BY MAHATHIR HAROUN
THE emergence of various social media platforms in recent years has made it easy for both modern and traditional artists to promote their works.
However, the flood of modern versions of songs has led to the classical rhythms being forgotten or becoming nearly extinct.
Nevertheless, 32-year-old Mohammad Hanafi Zain is determined to revive the classical rhythm of the Malay drum known as the gendang melayu.
Hanafi, also known as Adam Violin, may not be well known, but he has been involved in this classical music genre since he was 10.
According to him, the gendang melayu is very close to his heart, as his father was one of the pioneers of this art in Sarawak.
“It actually existed hundreds of years ago and was a practise of the Malay community in their daily lives.
“It’s not easy to be involved in gendang melayu because it has its own discipline to avoid contaminating this traditional culture.
“Among those who understand this culture, anyone who violates its rules will face difficulties for their mistakes,” he said.
The transformation of Sarawak Malay drum culture
The gendang melayu culture in Sarawak has undergone gradual changes in terms of practises, functions, and disciplines.
These changes have been implemented to ensure the culture remains relevant and continues to be practised by the Malay community in the state.
There are also external factors that have influenced the culture, making it difficult to continue its practise in the modern world.
According to Hanafi, in the past, the culture was highly revered by the youth, especially during drumming events.
“There were young people in the past who considered drumming events as a place to find a spouse,” he said.
Interest since childhood
According to Hanafi, he became interested in gendang melayu when he was in school.
“I was given the role of a dancer when I first got involved with Malay drums.
“My father can be considered my first teacher because he taught me,” he explained.
Due to his deep interest in gendang melayu, he participated in various performances and competitions around Kuching.
“My goal in participating in performances and competitions is to revive the gendang melayu in Sarawak, which is increasingly being forgotten now,” he said.
From a dancer to a violin player
Hanafi added that talent and interest in gendang melayu continue to be developed to encourage more young people to get involved.
At the age of 16, he became interested in playing the violin to the rhythm of gendang melayu.
“I started looking for a teacher to improve my violin playing skills. However, at that time, it was difficult to find a teacher, but I was lucky because the late Pak Sharkawi, who was my father’s friend, gave me some guidance,” he said.
To make it even sweeter, Pak Sharkawi gave him a special violin set as a gift.
“I still keep this special violin set until now because it is one of my valuable possessions,” he said.
After that, his interest in the violin deepened, especially when it involved the rhythm of gendang melayu.
Challenges of being a successor
“I faced challenges in pursuing my interest due to limited opportunities for deep training, which made me focus on my studies at that time,” said Hanafi.
However, he never lost his interest in the violin and took the initiative to learn the basics and techniques of playing through YouTube.
“I never gave up on promoting gendang melayu rhythms. I have been involved in this art for almost 20 years,” he explained.
He also said that so far, he has mastered various gendang melayu rhythms from Sarawak, such as Joget Samsudin, Subuh Hari, Laila Majnun, and Sri Sarawak.
Although he has been involved in gendang melayu rhythms for a long time, Hanafi remains humble and thinks that it is not easy for him to become a successor to continue this traditional heritage.
According to Hanafi, as a cultural performer, he certainly faces many obstacles and challenges.
“Driven by the intention to continue the struggle of art and my deep interest, I am motivated to pass on this Malay cultural heritage to the younger generation.”
“This is in line with the objective of establishing the Kelab Warisan Seni Melayu Kuching (KWSMK) in 2009, which was founded by my father,” he added.
He also said that for now, KWSMK has more than 100 members, mostly children and youth.
“Various activities are carried out, such as workshops, competitions and performances,” he explained.
Due to various constraints, he said the club only lasted for 10 years and was disbanded in 2019.
“However, we are still actively moving forward as a Kumpulan Seni Warisan Berzaman involving my siblings and relatives,” said Hanafi.
Lack of interest among young people
Based on Hanafi’s observation, there are some cultural enthusiasts who sincerely strive to promote this heritage art.
“If not us, who else can we rely on? But I feel a little disappointed and saddened that the younger generation nowadays is not very interested in the old cultural heritage.
“If there are those who are interested, their numbers are too few, and they prefer Western culture,” he said.
However, he said that the younger generation cannot be blamed for not being interested in traditional cultural arts because cultural enthusiasts themselves need to be creative in capturing their hearts.
“As a cultural enthusiast, I feel responsible for passing on this culture to my grandchildren and encouraging them to participate in competitions or performances.
“At the same time, I am a little disappointed because some cultural enthusiasts do not encourage the younger generation due to the desire for fame and money,” he lamented.
According to him, it is not wrong for a cultural enthusiast to pass on and teach if they are sincerely promoting gendang melayu culture.
He added that modern music rhythms now use contemporary instruments that are closer to the hearts of young people.
“Young people nowadays are more interested in music that uses modern and easy-to-install instruments.
“They are not very fond of classical instruments that are considered tedious because many things need to be paid attention to.
“If wrongly installed, the rhythm or sound that comes out may be less attractive,” he explained.
Knowledge is necessary in the field that one pursues
Hanafi pointed out, being involved in gendang melayu may be perceived as an easy task, but it requires the appropriate knowledge in the field.
“I have seen a few enthusiasts who continue this art without proper learning due to their egoistic attitude. This has a negative impact, especially on tourists who come to our country.
“We are also concerned that young people may receive incorrect information due to the irresponsible attitude of some art enthusiasts,” he said.
According to him, this art is a treasure that needs to be preserved and passed on to future generations.
“If you want to be an art enthusiast, you need two things: to pass on this art to your grandchildren and to have the correct knowledge.
“This is important so that our heritage continues to be preserved and not looked down upon by society,” he said.
He added that now is not the time for local art enthusiasts to pursue titles but to ensure that heritage art does not disappear.
“If our methods and intentions are correct, money and reputation will surely follow,” he explained.
Need assistance from government agencies and the community
Hanafi also hopes that relevant parties, such as government agencies, can work together to help preserve the heritage of Sarawak Malay drums.
“If any programme is organised, government agencies need to study before selecting art practitioners.
“This is important to ensure that the performance of Sarawak Malay drums continues to thrive and develop.
“If the wrong choice is made, we are afraid that the performance presented to guests will be less attractive and cause the community to be bored with following this heritage art,” said Hanafi.
For the continuation of this ancient heritage and culture, he also hopes that the community, regardless of age, can preserve this cultural heritage.
“Do not be a destroyer of our own culture. The most important thing is our effort to encourage the younger generation to inherit and become the next layer of this art.
“If possible, we should increase understanding and appreciation of Sarawak’s cultural art,” he added.
