This CD-ROM showcases the Randai theater of the Minangkabau ethnic group of West Sumatra, Indonesia. A vibrant and exciting composite theater form, Randai incorporates storytelling, dance, music, and martial arts into a unique blend of performing arts.
Via the Randai theater, the CD-ROM offers the audience an introduction to the culture of the Minangkabau people, one of over 250 different ethnic groups in the Indonesian archipelago. It includes sections on the socio-cultural background, the customs and traditions of the Minangkabau, and maps and photos of West Sumatra to provide the audience with a sense of the location of this art form.
The theater, dance, music, and martial arts elements of Randai are illustrated with numerous videos, sound recordings, and still images, and accompanied by in-depth and thoroughly researched text. This interactive format facilitates the study of the elements of Randai that would prove elusive in any paper-based treatment of the art form.
Randai offers insights into the indigenous martial arts form silek and is of interest to martial artists in general. It will be of great value to students and teachers in world theater and dance, in Asian studies, and in cultural studies.
Kirstin Pauka is Assistant Professor of Asian Theater, University of Hawaii.
