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Prof Anis’ work is not just limited to textual works. A handbook would imply that it is the sole dominating power of Zapin. When asked if his books are a “handbook” on Zapin, he says no. He continues his work in Zapin today, and has since published two books on the art form, and released two albums. Since 1995, he has been tasked to revive Zapin Johor through Yayasan Warisan Johor. This was when I realised how deeply Zapin meant to the people of Johor but was no longer practiced.” Prof Anis spent his 20s visiting several places all around Sumatera, Indonesia, to find out if there were any links to Zapin Johor, and his studies took him to many Muslim communities all around insular South-East Asia, all of whom identified a form of Zapin as a special and sacred tradition in their communities. “I was asked by Royal Professor Ungku Aziz, the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaya then to document Malay Zapin in Johor. In the 1980s, Zapin was almost on the brink of extinction. The famous Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan or ASWARA academy located in the epicentre of Kuala Lumpur was among the major projects he was involved in after he came home. Upon his return, he began setting up schools and other education programmes focused on the arts.
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Honors from the University of Malaya, MA (Dance Ethnology) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and PhD (Southeast Asia Studies and Musicology) from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. Prof Anis was Professor of Ethnochoreology and Ethnomusicology at the Cultural Centre (School of Performing Arts), Universiti Malaya for many years. “We would perform Boria together as part of televised competition events,” he added. Prof Anis grew up watching them practice in their home, and as a result he started dancing very young, and was even taken to his parents’ own dance teachers. “They were both teachers and lovers of the arts, and they both truly enjoyed dancing,” said the professor, recounting how in the 1960s, his parents would go out once a week to dance in the ballrooms.
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“My parents were very supportive,” said Prof Anis. He is also a trained performer himself, having been involved in the performing arts since his early childhood days. Prof Mohd Anis Md Nor and his four publications, two books on Zapin history and customs, and two albums featuring Zapin music.Īrtistic director Prof Mohd Anis Md Nor is the Managing Director of NusPARC and also a Research Fellow. On Oct 23, this Saturday, Panggung Rakyat will feature the episode Traditional Artform of Zapin Melayu (Johor), a collaboration between the Nusantara Performing Arts Research Centre (NusPARC) and Yayasan Warisan Johor. To celebrate this traditional art form, CENDANA is featuring a Zapin performance as part of its fortnightly Panggung Rakyat series. Often known as “playing or play-acting” Malay-Arab music, Malay songs are sung alongside Arabic rhythms, while people execute various dance steps and body movements. Unofficially, Zapin is performed in villages and towns in Johor, as a way for local communities to get together and share in good spirits. Officially, Zapin Melayu Johor is performed at weddings. The marriage of these two traditions was brought about when the Hadhrami Arabs began migrating from Hadhramaut, Yemen, settling in South-East Asia. Tarian Zapin is a dance form that began with the Zapin Melayu Johor, a hybrid dance that adapted elements from the Zaffin music of the Hadhrami Arabs and local indigenous people. One such art form which is not-simply-Malaysian, has its roots traced all the way back to the Middle East. These forms coexist harmoniously in our country, many of which can only be found within specific communities, with exclusive traditions, customs and geographic locations. Our multi-racial, complex and highly divisive origins have led to a hodgepodge of colours, flavours and textures. Malaysia has always been known as a melting pot for culture.