Zapin (Jawi: زافين) is a dance form which is popular in Malaysia especially in the state of Johor. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Johor (alt English spelling Johore, Jawi scriptجوهر is a state of Malaysia between 1°20"N and 2°35"N It is believed to have been introduced by Muslim missionaries from the Middle East in the 14th century. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.
In the old days, only males were allowed to perform but nowadays, female dancers are included. It used to be performed exclusively for religious ceremonies but through the years it has become a form of traditional entertainment, hence the participation of female dancers are allowed.
The dancers usually perform in pairs and are accompanied by a traditional music ensemble normally consists of the gambus, accordion, violin, marwas (bongos), rebana (drum) and dok. A gambus ( Arabian Oud) is a stringed instrument shaped like a Pear sliced in half The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member
There are numerous types of zapin, and each type varies by the movement and style of dance:
- Zapin Melayu Johor
- Zapin Pulau
- Zapin Tenglu
- Zapin Tenglu 2
- Zapin Lenga
- Zapin Pekajang
- Zapin Arab
- Zapin Jambi
- Zapin Singapura
External links
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic