Many Orang Asli performing groups are often invited to perform their traditional music and dances, known as Sewang, Main Jo’oh, Pinloin or Belian and others to the local and international tourists and visiting dignitaries. The Orang Asli grassroots troupes assert their cultural identity by recreating an embellished performance of their ancestral heritage. While not denying that traditional music and dances are still performed in some villages for occasional festive events and rituals, many Orang Asli performances today are commodified and commoditized for the tourists’ gaze. I question whether these performances are meaningful, play an important social function, and are sustainable to the Orang Asli communities today? Are the performances of a past cultural heritage transmitted to the next generation with keen interest and participation? I then question how the Orang Asli can recreate their music and dance heritage to be functional and meaningful to their communities today. How can they bridge the gap between the interests of the younger generation with the elders’ desire to sustain their traditional cultural heritage? In this talk, I will suggest some ways in which tradition cultural heritages may be synergized with the modern musical interests of the Orang Asli’s younger generation
Di Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (JMM), kegiatan perolehan terhadap koleksi hiasan perahu khususnya bangau pada perahu telah bermula sejak awal penubuhan Muzium Negara pada tahun 1963. Sebahagian daripada koleksi bangau ini pernah dipamerkan dan dicatatkan oleh Mubin Sheppard dalam Museum Federation Journal 1963. Koleksi ini merupakan antara koleksi bangau yang unik dan amat sukar ditemui pada masa sekarang. Ini kerana koleksi bangau yang dimiliki oleh JMM mewakili hampir setiap jenis perahu yang pernah digunakan di Pantai Timur seperti perahu payang, payang buatan barat, sekoci, kolek, kolek kue, jalora dan bedar. Kajian ini menumpukan kepada 60 koleksi bangau dengan meneliti penggunaan tema dan motif pada koleksi bangau perahu yang berada di repositori Jabatan Muzium Malaysia. Selain itu, penelitian ini turut mengenal pasti koleksi bangau berdasarkan klasifikasi perahu serta menilai falsafah disebalik penciptaan objek bangau sebagai hiasan perahu.
