PERAK SCHOOL WINS BIG AT SPANISH FEST
They win with two theatre plays
FIVE Malaysian students stole the heart of judges by bringing to life two traditional acts on the world stage in Spain recently. Held amid the Catalan crisis in Barcelona, the ensemble from Sekolah Seni Malaysia Perak were on song with their Mek Mulung and Jikey theatre plays.
They took home two awards — the main prize in the Dance, Song, Musical Instruments and Original Genre category for the Mek Mulung play, and the Special Prize for Outstanding Performance — at the Monolit Festival International Talent competition.
The competition, which welcomed troupes from 26 countries, comes under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) for its aim to preserve arts and culture.
Students Nur Alia Qistina Ali Toh, Muhammad Nurzekwan Nabil Rosli, Muhammad Afzan Zainuddin, Farisha Aqilahuda Mohamad Shafawi Bong and Destina Nashirma, all 14, went through a journey filled with sacrifice, heartbreak and hard work.
Teacher Mohd Izwan Mohd Saad, their theatre coach, said the students began preparing for the competition in February, with an initial squad of nine performers that were trimmed to five.
“The students were very determined. They attended practices during school break without us asking them to come. They had to play traditional instruments, which is tough, but they were hardworking.”
Together with Mohd Azhar Ariffin, who led the school to the competition, they picked Mek Mulung and Jikey, plays that originated from northern states in the peninsula.
Mek Mulung tells the tale of a king and his failed relationship, titled Lakhon Dewa Kaca, accompanied by songs such as Gerak Timpuh and Cik Milik. Jikey is popular in Kedah and Perlis.
“The originality of the performances was an important criterion for us because the judges evaluate the plays based on their heritage value.”
When they were waiting for the results, Afzan recalled being confused when they had all the attention as he did not understand what was happening “because everything was in Spanish”.
“When our coach told us we won, we were relieved and happy.”
SSeMP senior assistant Zuraini Abdullah, who accompanied the team, said prior to the trip, they had their worries over the Catalan protest for independence and were concerned about the group’s safety.