Oceans of Sound: Sama Dilaut Performing Arts

The maritime Sama peoples make up one of the most widespread cultural groups within the southeast Asian island region. They can be found in the Philippine Sulu Archipelago, southwestern Mindanao, Sabah, Borneo, east Kalimantan, and Sulawesi, and across many of the eastern Indonesian islands. One specific, so-called "sea-nomadic" Sama group refers to itself as the “Sea Sama” (Sama Dilaut, also known as Bajau Laut).

In this conference, we will look at the Sama Dilaut's performing arts, focussing on kulintangan and other types of instrumental music, song repertoire, and dance. Music and dance are central to the Sama Dilaut’s identity negotiation and maintenance of cultural memory. Music and dance are direct tools in the processes of identity negotiation that localise the Sama Dilaut ‘in-between’ rather than ‘here’ or ‘there’. ‘In-between’ like the beach is in-between the land and the sea, which is difficult to define sharply because of a constant coming and going of high and low tides that blurs the line between the one and the other; but also ‘in-between’ like the present is a bridge between yesterday and tomorrow. This ‘in-between’ is, at the same time, the clear space of the Sama Dilaut’s ‘Own’.

The (preliminary) programme will be announced soon.

For further information, please contact Ms Martina van den Haak at m.c.van.den.haak@iias.nl.