Abstract

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