Mak Yong: A rich artistic heritage
The recent call for the lifting of the ban on Mak Yong performances inspires to turn back the clock and learn more about this disappearing traditional Malay art form
Soon, an astounding tale of an art form solely devised by our ingenious Peninsula Malays without an exact parallel or prototype elsewhere in the region begins to unfold. Always performed by a cast of young and attractive women who played all the parts, save for those of comedians, this Malay dance drama seamlessly combined epic romantic themes with interesting dance movements, operatic singing and broad comedy.
Even though the actual origin of the name Mak Yong has been lost to the annals of time, according to Sheppard, this ancient art form could have started off as a form of ceremonial propitiation of the spirits and the name, a corruption of Mak Hiang, the Mother Spirit whom Peninsula Malays in the past trusted to watch over their rice crops and keep them safe.
Historians believe that Mak Yong came into existence at the court of the Malay ruler of Pattani (now South Thailand) at least 400 years ago and spread southwards to Kelantan some two centuries later. In one of the earliest accounts, 17th century European explorer, Peter Flores wrote briefly about a Mak Yong performance he witnessed during a banquet given by the Queen of Pattani in honour of a visiting Pahang Sultan in 1612. Since then until the second decade of the last century, multi-talented palace troupes entertained rajas, local chieftains and their guests.
By the 19th century, Mak Yong had become the dominant form of Malay upper-class entertainment. Usually held in an audience hall with three walls and an open side, the performance would begin at nine o’clock at night with the arrival of the performers and members of the orchestra who would sit in the centre of the polished wooden floor and await the arrival of the Raja and his guests who’d occupy cushions along the three walled sides of the rectangle.
Meanwhile, members of the royal household were allowed to watch from the open side of the hall. Once started, the performance would continue without any breaks until the raja indicated his desire to retire for the night. The pace of the Mak Yong performance is unhurried and the story could continue for as long as four to seven consecutive nights. With no written text and the dialogue varying from one performance to another, leading actresses had ample opportunities to display their talents as solo singers and dancers. The comedians, the only males in the cast, usually took on secondary roles as palace servants.
Mak Yong performances always open with a 20 minute solo, sung by the leading actress and supported by the voices of the cast. It would be followed by the introduction of each individual cast member.
An hour may pass before the female actress who plays the part of the male hero makes her grand entry.
The choice of songs played during a Mak Yong performance would usually be decided by the rebab (spike fiddle) player in consultation with the leading actress before the start of the performance. His performance is key as the rebab melody not only leads the orchestra but also the singers and dancers throughout the performance.
Only the tunes remain constant while the performers are given freedom to improvise the lyrics to suit each occasion. The melodies are usually associated with romance, sorrow, travels and revelations of secrets. To date, there are 35 Mak Yong tunes on record but historians believe that there must have been many more in the past.
Apart from the rebab, four other instruments form the Mak Yong orchestra - two gendang (double-headed barrel-drum) and a pair of tawak-tawak (deep-rimmed hanging gong).
Prior to each performance, a little water would be poured into the bottom of the tawak-tawak to improve the tone and prevent the gongs from cracking.
Relics of a web of superstition which once surrounded the gongs require their innards to be filled with raw cotton threads, small pennants and flowers.