| Description |
Video Casette#1: Various traditional dances (incl. Alor) performed at Matamatam at Nangananga.
The Matamatam is a special ceremony of feasting and traditional song and dance performances. Its mainly when honouring the deceased of clan members and acknowledging the ones living and other Tolai clans as arranged for the occasion.
There are a variety of traditional performances both by female groups and male groups. ending with the male "Alor" Dance.
The significance of the feasting is about sharing pork meat and a special type of banana called 'tukuru' - a short fat cooking banana with a grey colouring.
The Tolai folk songs and dancing have been a form of entertainment and spiritual enlightenment and performance. A song is known as "kakailai" and dance is "malagene". Composition of a song is called "pinipit" and the composer is known as "tena pinipit" or "tena buai".
The composers of songs related to dances are knowledgeable in choreography and composition of songs.
There are various types of song and dance based on life experiences, events, the environment, birds and animals, and human interactions.
Traditional Tolai songs and dances may be performed by both males and females together while others are restricted to one gender.
Traditional instrument used for beats, rhythm for the song and dance are kundu (hollow wooden drum with lizard skin), pakupak (slit bamboo) and tidir (bamboo or wooden sticks). The garamut (wooden slit drum) beaten by cane sticks and wooden stick depending on type or dance are mainly for tubuan or more special ceremonies.
The female performers have typical dances of "Wutung, Parpari, Patete" and male dancers perform "Kulau, Pinpidik, Perapere and Tabaran Alor".
(Steven Gagau, October 2019) |
