Kuda Kepang - the Javanese horse dance - has long been a feature of Malay cultural performances. However, the version that is often played in official ceremonies and cultural festivals is devoid of its original pre-Islamic spiritual highlights. On Saturday night (27/11/10), I brought my Japanese friends, Azusa and Kazuto, to the Malay Village to watch the Tedja Timur group perform. Amazing stuff with the performances going into trance and possessed by the ancient war gods and battle horses. This time around, however, the spirits did not possess the audience or performance assistants as it might occasionally. Great fun anyway...
Kuda Kepang - the Javanese horse dance - has long been a feature of Malay cultural performances. However, the version that is often played in official ceremonies and cultural festivals is devoid of its original pre-Islamic spiritual highlights. On Saturday night (27/11/10), I brought my Japanese friends, Azusa and Kazuto, to the Malay Village to watch the Tedja Timur group perform. Amazing stuff with the performances going into trance and possessed by the ancient war gods and battle horses. This time around, however, the spirits did not possess the audience or performance assistants as it might occasionally. Great fun anyway...
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