Poetics in Indonesian-Malay theatre: Mendu in Indonesia’s Northern Riau Islands with special reference to Ladun and Nasib song lyrics

Karen Sri Kartomi Thomas

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    Popular at the turn of the 20th century but in serious decline since the early 1980s, the little known traditional genre of mendu theatre in the Natuna archipelago (also performed in the neighbouring Anambas archipelago) staged episodes of the mythical Dewa Mendu story as in the literary epic Hikayat Dewa Mandu (Story of Dewa Mandu). Natuna regency is located in Indonesia’s far north between the Malay Peninsula in the west and the Malaysian state of Serawak in the east at the southern edge of the South China Sea. Performing arts’ groups in
    the Mempawah region of West Kalimantan also performed mendu theatre, however its history, form, style and function differ significantly from that of Natuna (and Anambas). My ethnographic video recordings of four mendu performances I attended in 1984 held in one of Natuna’s main centres of the traditional arts (Ceruk and Teluk Selahang villages (kampung) near the capital Ranai) on Bunguran island, inform this study. To my knowledge these are the only recordings of the traditional Ranai-style form in existence as it was known
    in 1984. Mendu songs were integral to every performance, and actors structured their lyrics in pantun form. The traditional poetics and the compositional method underlying the lyrics were, and remain key to the theatre even in its rejuvenated, revitalised form.
    Original languageEnglish
    Article number9
    Pages (from-to)161-180
    Number of pages20
    JournalInternational Journal of Indonesian Studies
    Volume4
    Publication statusPublished - 30 Nov 2017

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