A Malay Shadow Play

This Malaysian shadow play has been banned from public performance as are all non-Islamic traditional arts. The style is similar to shadow figures from Thailand, with Hindu, Buddhist and Javanese characteristics.

We hired one of the few remaining dalangs, Che Mohd Nasir Bin Yusoff, and his music students, to perform for usat Sutra Theater in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2004.

The music is comprised of pairs of drums, known as mother and child, as well as cymbals, gongs, and the serunai, a type of oboe. The first figure to appear is the Kayon, or tree of life. Filled with flora and fauna it represents the entire universe.