Analysis of Randai Minang Traditional Arts Elements

Rinawati Ciptaningrum

Sekolah Tinggi Multimedia (MMTC) Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Email: rinawaticiptaningrum@gmail.com

Abstract: Minangkabau culture is a significant national asset of Indonesia, characterized by its evolving cultural expressions. One notable aspect of West Sumatra's rich cultural heritage is the traditional folk art of Randai. Randai integrates various forms of art, including vocal art, dance, theater, music, and Minang martial arts (silek). This unique Minangkabau art form is recognized as the traditional theater of the Minangkabau people.One specific performance within Randai is the Pasambahan dance, which is used to welcome esteemed guests, bridal parties, and during communal celebrations. The presentation technique of Minang Randai as a folk theater involves performances that often depict popular folktales such as Malin Kundang, Malin Deman, Anggun Nan Tongga, as well as stories reflecting daily life in the community. The essential elements of Randai include the storyline, tzezn, dialogue and acting, galombangan, and gurindam. This study aims to explore the cultural significance, structure, and impact of Randai on preserving and promoting Minangkabau cultural heritage.

Keywords: Randai Minang, Folklore, Performance.

INTRODUCTION

Indonesia is known as a unitary country that is diverse and culturally rich. Various ethnicities and religious beliefs coexist (Islam, 2018). Cultural diversity or other names for cultural diversity owned by the Indonesian nation is one of the important assets. The existence of a variety of tribal cultures in Indonesia cannot be denied. The understanding of the pluralistic society in Indonesia with various regional customs and cultures is more territorial (Pedersen, 2016). The Minangkabau tribe is known as one of the ethnic groups that live and develop in the West Sumatra region (Minangkabau tribe) known by its icon, namely; is the Gadang clock, the Gadang house, and its typical cuisine. The culture of the Minangkabau tribe has characteristics that are different from those of other tribes on the island of Sumatra. The current Minangkabau cultural tradition that is developing and still maintained is the result of a cultural revolution (Darwis & Muslim, 2024). Randai Minang is one of the traditional arts of the Minang tribe, which is usually performed in the form of performances including elements: the arts of sound, music, dance and martial arts which are usually called Sulek Minang.

Randai art is a Minangkabau cultural product among other cultural products that are still alive and developing in the West Sumatra region (Zulkifli, 2019). The performance of the randai has a relatively long duration of about 3 hours or more. As a traditional art, Randai Minangkabau is played in groups and forms a circle. After making a circle, the players will step slowly while telling the story in the form of singing. The art of Randai Minang is usually presented through the staging stage as well as through audio-visual cultural broadcasts and cultural broadcasts with television media.

In the journal Art Studies (Wendy, 2014a), it is stated that the practices of silek, pakolahan, and dendang in the nagari community have indicated the creation of their own forms of spectacle in the Minangkabau community. This indication was recorded by (Wendy, 2014b) as a form of spectacle that is tabantang tangah courtyard, adaik nan babuah ranum, pusako babungo kambang, arak-iriang di tangah labuah (spread in the middle of the yard, traditional that bears ranum, an heirloom with flowers, procession in the middle of the street). This means that there are activities that are massive, held in the middle of the yard, as part of the development of customs, and become something hereditary like an heirloom, and they can even be held along the streets (Bloch, 2018). This form of spectacle develops through each of the three elements that have become the identity of the previous nagari community, namely; silek; pakolahan; Dendang

RESEARCH METHODS

The method in this study uses analytical data collection with a qualitative descriptive method.

1. Literature Data; is information collected from written data as a theoretical basis or reference in the preparation of research and concept of idea development. Literature is obtained from several sources, from libraries or internet links. Data was collected by literature search techniques. The data source is the Randai Minang Text and related references

2. Factual Data is the source data of creation in the form of Audio Visual and product information obtained after being collected. Analysis and Interpretation, namely; activities to understand the elements, characteristics of each element, conception and relationships between elements systematically and develop the results of understanding the identification of all elements

RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Dayang Dayni is a gurindam offering: with a scene where the players sit in a circle with a jengkang position on the Simaratang part, then the sound of gurindam is heard fighting each other. Gurindam (Dayang Dani) in randai is intended as an opening greeting to the audience and as an opening to the randai performance. The opening greeting of the randai in waves with the appearance of the player standing with a stance of putting up stance known as the oblique pitungga position. A circle is formed, and the randai scene is ready to begin. Dendang, Simaratang or singing: is a randai storyline conveyed through singing. Meanwhile, poetry functions as storytelling in the Randai Minang performance. The players dance in a circle by hitting the leg of the pants, singing, and clapping forward to the center of the circle (Fuhrer, 2014). The peak or climax of randai, is when the scene of conflict between the character who carries the truth (protagonist) and the character (antagonist).

Furthermore, the finishing scene called Simarantang tinggi or gurindam ending: This scene is delivered by Dendang to close the story. The storyline is organized in an orderly manner from start to finish, so that the audience can more easily understand the message or meaning in each part of the scene.

The storytelling of the Randai performance is stories told with a periodic forward plot, the performance part is divided into top; the display of dialogues between the players (Rao, 2019). In the dialogue, messages are inserted, such as; social criticism, advice, and humor. Dance scene within a drama scene. Prepare the Pasambahan dance as a greeting to the audience as a sign of the beginning of the Minang randai performance (Indrayuda & Shamsuddin, n.d.).

Figure 1. Pasambahan Dance as the opening greeting of the Randai performance

Figure 2. Randa Mnang's Drama Dialogue

Figure 3. Randai Minang Dance

Randai Minang as a traditional Minangkabau art includes; drama art, sound art, dance art, and music art (Miftahurrahmi, Pratiwi, Huda, & Habibi, 2024). Folklore in the Randai community is a source of stories about the theme of ethics, ethics, morality, education, and instilling awareness in the nation. This narrative is displayed in the form of songs, rhymes, which tell the content of the story in the performance.

Figure 4. Pitungga Serong Position

Dayang Daini or gurindam offering: after completing Simaratang, the player sits in a jengkang position in a circle, shouting gurindam. Gurindam performance (Dayang Daini) in randai as a greeting to the audience and a sign of the randai at the beginning, and Anak Randai conveys greetings in waves. A wave of position players stood with a stance of putting up the horses (Scott, 2017). When a circle is formed, the next scene of the randai is displayed by the players. The players danced in circles and sang, and clapped and hit the legs of their pants hard (Seibert, 2015). The climax of the randai is during the conflict scene between the protagonist and the antagonist (Triggle & Williams, 2015). The next scene is the completion part (conclution).

Figure 5. Conflict in the drama Randa

Simarantang tinggi or gurindam closing: The dendang is delivered to close the story. The storyline is organized in an orderly manner from beginning to end, so that the audience can more easily understand the message or deep meaning in each part (Obie et al., 2019).

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Figure 6. The scene of the player sitting in the jejang

Figure 7. Dancing in a Circle

Silek Minang

Silek is a martial art that inspired the basis of Minangkabau dance movements in the traditional randai sen, the ancestral strategy in developing silat movements into sni which is combined and is part of the art of randai. Minangkabau.

Figure 8. Dance at Randai Minang is inspired by silat movements

CONCLUSION

The elements of the Randai Minang performance consist of stories, dialogues, acting, waves, and gurindam. Randai Minang as one of the traditional arts with a background of Minangkabau culture in the West Sumatra region, is a combination of several segments into one unit between sound art, dance, traditional Minang music, theater, and martial arts.

The randa performance reflects the cultural life of Minagkabau, and the dialogue at the show is conveyed through rhymes, verses, and lyrical prose a series of verses. The four lines in each stanza consist of 2 sampiran and 2 main messages. The adjustment between gurindam and dendang in these verses is so that the harmonization of the rhythm of the performance is maintained.

The storyline opens with the narration of a traditional randai theater performance that raises the story of the popularity among the community in daily life. The opening of the performance was delivered in a drum.

Dialogue: The role of community leaders conveys messages in Minang through poetry or gurindam. In the past, Randai dancers were male figures, if in the story of female figures. A man plays the role of a woman. Dialogue can be found in the scenes of Randai art drama and is generally raised from the problems of daily life.

Dendang Daini and Simarantang The Minang randai performance is performed in a group dance that forms a circle.  Footsteps are slowed down by the performers, and the story is told alternately with singing. Elements in the art of randai include; dance, theater, and singing, silek and traditional Minangkabau music.

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© 2024 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY SA) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/ 4.0/).