New Book Announcement: “Performing the Arts of Indonesia: Malay Identity and Politics in the Music, Dance and Theatre of the Riau Islands”, edited by Margaret J Kartomi

Performing the Arts of Indonesia: Malay Identity and Politics in the Music, Dance and Theatre of the Riau Islands, Margaret J Kartomi (ed) (NIAS press, July 2019)
Performing the Arts of Indonesia: Malay Identity and Politics in the Music, Dance and Theatre of the Riau Islands, Margaret J Kartomi (ed) (NIAS press, July 2019)

A fascinating and innovative study of the Malay performing arts of Kepri, Performing the Arts of Indonesia is the first of its kind. The volume, written by fifteen contributors, adds greatly to our knowledge of the cultures of a region previously receiving little attention and brings to light previously unknown material.

The 2,408 islands of Indonesia’s Kepri (Kepulauan Riau or Riau Islands) province are said to be ‘sprinkled like a shake of pepper’ across the Straits of Melaka and South China Sea. This is a little-known world, one brought to life in a fascinating and innovative study. Grounded in extensive fieldwork, each chapter of the book explores not only the islands’ iconic Malay (Melayu) performing arts—music, poetry, dance, martial arts, bardic arts, theatre and ritual—but also issues of space and place, local identity and popular memory. Generously illustrated and with a companion website presenting related audio-visual material, Performing the Arts of Indonesia will become an essential resource for anyone interested in this fascinating region.

 

Performing the Arts of Indonesia: Malay Identity and Politics in the Music, Dance and Theatre of the Riau Islands
edited by Margaret J Kartomi
NIAS Press, July 2019 (ISBN 9788776942595)