| Description |
The music of the sound of paddy pestle is the second oldest arts performance in the state of Perlis. According to history, this arts form originated from Indo-Chinese travelers. To reach the Malay Peninsula they used boats that sail near the beaches, and they lived in the villages. They planted paddy and played the paddy pestles as entertainment during free time. This attracted the interest of the Malay paddy planters to learn it. This arts form is popular and originated from among the paddy planters. They use agricultural equipments to produce unique entertaining sounds. One of the equipments is the mortar and pestle used to pound paddy. The beating of the pestle on the mortar produces a beat nearly the same as that of the gamelan musical instrument. The mortar and pestle are usually made from hard wood. An ensemble of Alu Bunyi has 12 members. They are trained and expert in playing musical instruments. They beat the centre and side parts of the mortar using the pestle accompanied by the sound of clarinet, and this produces a harmonic rythmn. Alu Bunyi is usually performed during harvesting and harvest festivals. Other activities are also held during the festivals like making culinary dishes out of rice. According to some people’s belief, apart from as entertainment this festival is a form of appeasing the spirit of the paddy to go to the farmers’ village and stay in the paddy fields. It is also believed that the paddy spirit will obstruct paddy pests such rats and birds from destroying the farmers’ crop. |
