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Contexts for Saluang Performance
1media/Image_Malam Suntuak 6.jpeg2021-03-24T20:41:27+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c329This page explains various contextual factors for saluang performancesimage_header2021-09-02T01:09:26+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3
This page outlines a range of contextual factors that all have a hand in shaping the way a performance unfolds.
What
Saluang performances are held in association with a wide variety of events, ranging from events hosted by families to those hosted by communities or institutions. All the events at which saluang is found have a celebratory nature: the music enhances a sense of festivity and sociability.
Life cycle events, especially weddings and circumcisions
Community celebrations, such as fundraisers, halal-bihalal
Bagurau Lapiak
When
Saluang performances are more common at certain times of the year than others. While Indonesia adheres to the Gregorian calendar for official business, the Islamic calendar equally structures the passage of time in Minangkabau society. Saluang performances won't be found at all during the holy month of Ramadan, when it is not appropriate to hold celebrations of any kind. As the most popular time for weddings and circumcisions is the month following Ramadan, saluang performances are the most frequent then. Jennifer deliberately designed her plan for fieldwork around this calendar. The patina of religiosity lingers through Lebaran and in the week or two afterwards, which does have some influence on the participation in and modesty at saluang performances. Finally, families and communities hosting events might give some consideration to season, whether it is the rainy or dry season. The dry season is better for hosting events held outside with strong attendance. The weather, however, has been less predictable with climate change. In summary, the following are important temporal factors that structure the ways events unfold:
The year: performances were different in 2003-2004 vs. 2015-2016
The month, particularly according to the Islamic calendar
The season: dry or wet, which will affect people's ability to travel.
Where
Saluang performances occur wherever there is a sizable Minang population. The location where an event is held is very influential on the way an event will unfold, in part structuring to some extent the performers who are invited and the pagurau who attend, but also for the repertoire that might be requested. Historically, Bukittinggi was considered the "center" for saluang, with many performers in residence there. Over time, however, Payokumbuah became the center: many performers are now located in or near Payokumbuah.
The broadest distinction with regard to location is between events held in the darek vs. the rantau, including areas of the rantau beyond the borders of West Sumatra. The specific luak is another factor, as is the specific nagari, particularly if there are songs affiliated with it. A performance held in Luak Agam is likely to have some differences from one held in Luak Limo Puluah Koto. Both will have differences from a performance held in areas of the rantau, such as Solok or Pasaman. Those performances held beyond the province would be different yet again. The best singers, like Te E, have stories of traveling to neighboring provinces in Sumatra, including Riau, Jambi, Bengkulu, North Sumatra; to Jakarta and other parts of Java; and to parts of Malaysia. I've never attended a saluang performance in the rantau so I can't speak to how they are structured, but I wonder if people don't request the most classic songs, the songs closely associated with their hometowns. Finally, events held in urban centers are likely different from those in more rural locales. This factor is probably most influential on the participants, generating greater attendance closer to population centers. But it is not the only consideration. If a very famous singer will be singing in a more rural location, like Te E in Suayan (about 2 hours one direction by motorbike from Payokumbuah), pacandu are willing to travel. Another factor that plays into the way performances unfold are the physical spaces in which they are located. There is a difference if they are held in a home or in a communal space, the inside of a house or in the yard. When they are held in communal spaces, are these regular gathering spaces for community events, a public marker, a specially-built cafe or road side stall? Are the guests seated at tables and chairs, on rows of chairs, mats on the floor, or must they stand?
Who
Who is hosting a saluang performance has a strong hand in shaping it, including the choice of performers, the choice of saluang styles, and so on. These factors include whether the host is an individual/ family, a community, or an institution. The economic capital of the host affects the budget for an event, which is turn might affect the style of saluang and the physical set up. The performances with the lowest budget, for example, are least likely to have seating or snacks for the pagurau (see Performance: Suayan, August 1, 2015vs. Performance: Batu Balang, July 17, 20160. The religious values of the hosts--the relative piety--will affect the presence or absence of porno lyrics. The performers and pagurau will be more modest if they know a host is more devout. If a host is a known pacandu, then the event will be of a different quality, have different songs, and/or different interactions between performers and pagurau or among pagurau than if the host is less familiar with the scene.
Economics of performance
How a performance is structured relatively to economics shapes its structure. The most important distinction here is whether
Performers are contracted in advance for the event: they are paid some uang muka ("face money," an advance) at the time they are contracted and the remainder at the performance. This can be the case even if the performance is functioning as a fundraiser, where all funds contributed for the honor of making requests goes to the designated cause.
Performers need to generate their own income, working for tips and a share of the evening's takings (see bagurau lapiak).
Summary
In short, each event is completely unique and the conditions are not replicable.
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12021-03-24T21:17:02+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3The Flexible Structure of PerformancesJennifer Fraser13This unit explains various factors that structure saluang performancesvisual_path2021-09-02T00:30:48+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3
Contents of this tag:
1media/Image_Ayu Lestari at Gurau Lapiak Pasa.jpeg2021-03-10T20:34:47+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3Context: Bagurau Lapiak12Bagurau Lapiak is a context for the performance of saluangimage_header2021-06-02T14:55:54+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3
1media/Image_Bride and groom at Sariak Laweh.jpeg2021-03-23T19:37:19+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3Context: Weddings and Circumcisions11Weddings and Circumcisions are contexts for the performance of saluangimage_header2021-03-24T19:28:27+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3
1media/Image_Balai Cacang Audience and Stage.jpeg2021-03-23T20:12:04+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3Context: Community Celebrations5Various community celebrations are cause for saluang performanceimage_header2021-03-24T12:21:07+00:00Jennifer Fraser404477000adfd4e5c7a1128cfac82e1fc740e8c3
This page references:
1media/Image_Performance_in_Suayan_August_ 1_2015.jpegmedia/Image_Suayan 2015 cropped2.JPG2020-07-24T13:32:26+00:00Performance: Suayan, August 1, 201524Malam Bagurauimage_header2021-06-25T18:00:39+00:00-0.17798, 100.4890708/01/2015
1media/Image_Batu Balang.jpegmedia/Image_Batu Balang.jpeg2020-10-31T12:19:18+00:00Performance: Batu Balang, July 17, 201619Malam Bagurauimage_header2021-06-18T12:31:47+00:00-0.17912, 100.6816107/17/2016
1media/Image_Sariah Laweh 1.jpeg2020-11-20T11:29:29+00:00People: Te E17Te E is a well-known padendang.image_header2021-06-11T23:51:18+00:00-0.267599, 100.374662
1media/Image_Pasisia_Salatan2.jpeg2020-07-09T20:58:10+00:00Place: Rantau13The rantau is defined as the outlying regions of the Alam Minangkabau.image_header2021-09-09T01:10:01+00:00
12020-07-10T12:16:30+00:00Place: Bukittinggi12Bukittinggi is the biggest city in Luak Agam.google_maps2020-09-16T02:08:51+00:00-0.30477, 100.36957
1media/Image_Ayu Lestari at Gurau Lapiak Pasa.jpeg2021-03-10T20:34:47+00:00Context: Bagurau Lapiak12Bagurau Lapiak is a context for the performance of saluangimage_header2021-06-02T14:55:54+00:00
1media/Image_Bride and groom at Sariak Laweh.jpeg2021-03-23T19:37:19+00:00Context: Weddings and Circumcisions11Weddings and Circumcisions are contexts for the performance of saluangimage_header2021-03-24T19:28:27+00:00
12020-07-10T12:16:30+00:00Place: Agam11Agam is one of the three luak, central regions of the darek (Minangkabau homeland). It is also the name for a kabupaten in contemporary Indonesian administrative terms.google_maps2021-04-29T12:23:24+00:00-0.31535, 100.03265
1media/Image_Tanah_Datar_From_the_slopes_of_Mt._Marapi.jpeg2020-07-09T20:17:40+00:00Place: Darek9The darek is the heartland of the Alam Minangkabau.image_header2021-09-09T01:17:18+00:00-0.257979, 100.523521
1media/JF20_ALAM_MINANGKABAU_v3_thumb.jpeg2020-11-27T22:33:39+00:00Map: Alam Minangkabau9This map provides a sense of the Alam Minangkabaumedia/JF20_ALAM_MINANGKABAU_v3.jpegplain2021-04-22T23:25:53+00:00Simonson Design Works: https://simonson.designMarch 30, 2021This work, "Alam Minangkabau Map", is a derivative of "Indonesia West Sumatra location map" by Mandamaruta, via Wikimedia Commons, used under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indonesia_West_Sumatra_location_map.svg
12020-07-10T12:16:34+00:00Place: Payokumbuah (city)7Payokumbuah is the second largest city in West Sumatra, and the biggest in the highlands. It is also now the center for saluang.google_maps2021-04-28T13:10:38+00:00-0.22465, 100.6318
12020-07-10T12:16:35+00:00Place: Suayan7Suayan is a nagari in Kecamatan Akabiluru in Kabupaten Limopuluah Koto.google_maps2021-04-28T13:08:31+00:00-0.17798, 100.48907
12020-07-10T12:16:35+00:00Place: Solok (kabupaten)7Solok is a kabupaten in the rantau, bordering Tanah Data.google_maps2020-08-12T23:26:20+00:00-0.95065, 100.61977
12020-07-10T12:16:32+00:00Place: Limopuluah Koto5Limopuluah Koto (50 Koto for short) is one of the three luak, central regions of the darek (Minangkabau homeland). It is also the name for a kabupaten in contemporary Indonesian administrative terms.google_maps2021-04-28T13:03:20+00:00-0.15248, 100.65938
1media/Image_Balai Cacang Audience and Stage.jpeg2021-03-23T20:12:04+00:00Context: Community Celebrations5Various community celebrations are cause for saluang performanceimage_header2021-03-24T12:21:07+00:00
12020-07-10T12:16:34+00:00Place: Pasaman4Pasaman is a kabupaten in the rantau in the northeastern corner of West Sumatra, bordering both North Sumatra and Riau.google_maps2020-07-21T13:23:55+00:000.14025, 100.16689