Traditional Malay music, like so much of Malaysian culture and society, is the result of an ever-evolving interplay between Indonesian, Thai, Filipino, Chinese and global (especially Islamic) styles.Several kinds of traditional Malay music developed as a mix of local and international forms, like traditional xylophone “kertok” ensembles from the Kelatanese communities of Western Malaysia along the South China Sea, Arabian-influenced zapin music (and the accompanying zapin dance), violin/drum/accordion and gong folk music called “ronggeng” from Malacca and, as we see in this video, dondang savang, a “slow and intense” genre built from Indian, Arabian, Chinese and Portuguese influences.
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