الزفن

The tradition & historical record

Zapin (Jawi: زافين) is one of the most popular dance and musical forms in traditional Malay performing arts. Dance movements are choreographed to melodies, which are performed using musical instruments such as the gambus (short-necked lute), accordion, and rebana. It is believed to have been introduced by Persian and Arab Muslim missionaries from the Middle East to the Malay Archipelago around the fourteenth century, where back then only males were allowed to perform; nowadays, female dancers are included. It had been performed exclusively for religious ceremonies, but through the years, it has become a form of traditional entertainment, hence the participation of female dancers is allowed. ¹

The dancers usually perform in pairs and are accompanied by musicians playing the accordion, violin, gambus, gendang, marwas/marawis, and rebana. ¹

Presently, zapin remains an integral part of the regional Malay performing arts scene, particularly in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Singapore. In Malaysia, Zapin is mostly associated with the Malaysian southern state of Johor. In Indonesia, Zapin is mostly associated and classified as part of Malay cultures, especially in terms of traditional dances and traditions in Malay-populated areas in Sumatra, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung Islands, and Kalimantan. ¹

There are numerous types of Zapin, and each type varies by the movement and style of dance: ¹

Zapin 12 Kuala Kampar (Pelalawan and Penyalai) Zapin Api (Riau) Zapin Anak Ayam (North Sumatra) Zapin Asli (North Sumatra) Zapin Banjar (Banjarmasin) Zapin Batuah (South Kalimantan) Zapin Bedana (Lampung) Zapin Bengkalis (Bengkalis, Riau) Zapin Betawi (Jakarta) Zapin Brunei (Brunei and North Borneo) Zapin Bujang (Riau) Zapin Bujang Marindu (South Kalimantan) Zapin Carita (Banjarmasin) Zapin Cek Esah (Riau Islands) Zapin Dana (Jambi, South Sumatra and Bengkulu) Zapin Dana-Dana (Gorontalo) Zapin Dana-Dani (Nusa Tenggara) Zapin Dana Sarah (Jambi) Zapin Dara (Riau and West Sumatra) Zapin Deli (Deli Serdang, North Sumatra) Zapin Diang Marindu (South Kalimantan) Zapin Dua Saudara (South Kalimantan) Zapin Duo (Riau) Zapin Empat-Empat (West Kalimantan) Zapin Eroh (Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan) Zapin Galuh Langkar South Kalimantan Zapin Gambus (Perak) Zapin Genjoh (Mahakam) Zapin Ghalet (Kedah) Zapin Hadrah (South Kalimantan) Zapin Istana (Siak) Zapin Jambi (Jambi) Zapin Kaltara (North Kalimantan) Zapin Kamang (West Sumatra) Zapin Kampong Bolak (Riau) Zapin Kampung Manggis (Jambi) Zapin Kasih dan Budi (South Sumatra and Riau) Zapin Kepri (Riau Islands) Zapin Kerinci (Kerinci, Jambi) Zapin Keris (West Kalimantan) Zapin Kinsat Suara Siam (North Kalimantan) Zapin Kipas (West Kalimantan and Riau) Zapin Kores (Johor) Zapin Kuala (Banjar Kuala, South Kalimantan) Zapin Kute (Riau Islands) Zapin Lancang Kuning (Riau) Zapin Langkah (West Kalimantan) Zapin Langkah Bujur Serong (Pontianak, West Kalimantan) Zapin Langkah Penghibur Pengantin (West Kalimantan) Zapin Langkah Simpang (Pontianak, West Kalimantan) Zapin Lapis Batu Putih (Johor) Zapin Lembut (West Kalimantan) Zapin Lenga (Johor) Zapi… ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Zapin”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Zapin is one of the dances in Indonesia, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²