This special Kompang Jawa Showcase will take place on 3 December 2023

Pusaka has announced a special workshop and performance of Kompang Jawa. The performance features the masters of Kumpulan Anak Selangor from Sabak Bernam, and will take place on 3 December 2023 at The Godown Kuala Lumpur.

Feel The Rhythm

Revitalising the Rhythms of Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro in Sabak Bernam, is a Pusaka project with the support of ArtsFAS (Arts for All Seasons). This annual grant programme by Yayasan Hasanah is in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance Malaysia.

Additionally, the project consists of the following activities, Local Instruction Workshops, Community Performance, and a Showcase in KL. The project conducted audio-visual documentation of Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro performance and workshops, as well as interviews with masters and practitioners last November.

Authentic Culture

This documentation will also serve as an archival resource for reference, and will be made accessible to the public. This project runs from September to December 2023. Pusaka’s project aims to revitalise and enhance the sustainability of the authentic Kompang Jawa (Teruntung and Hadaro) traditions, older forms of Kompang that are becoming increasingly rare in Malaysia.

Collaborating with esteemed local custodians of Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro to conduct training workshops in the local community, the project will also encourage the transmission of these traditions to the next generation. The project will address serious challenges of cultural heritage loss faced by the community of Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro masters and practitioners in Sabak Bernam, Selangor.

Remembering Tradition

On top of that, the Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro traditions as practised in Sungai Ayer Tawar, Sabak Bernam are in danger of fading into oblivion if there is no concerted and sustained effort to revitalise these cultural traditions.

The masters of Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro are elderly, with some even being in their 80s and 90s, and a few masters have passed away in recent years. Many young people from Sungai Ayer Tawar, Sabak Bernam, migrate to the nearby urban centres of Shah Alam or Kuala Lumpur to pursue their studies or careers.

This has detrimentally affected the passing down of the traditional knowledge of Kompang Teruntung and Hadaro to the next generation. Furthermore, there has been little documentation of these traditions as an archival resource for future reference.

Want to know more, visit the Official Pusaka Website.