Arts and Crafts in Malaysia

Music in Malaysia is also diverse; music of the country bears the influences of Indonesian, Thai, Portuguese, Filipino and Chinese music. Different provinces of the country are resided by people from different cultural backgrounds and musical taste. As the result of this, the music of the country varies from region to region. For example Ghazals from Arabia are popular in Kuala Lumpur and Rongeng and on the other hand a kind of folk music, is favored in Malacca. But then at the same time some forms of music are popular throughout the country like Zapin music and dance originating from Arabia and Donadang Sayang. Besides these, Malaysian music has also been considerably influenced by European and American music as a result of which Malaysia has witnessed the rise of numerous pop singers and rock bands in the recent years.

As far as dance is concerned, there is no shortage of traditional dances in Malaysia. Joget is a traditional dance form that is generally accompanied by flute and dance, Inang is a Malay folk dance performed in front of royal guests. Other performing arts include Shadow Plays performed to celebrate special occasions like marriage and birth. Silat is a form of martial art but then, it is also considered as a performing art as it is accompanied by drums and gongs and performed during weddings and other significant occasions. Painting and sculpture in the country also showcases a similar variety, the country boasts of a number of art colleges, art galleries and museums where you can witness some enthralling artifacts, made by Malaysian painters and sculptors.

Crafts of Malaysia are varied and it reflects the multiculturalism of the country. The major crafts of the country are Batik, Songket, Woodcarving, Menkuang, Kite Making, Keris, Boat Making and Ratan Weaving. Batik features colored designs on cotton or silk, produced by using wax to the parts of the textile left uncolored. Songket is a form of craft that descends from the Pattani courts and it is used generally on special occasions. This form of craft is knsown as the “cloth of gold” and is created by interweaving threads with gold and silver strands. Woodcarving is one of the oldest traditional crafts in the country and is applied in the designs of supports, balustrades, doors, window shutters, and furniture of houses and palaces. Menkuang previously used to be a leisure activity of the village women of coastal parts of the country but now it has become transformed into a full fledged cottage industry. The craftsmen use the tall thorny leaves of mengkuang to make colorful mats, beach bags, hats, fans, purses, and slippers. Kite making is also a part of the traditional crafts of the country along with boat making, keris and rattan weaving.