CLASSICAL guitar music is usually performed at concert halls and in the grand halls of resplendent palaces in Alhambra, Spain.
Famed classical guitarist Rafael Serrallet however took the musical genre to another level when he performed classical guitar etudes and boleros as background music at a wayang kulit performance in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
The idea behind the shadow play/classical guitar performance
In 2019, Serrallet was working on a musical project to celebrate the 500 year anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world in 1509.
One of the stops on that incredible voyage was Malaysia (Borneo). So that was the starting point. While researching about the music to feature in the show, Serrallet learned about gamelan and then to the wayang kulit.
"I learned that Kelantan was the most important cultural centre in the country, so I went to visit and to learn more about the amazing world of Wayang Kulit.”
Serrallet said prior to the performance, he was not familiar with the genre at all.
"I had been to a show in Indonesia many years ago, but did not know that it was also very popular in Malaysia. So it has been a nice surprise to find out more about this amazing heritage.”
Serrallet then chose to fuse the two together because he felt that he had a personal link with Malaysia.
"I have wanted to do something for many years related to Malay traditional culture. I have played in the past with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, but did not have the chance to collaborate or make music with traditional artists.
"I believe that Malaysia is such an interesting country full of traditions with a rich artistic heritage."
Why did Serrallet choose the shadow play?
He said wayang kulit is one of the most representative folk manifestations of Southeast Asia and it is amazing that Malaysia has kept this tradition for so many years.
"It is also a wonderful and elegant way to tell traditional stories. I wanted to partner that with Spanish traditional or classical guitar music as a way of bringing the two cultures together for the performance."
Serrallet said it was an exhilarating experience to choose which songs to play for the performance.
"Pak Dain (the master puppeteer) and I chose a bolero, which is a Spanish traditional dance.
“The bolero is a dance in ternary rhythm and the one I played was composed by Julián Arcas. It has different parts and is rooted from popular folk dance, hence giving the puppeteer a lot of freedom to be able to improvise and adapt the movements of the puppets to the music."
Serrallet said the marriage went musically well.
"It was a really interesting performance for me, I loved it although sometimes it was hard to concentrate as the puppet dance was so mesmerising, I could not take my eyes off it.”
He said based on the audience's feedback, it was well received.
"Pak Dain is one of the most important puppeteers in Malaysia and it was an honour to perform with him. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, we had to perform at his personal gallery, where people can learn about Wayang Kulit."
Was the fusion compatible?
Serralet said despite the cultural differences between Spain and Malaysia, at the end of the day the bolero he played is also a traditional dance manifestation of the people, so it was not difficult to make the performance work.
"Two traditions coming together! As I said, the puppets are so magical to watch so I hope and felt that the guitar music matched and that the audience enjoyed the show."
For the future, Serralet hoped that the collaboration will lead to other successful ventures.
"Firstly I hope that we can take this show to other parts of Malaysia, and of course to Spain. And I wish that this idea can encourage other artists to put together their skills in order to create new things.
“It would be a real pity if the art of Wayang Kulit disappears in Malaysia and I just hope that collaborations like this can help to promote and educate people more about this beautiful tradition."
Serralet also hoped that the fusion would catch the attention of the music community.
"Performing arts have always been very close to music: dance, theater. Wayang Kulit. it is such an elegant performance that it must catch the attention of anyone with art sensibility.”
Will shadow play music be able to incorporate classical guitar?
"The gamelan music is very specific. The colour and timbre of the keromong, gambang, saron, gendang and others are very peculiar and difficult to find in the classical guitar.
“Since there are many instruments in the gamelan (even if all of them, often play like one) it is impossible to reproduce such an effect in the guitar.
“I have tried to do some experiments, changing the sounds of the guitar by putting pieces of metal between the strings and making a kind of metallic/vibration sound.
“But the essence of gamelan can only be played using the traditional instruments. However I believe that we should preserve all kinds of art manifestations. We are lucky to have such diversity in music and culture," said Serrallet.
Finally, what message does Serrallet hope to leave with this collaboration.
"That music and art can overcome any boundaries. Even during these difficult pandemic times we have been able to gather (with all of the security protocols) and make a show, especially today it is so important to keep artistic performances and storytelling traditions alive. So it is a message of hope in the collaboration of different cultures." – The Vibes, January 31, 2021
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