Interview

I had done some interview with 'Players of Boria'.

Omar M. Hashim or Omara. Players art, culture and heritage. Active in writing especially paragraphs in Boria verse. An actor in Boria theater and radio drama. Theater script writer, radio drama and television. He also is a judge for Boria on singing and phrases in the boria theater. Besides, he is the producer of books, magazines and recording albums, writing and organised "Warisan Boria" Boria's herritage. Therefore, he manage the boria show, "ghazal party", arts, culture and artist show. He also has his own active group named Galapagos, a group of 4 in 1. They do jokes, host, music and songs. The members are Omara itself, Chik (ex comedian ) and Yassier (deejay Radio Malaysia Mutiara.fm ).

Galapagos now are active doing their work around Penang yet sometimes being called by the media such as radio, an interview session on television and any interview for people who likes to know more about boria.
Mr. Omara also doing a free job around penang for performance, sometimes not only in Penang, he been called by many form of media from all over Malaysia.
Besides active in Boria, he also active doing another music entertaining that is Ghazal Party.

News about latest Boria show, (Boria 1 Malaysia Competition in Pulau Pinang) will be held on 28th April till 1st May 2011 in Kampung Seronok, Bayan Lepas, Penang.
News about lates Galapagos teams, the just finished doing a tour in Kangar, Perlis. It was been recorded to Perlis.fm on 10th April 2011. Info from Mr. Omara's facebook.

Mr Omara facebook : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1309363950
Blog "Warisan Boria" : http://warisanboria.blogspot.com/
His own blog : http://mamutanjung.blogspot.com/
Galapagos blog : http://galapagos-omara.blogspot.com/
Ghazal party blog : http://warisanghazalparti.blogspot.com/

The piece of the video of short interview with Mr Omara..

an introduction about himself..

Research 3

Music.

Types of music that can be heard in Penang.

-Dondang Sayang-
Can be described as exchange of witty, sometimes flirtatious, verse through singing, often based on the Malay pantun (four line verse). Accompany by music from violin, gongs, drums, a flute and an accordion, with tambourines to keep the tempo. Dondang Sayang was developed through an interaction of local malays and Baba & Nyonya and became popular form of entertainment.

-Ronggeng-
It is a type of social dance, which mixed the sex couples dance and exchange verses to two accompaniment of violin, accordion, on or two frames of drums and a suspended gong. Then tambourine and maraccas are often added. It is believed that develop during the post-portuguese period in Melacca.

-Keronchong-
It drives by the name of an instrument (similar to ukelele). Accompanying band (keroncong orkestra), flute, violin, melody guitar, cello, string bass female/male singer. Originated from Indonesia, but become popular in penang mainly but ni exclusively with malay community.

-Joget-
Joget is a traditionally performed by a band made up of two rebana drums, a gong, violin / accordion, 1 or 2 singers.

-Boria-
In the Penang for 1940s and 1950s, boria was particularly popular. its orihin are to be found in persia, in the lamentations marking the death of Hussain at Karbala. It was performed during the first 10days of Muharram (month in muslim calendar). Boria in penang developed into a distinct performing arts which coorporated dance, music and comic social commentary. Boria troupes were numerous and the annual competition at Padang Brown brought together often more than 40 troupes, fiercely competing for the two prices.
the instrument in boria is : violin, maracas, tabla.Each troupes had a leader, a chorus, comedians and musicians.

Research 2

Museum Penang.

History of Penang.

Pulau Pinang was named, the locals on the mainland called this island Tanjung Penaga, taken from the trees that commonly grew at promontory where Fort Cornwallis stood there. The short form from the word Tanjung Penaga was taken as Tanjung were believed that was used in all land grants issued by the government until 1800, and the State Assembly Building today stood in the Tanjung state constituency.

Sea rovers reffered to Pulau Pinang as Pulau Ka Satu, that would be the large island that they came across while sailing between Kedah and Lingga. This name was retained until 1786 when Captain Francis Light officially claimed the island for the British East India Company, and it became known as Pulau Pinang after the tree areca palm that grew in abundance there.

Historically, the island state was orignally a part of Kedah sultanate. it first malay were those came from Kedah long before the English outpost was set up in George Town. Booming trade within the region and Penang as an ideal base had attracted all kinds of other people among here. Among them were the first Chinese settlers, who were merchants and traders mainly from South China, and many had adapted to the local malay culture and became known as Baba and Nyonya. The early indians coming from the different parts of the sub-continent, were dominated by the Tamils of South India. They too were mostly merchants and traders and money-lenders while oters were plantation or civil clerks. Penang's colourful, multi-ethnics society today is dominated by three communities of Malay, Chinese and Indian.

Much more than other states in Peninsular Malaysia, Penang is noted for its myriad of ethnic minorities and diverse historical communitites. Arabs, Achinese, Armenians, Buginese, Burmese, Japanese, Javanese, Minangkabaus, Siamese, Sinhalese, Europeans and Eurasians (early settlers of mixed ancestries of Portuguese, Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, French, Italian and German on the one hand, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Siamese and Burmese on each other ).

Uniques mix-marriage between local malays and early foreign settlers had also given rise to other mix-groups such as the Cina Peranakan (Baba Nyonya), Jawi Peranakan (jawi pekan) and also Arab Peranakan. They have their own unique culture and language. Some of them had assimilated fully into the local Malay culture and religion.

Diverse cultural activites, cuisines, dances, fashions, music, daily pursuits and pastimes of the people are also put on display. You will learn, for example, the origin of the now ubitiqious nasi kandar eateries that serve rice with various spicy curry dishes. Trace by the origin of Boria, a popular traditional performing arts tha features a group of dancers, who tell a story in a song , accompanied by the music. In the old days, the group would go to any houses, performing in full costume during festive occassion such as Awal Muharram (month in muslim calendar). Boria now is still actively performed at official function and competition.

Penang was also host to the first bangsawan in the country during the 1880's. This performing art, which reached its hey-day in the 1920's. combined with the technical aspects of opera and stage acting, and has music that fuses malay and western elements while the songs can also adopt middle east, chinese and indian rhythms and modes.

Research

Research on primary

From the book : A form of Malay Theater
Author : Rahmah Bujang

-Malaysian drama-
In 19th century, boria is a form of malay theater that has ancient roots in Malaysia. Though of Indian origin, it has  until very recently not only been centred in Penang but through adaptive processes, become the one and only theater of the Penang Malays.

Boria was first mentioned by H.T. Haughton (1897). It was brought to Penang in 1845 by 21st Regiment of Madras which had been transfered there to garisson the fort. A song and dance form, it was played by the indian muslims of the regiment for ten days in the month of Muharram (month in muslim calendar) when they had holiday leave to celebrate the annual shi'ite festival of mourning for Hussein, a grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

As a result, preliminary investigations it was established that though boria had in the past been identified with the island of Penang as a whole. It is now only significant in certain areas. A cencus made in 1975 confirmed that boria was confined to certain dominant areas of boria creativity were found south of Georgetown in the villages of Sungai Pinang, Kampung Dodol, Kampung Jawa, Dhoby Ghout and Jalan Hatin within the Datuk Keramat Region. Boria activites from this region also extended into areas such as Ayer Hitam, Jelutung adjacent to Datuk Keramat afield to other areas in Penang and Province Wellesly, Kedah & Perak.

-The Boria Show-
Generally played on an imprompty stage, usually a wooden platform two and a half to three feet above the ground. An assemble stage would consist of a floor or wooden planks held together by nails and ropes, placed on empty oil drums or tree trunks as its four corners. Attached to the front corners of the stage are usually long strong poles for fixing electrical wire for the stage lightning and power for the band, if used.

Each show is divided into two sections, a farcial comic sketch followed by a song and dance sequence. though different in presentation, both sections deal with the same theme. in this book, "actors" refers to those act out the comic sketch in the first part of the show. "performers" refer to the "sailor" in the subsequent song and dance act.

The second section of the show, the song and dance sequence is performed by 10 - 12 "sailors" and one "tukang karut" (the composer in the group). The tukang karang stands on the centre front of the stage. He or she carries a straight staff as a hand prop in his right hand. the staff which is made of a cane at one end. the other end was decorated with shiny copper, aluminium or a polished steel head. this he would point as he sings as though to emphasize his points. he is dressed in black trousers with a bright unpatterned coloured shirt and sash over which is an embroided or patterned sleeveless jacket. the only variations in the costumes, its because the tukang karang among the various troupes is in the motif of the jacket. some wear floral jacket, or a sequined jacket for added attraction. the sailors who stand behind the tukang karang in two parallel rows, of five or six each, are dressed in black trousers, bright unpatterned coloured shirts and sash like their leaders.

The act begins when the band strikes up a rhumba or cha cha beat and the tukang karang sing his opening verse which briefly introduces the troupe and their aim in the show.

-The meaning of boria-
Originally boria was and Indian word which meant "matting". Today, the folk etomology is "borak" ( to bluff ) reffering to the song and dance sequences. Neither derivation, tell us anything of its modern social usage. Apart from the direct refferences to the show, founded three modern usage of the word which are illuminating.

-Boria and its symbolic actions-
Can be categorised into status of main characters, goal of main characters, outcome of action, agency to bring about outcome, setting and time to bring about the outcome.

-Boria and its community-
Most of the significant features, of the actual social structure and daily life of the Penang urban Malay villages. These are generally good at a personal level among malays, chinese and indians as local residents and in the market or workplaces. Other factors binding or separating the different ethnic groups include politicial, work relationship, urban ties and voluntary associations.

-The development of boria-
It has been founded that its popularity start since its origin motivated by the social groups participating in it at the time. Its ancient origin was basically ritual when the muslim indians brought it to penang. the form was still very much ritualistics in nature.

-Occassions and Audience-
The boria was held on any occassions such as wedding, institutional state and national celebrations or charity performances.

The performers : 10 or 12 sailors to a troupe, the usual number, is 10. youth ranging from age 18-22 year old who are school learners, unemployed or factory workers usually take the role of "sailors". The leader, the tukang karang usually older than the sailors. Among penang audience, he is also called tekong (which in Penang Malay dialect means "leader")


The positions :

position stage 1 (not parrallel with tukang karang )

position stage 2 (parrallel in rows with tukang karang )