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Meuseukat (I)

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posted on 2017-06-20, 04:15 authored by Kartomi, Margaret J., Kartomi, Hidris
For female participants. Performance of meuseukat, a female sitting dance genre. In this image, 8 young women wearing Muslim head scarves, long kebaya (blouses) and black trousers dance in sitting (duek) position (as opposed to dong or standing position). Their sitting position here involves them resting on their forelegs in kneeling position while they clap or perform other body percussion synchronously or in interlocking rhythms. Sometimes they raise their thighs to vertical position while kneeling on their forelegs. As well as providing exciting rhythmic interest with their body percussion, meuseukat performers may include vocal segments, singing songs with secular texts that are usually interspersed with Muslim religious phrases. In the image, the dance leader (syeh) wears a purple head scarf, while the rakan (rest of the row of dancers) wear alternating orange and navy blue head scarves. An aneuk (child) syahe (poetry) or 'child of poetry', who is positioned towards the far end of the group in this image and is wearing a pink head scarf, leads the singing while the group responds in chorus. Copyright 1982. Notes prepared by Bronia Kornhauser with Margaret Kartomi, School of Music-Conservatorium, Monash University. Photography by Hidris Kartomi.

History

Collector/donor

Margaret J. Kartomi

Geographic location

Sumatra -- Aceh -- Kabupaten Aceh Barat -- Town of Meulaboh

Collection date

1982

Collection Type

Sound Recording