terkesan dengan sekatan-sekatan akibat daripada penularan wabak Coronavirus. Terdapat banyak produksi seni persembahan dan artis-artis persembahan terpaksa berhijrah kepada pertunjukan dan penampilan berbentuk atas talian. Baru-baru ini, setelah menerima satu geran daripada CENDANA (Cultural Economy Development Agency - Agensi Pembangunan Ekonomi Budaya) di bawah program siri Panggung Rakyat, Zamzuriah telah membuat

Postings on his Instagram page indicated that Danesh’s clientele included both women and cross-dressed males. The six lipstick colours are given names associated with Mek Mulung characters, such as Red Mak Inang, Purple Inang Bongsu, Dark Nude Inang Hitam, Creamy Nude Inang Pengasuh, Red Mek Senik and Deep Nude Puteri Santai. Danesh recently expanded his product line to include a lip balm named after one of the Mek Mulung songs, Puteri Masuk Ke Taman.

Danesh’s popularity and his association with the Inang character in his first Mek Mulung production has led him to secure a role as an Inang in the latest commercial Mek Mulung production. In Hikayat Puteri 12 Beradik, he played the character of the head maid servant, Inang Sulung or Inang Tua. Throughout the three nights’ performances (17th - 19th August 2018), Danesh in his Inang character promoted his makeup line discreetly through product placement, incorporating it on stage as part of the performance. His comical approach in presenting the lipstick delighted the audience, which further emphasized the association of Danesh’s lipstick, the Inang character, and Mek Mulung. Danesh, however, did not attempt to promote or sell his lipstick before or after each night’s performance.

Mek Mulung in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic Mek Mulung performances, like many other traditional performing arts, were severely affected by the Coronavirus restrictions in staging performances. Many performing arts productions and performing artists made the move to online presentations and appearances. Recently, after receiving a grant from CENDANA (Cultural Economy Development Agency) under the Panggung Rakyat series, Zamzuriah embarked on an online performance of Mek Mulung in August 2021. The project comprised of two presentations of Mek Mulung, which were a short performance and a short documentary, that were premièred online through Facebook. For the performance component, recordings were made individually at each performer’s respective locations.

Video recordings were made of performers, including Zamzuriah herself and Wang Tepus practitioners, making the Mek Mulung presentations individually at their respective locations. With the

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Persembahan Mek Mulung Panggung Rakyat. Sebuah persembahan Mek Mulung yang dirakam sepenuhnya secara jarak jauh dan atas talian. (Gambar Ehsan CENDANA Panggung Rakyat dan Zamzuriah Zahari) Mek Mulung in Panggung Rakyat, a performance filmed entirely remotely and online (Photo courtesy of CENDANA Panggung Rakyat and Zamzuriah Zahari)

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relevan bagi keadaan tertentu. Howard (2014) melihat ini sebagai “kewujudan dwi serentak” yang kebiasaannya dilihat berlaku pada situasi pasca kebangkitan semula, yang mana kedua-dua versi adalah sama penting untuk memastikan ia terus relevan.

Satu perkara penting yang perlu dipertimbangkan adalah keduaduanya bergerak, walaupun secara berasingan, tetapi menuju ke arah yang sama, iaitu untuk berjaya memenuhi fungsi mereka dan diterima serta dihargai oleh penonton sasaran mereka.

persembahan Mek Mulung secara dalam talian pada Ogos 2021. Projek itu melibatkan dua pertunjukan Mek Mulung, iaitu satu persembahan pendek dan satu dokumentari pendek, yang telah dibuat tayangan perdana secara dalam talian melalui laman Facebook. Bagi komponen persembahan, rakaman dibuat oleh setiap ahli persembahan, termasuk Zamzuriah sendiri dan pengamal-pengamal persembahan Wang Tepus, secara berasingan mengikut lokasi masing-masing. Kesemua ahli persembahan membuat rakaman video mereka sendiri, kecuali pengamal-pengamal tradisi Wang Tepus. Bagi mereka ini, seorang juruvideo telah membantu dalam persediaan peralatan rakaman di Wang Tepus untuk merakam persembahan mereka. Rakaman-rakaman secara individu dan berasingan ini kemudiannya dihimpun, disunting, dan dicantumkan bersama bagi menghasilkan satu persembahan video pendek Mek Mulung. Bagi komponen dokumentari, perbincangan meliputi latar belakang tradisi Mek Mulung, status semasa berhubung persembahan, termasuk harapan dan impian ahli-ahli persembahan terhadap masa hadapan Mek Mulung sebagai satu tradisi seni persembahan.

exception of the Wang Tepus practitioners, performers made their own video recordings. For the practitioners, a videographer helped set up the equipment in Wang Tepus for recordings of the village performers making their presentations. These individuallyproduced recordings were then compiled, edited, and stitched together to produce a short Mek Mulung performance video.

For the documentary component, discussions consisted of the background of the Mek Mulung tradition, the current status of the performance, and performers’ hopes and dreams for Mek Mulung’s future as a performing arts tradition.

MENJAYAKAN KEHIDUPAN BERSAMA

MANAGING SUCCESSFUL COEXISTENCE

Dalam masa gemparnya kegembiraan dengan kebangkitan semula Mek Mulung dalam pelbagai bentuk hasil daripada berbagai usaha yang dilakukan oleh pembuat-pembuat persembahan di luar Wang Tepus, penjaga-penjaga tradisi Mek Mulung berhadapan dengan pelbagai cabaran dalam usaha memastikan mereka terus mempunyai peranan yang relevan dan untuk memastikan tradisi Mek Mulung berterusan dan kekal terpelihara. Adalah amat nyata bahawa Mek Mulung masa kini wujud dalam dua keadaan yang berbeza, iaitu satu versi berbentuk tradisional berasaskan kampung dan versi moden berasaskan bandar. Setiap satu mempunyai fungsi khusus kepada tujuan ritual ataupun hiburan. Keadaan ini tidak memberi gambaran versi bandar menggantikan versi kampung, tetapi lebih kepada suatu bentuk alternatif yang komplementari, iaitu saling melengkapi (Nur Izzati, 2019). Setiap satu mempunyai identiti tersendiri dan

While all the excitement with the ‘revival’ of Mek Mulung was taking place in various possible forms by an array of performance makers outside of Wang Tepus, the custodians of the Mek Mulung tradition found themselves faced with serious challenges in their efforts to stay relevant and ensure the continuity and survival of their tradition. It is obvious that currently Mek Mulung is existing in two separate realms, the traditional, village version and the modern, urban version. Each has its own specialty of ritualistic function and entertainment function. It is not the case of the urban version replacing the village version, but more of a complementary alternative form (Nur Izzati, 2019). Each has its own identity and has its relevance. Howard (2014) looks at this as a “concurrent dual existence” which is seen in post-revival scenario, where both versions are equally important to maintain their relevancy. An important point to consider is that they are both moving, although

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Di peringkat kampung, sedikit sahaja acara-acara Mek Mulung yang diadakan di luar Wang Tepus menyumbang kepada kelangsungannya atau potensi budaya dalam konteks kampung, terutamanya daripada aspek impak dan hubungannya dengan versi konsert bandar, ahli-ahli persembahan, dan penonton.

Namun begitu, setiap satu versi mempunyai alasan yang tersendiri untuk bersedia memberi apa yang dikehendaki oleh penonton sasarannya dan seterusnya menyediakan ruang persembahan spesifik yang disesuaikan untuk persembahan mereka. Oleh yang demikian, untuk menyaksikan versi kampung yang asli, penonton perlu pergi ke kampung untuk menghayati suasana sebenarnya, dan sebaliknya begitu untuk versi bandar. Tujuan sebenar tidak akan tercapai yang mana akan hilang identiti tradisional atau identiti konsert sekiranya persembahan itu tidak diadakan di ruangnya yang sesuai. Orang awam seharusnya mempunyai akses kepada dua-dua versi dan dapat menghargai keunikan setiap satu versi.

Seperti tradisi-tradisi lisan yang lain, Mek Mulung akan terus berkembang dan memasukkan berbagai idea kreatif bagi memastikan ia terus relevan. Kedua-dua persembahan kampung dan konsert bandar perlu terus memberi sokongan antara satu dengan yang lain melalui penglibatan dan kolaborasi individuindividu yang berminat, agensi-agensi yang bersesuaian, dan penjaga-penjaga tradisi itu sendiri. Dengan adanya usaha-usaha daripada pelbagai pihak, Mek Mulung mempunyai potensi yang besar untuk terus maju dan kekal sebagai seni persembahan warisan ikonik bagi negeri Kedah. Versi kampung akan terus kekal dan memelihara identitinya sebagai bentuk asli yang menjadi sumber rujukan bagi berbagai versi yang mungkin muncul pada masa akan datang hasil daripada usaha pembentukan semula, rekaan semula, pembuatan konsert atau ciptaan moden. Pengamal-pengamal tradisi diperlukan bagi memastikan peraturan-peraturan dipatuhi supaya Mek Mulung kekal relevan bukan sahaja dalam kalangan komuniti Wang Tepus, tetapi juga bagi penonton-penonton bandar.

separately, but towards the same direction, that is, successfully fulfilling their function, and being accepted and appreciated by their respective target audience.

At the kampung level, few of the Mek Mulung events taking place outside Wang Tepus have contributed to its sustainability or cultural potential in the village context, especially in relation to the impact of and its relationship with the urban concertized version, as well as its performers and audience. Nonetheless, each has its reason for being available for the consumption of different audiences and the necessity for having their specific performance space for making their presentations. Thus, to watch the original village version, the audience has to go to the village setting, and vice versa. It would not meet its purpose and would lose its traditional or concertized identity if it involves bringing out the performance from its appropriate performance space. The general public should have access to both versions and appreciate the uniqueness of each version.

Like many other oral traditions, Mek Mulung will continue to evolve and to incorporate various creative ideas to maintain its relevancy. Both the village performances and the urban concerts would continue to support each other through involvement and collaboration with interested individuals, relevant agencies, and the beholders of the tradition themselves. Through these various efforts, Mek Mulung has a strong potential to move forward and remain as Kedah’s iconic performing arts heritage. The village version will continue to exist and always retain its identity as the original form for which it serves as a reference for various versions resulting from efforts through reconstruction/reinvention/ concertization/modernization. The traditional practitioners are needed to ensure that rules established are followed so that Mek Mulung remains relevant not only within the Wang Tepus community, but also to the urban consumer-audience.

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Walaupun versi konsert lebih jelas kelihatan berbanding versi kampung, pelbagai usaha dijalankan masa kini bagi memastikan versi kampung mengambil peluang daripada pengiktirafan yang diterima oleh versi konsert Mek Mulung yang dinikmati masa kini untuk menonjolkan status warisannya. Dengan itu, signifikannya Mek Mulung harus dilihat daripada perspektif kedua-dua versi Mek Mulung, yang sepatutnya menerima penghargaan dan kelangsungan yang sama pada tahun-tahun yang mendatang.

Apabila pengamal-pengamal tradisi Wang Tepus menyedari akan penghargaan tradisi Mek Mulung yang semakin meningkat dalam kalangan populasi umum, dan khususnya dalam kalangan komuniti Wang Tepus, adalah sangat diharapkan generasi baharu penjaga tradisi Wang Tepus akan mengambil alih tanggungjawab sebagai satu kuasa penggerak, dan seterusnya membawa Mek Mulung kembali ke zaman kegemilangannya seperti suatu masa dahulu.

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Despite greater visibility of the concerted version in comparison to the village version, various efforts are under way to ensure that the village version takes advantage of the recognition that concertized Mek Mulung is enjoying now by projecting itself in terms of its heritage status. Thus, the significance of Mek Mulung should be looked at from the perspective of both versions of the Mek Mulung which should be equally appreciated and sustainable for many more years to come. As the Wang Tepus practitioners realized the growing appreciation of the Mek Mulung tradition by the general population, and the Wang Tepus community specifically, it is hoped that a new generation of Wang Tepus traditional bearers will take responsibility to be the next driving force, and eventually bring Mek Mulung back to its former glory.

BIBLIOGRAFI BIBLIOGRAPHY

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