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TARIAN TRADISIONAL ‘LIMBAI’
Kg Tanjung Wakap
89150 Kota Belud, Sabah
Picture
21
Video
Available
Today's Visitor
285
Number of Visitors
2844
Introduction and history
Limbai is a celebrated Bajau cultural dance in Kota Belud, Sabah. A special dance celebrating a groom at his bride’s house, it is also a form of invitation for him to enter the house to solemnise the marriage.
Characteristics of Limbai Dance
It is danced in pairs by men and women. The women will wave their hands gracefully, moving left and right. Their shawls, wrapped around their shoulders, are waved graciously to invite the groom’s family.
Replying to the ladies’ invitation, the men move their wrists in a circular motion. Both male and female dancers’ moves are to show harmony, love and strong bond.
Tarian Limbai functions as tourists attraction. It is also danced to celebrate Bajau performing arts at cultural events. Watched by admiring local and internasional tourists, the dancers welcome them graciously.
Female dancers wear the traditional serempak, a colorful piece, the badu sampit blouse with kain sarung olos. The attire presents their unique community. Their neck accessories is mandapun, and a headgear, the sarempak, made out of gold-colored metal and shaped like a bull’s horns. While the male wear the classic cekak musang, pants, samping and tanjak.
The dance background are the tunes of tetawak or sets of kulintangan, a type of gong that produce different sounds. The melody is played fast and slow, where when it is fast, the dancers move a faster pace, and vice versa.
i) Mazhna Binti Gagah
Reference Source
i. PUAN MAZHNA BINTI GAGAH
ii. PUAN JUDETH JOHN BAPTIST
iii. Saat, G. (2003). The identity and social mobility of Sama-Bajau. Sari, 21(1), 3-11.
iv. Jubilado, R. C. (2010). On cultural fluidity: The Sama-Bajau of the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas.
v. Azira, N. A. H. (2023). TARIAN LIMBAI: SEBUAH WARISAN TRADISI KAUM BAJAU: Limbai Dance: A Legacy of the Bajau Tradition. Jurnal Borneo Arkhailogia (Heritage, Archaeology and History), 8(1), 119-136.
vi. Hussin, H. (2023). Ritual Dance and Performance in Contemporary Borneo: A Study of the Kadazan and Sama-Bajau Communities of Sabah, Malaysia. In Performing Arts Conference (p. 154).
Nor, M. A. M., & Hussin, H. (2019). Gendering Dance, Gazing Music: Dance Movements, Healing Rituals and Music Making of Sama Bajau and Sama Dilaut of East Malaysia and Southern Philippines. SAMUDERA-Journal of Maritime and Coastal Studies, 1(1), 75-91.
Location
State JKKN Contact Information
Puan Nurshahrinna Syahrial
Cultural Officer
Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Sabah
Kompleks JKKN Sabah,
Jalan Tasik off KM4 Jalan Penampang,
88200 Kota Kinabalu
SABAH
088-205070
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