Dondang Sayang
Encyclopedia
Dondang Sayang literally love ballad, originated in Melaka sometime in the 15th century, influenced by traditional Portuguese
folk music
. A typical group is made up of 4 musicians who perform on the violin, 2 rebana and a gong or tetawak. The chief musician is usually the violinist who plays a primary role in dondang sayang, providing a counter melody to the vocal melody. Musicians may switch instruments in between performances, but the violinist seldom does, although this is permitted. If there are musicians to spare, up to 5 rebana may be used. Sometimes, the rebana may be substituted by the tambour and barrel drum or even the kompang. The music is slow, and a song usually consists of 32 bars, beginning with a violin introduction, with the rebana and then the gong entering, and the voice finally entering in bar 5. Its style is somewhat informal and its lyrics usually consist of love poems. (Ahmad Usop 1984). The musical instruments may also be augmented with an accordion (Shafiee Ahmad 1992).
It is a traditional Malay form of entertainment where Baba
and Nyonya singers exchange extemporaneous Malay Pantun (poetry
), in a lighthearted and sometimes humorous style. The singers are normally accompanied by a violin
, two Malay rebana (drums), and a tetawak (gong). These instruments are often supplemented by other available instruments, most notably, accordions, flutes, or an additional violin.
It is also associated with the Ronggeng
dance.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
folk music
Music of Portugal
Portugal is internationally known in the music scene for its traditions of fado, but the country has seen a recent expansion in musical styles, with modern acts from rock to hip hop becoming popular...
. A typical group is made up of 4 musicians who perform on the violin, 2 rebana and a gong or tetawak. The chief musician is usually the violinist who plays a primary role in dondang sayang, providing a counter melody to the vocal melody. Musicians may switch instruments in between performances, but the violinist seldom does, although this is permitted. If there are musicians to spare, up to 5 rebana may be used. Sometimes, the rebana may be substituted by the tambour and barrel drum or even the kompang. The music is slow, and a song usually consists of 32 bars, beginning with a violin introduction, with the rebana and then the gong entering, and the voice finally entering in bar 5. Its style is somewhat informal and its lyrics usually consist of love poems. (Ahmad Usop 1984). The musical instruments may also be augmented with an accordion (Shafiee Ahmad 1992).
It is a traditional Malay form of entertainment where Baba
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
and Nyonya singers exchange extemporaneous Malay Pantun (poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
), in a lighthearted and sometimes humorous style. The singers are normally accompanied by a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, two Malay rebana (drums), and a tetawak (gong). These instruments are often supplemented by other available instruments, most notably, accordions, flutes, or an additional violin.
It is also associated with the Ronggeng
Ronggeng
Ronggeng is a type of Javanese and Malay social dance in which couples exchange poetic verses as they dance to the music of a rebab or violin and a gong...
dance.
External links
- Sarkissian, Margaret. Kantiga di Padri sa chang. From the collection "Viagem dos Sons", Tradisom, Vila Verde, Portugal, 1998
- Silva Rego, Padre António da. "Apontamentos para o estudo do dialecto português de Malaca". Boletim Geral das Colônias, Lisboa, Portugal, 1941.
- Musical Malaysia/SYNCRETIC SONG BASED FORMS: Dondang Sayang
- PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO MALAYSIAN MUSIC (TDC Malaysia 1996)