Four Sufi Muslim Genres in Minangkabau

This chapter examines four genres of Muslim-associated performing arts in Minangkabau: indang, salawek dulang, dikia Mauluik, and dabuih. Indang is a song-dance performed by a row of men or women in duduak (“sitting,” actually half-kneeling) position with rhythmic body movement, clapping, and frame-drum playing. Salawek dulang is performed by a pair of alternating male solo singers, each of whom accompany themselves on a brass percussion tray (dulang). Dikia Mauluik is a group vocal-instrumental form with mostly Sufi-oriented Muslim song texts based on dikia texts that are sung with body exercises and frame-drum accompaniment in the month of the Prophet's birth. Dabuihis a ritual form involving acts of self-harm as a demonstration of one's faith and physical invulnerability from pain (and sometimes in the colonial era in Aceh, readiness for battle). The chapter first considers the early history of Minangkabau Islam before discussing the styles, content, and history of eachof the four musical genres.