PREFACE

Mek Mulung , in its modern and concertized form, has enjoyed much popularity since the early 2000s, when performed on urban stages in large concert halls, in higher learning institutions, at various official and social functions, and even participated in international exhibitions, events and competitions. It received an added boost when it was declared as a state performing arts heritage by the Kedah state government in 2014. As a tradition that is rooted in the rural village of Wang Tepus, Mek Mulung performances in the past were highly anticipated as one of the main sources of entertainment for the village community. Despite the current popularity enjoyed by the urban version, the same is not accorded to the original village version. Various social-economic changes to rural life have contributed to it being less sought out to meet the needs of the rural folks, and thus becoming overshadowed by its urban-version counterpart.

This book is based on my research on Mek Mulung for two cycles of my graduate studies in two different countries spanning 10 years. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to investigate and document the Mek Mulung performance evolution and how it has developed into its present status. I am grateful to those whom I have met and known, served as informants, and provided inspiration throughout the process, and sadly many of whom are now deceased. Although the book content is research-oriented, much of its academic scaffoldings have been appropriately removed to serve a larger audience. The academic version of the Mek Mulung doctoral research is available for download through my alma mater’s website (King’s College London).

The original manuscript of this book was written in English and then translated in Bahasa Melayu. It provides readers with audio files and augmented reality (AR) components that I hope its interactive approach would bring more enjoyment to readers. All recordings are of studio-quality involving professional singers and musicians, under the watchful eye of two traditional performers from Wang Tepus instead of live performance recordings in the field. In addition, an audio format of this book is made available as an alternative way to provide readers/listeners further enjoyment and appreciation for Mek Mulung . Recent technological breakthroughs have certainly brought greater empowerment towards making traditional arts more widely accessible. As demonstrated in this special book project, inclusivity efforts are being addressed specifically to meet the needs of the visually impaired to enjoy and appreciate the traditional arts, such as Mek Mulung

I sincerely hope readers will enjoy the book as much as I have enjoyed writing it and sharing my experiences with Mek Mulung within its contexts, both rural and urban performance styles. I believe that this new format of book writing will inspire other writers and performers to collaborate and push the boundaries of traditional book writing towards promoting performing arts. At the same time, it is my wish that this book effort will spark curiosity among many of you readers to start your inquiry into a particular performing art, and it is also my hope that this book will be beneficial to the younger beholders of the tradition in Wang Tepus to bring Mek Mulung to greater heights.