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TARIAN BELOTAH
Pertubuhan Kesenian Tradisional Dabus Tanjung Bidara, Perak
Picture
14
Video
Available
Today's Visitor
9
Number of Visitors
70
Introduction and history
Tarian Belotah is a folk dance of Perak paddy farmers, their melodious way of turning farming toil into a joyous awaited occasion. This dance is to separate paddy grains from the stalks, and they do it with rhymes. Lotah means rhyme, hence ‘belotah’ is rhyming.
Gemal padi (bunches of paddy stalks tied together) are placed on a platform, made from pinang tree planks. The planks are tied with rattan and secured to the floor. Then a group of ten to fifteen step on the paddy stalks on the floor in a circle in an effort to separate the grains from the stalks. While stepping, they exchange poems and songs, the melotah.
Sweetly, while laboring, separating paddy gains, the young men turn their drudgery into pleasure by teasing and courting the girls. Melotah eventually becomes an anticipated event for the young to socialise since in those days, society was extremely strict about boys meeting girls.
Belotah is akin to a sewang dance where the dancers rhyme while stepping on the paddy stalk bulks (gemal padi). They will also shout while jerking the platform, moving the planks rhythmically. As the planks move, they rub each other, producing squeaky sounds. These squeaky sounds are the ‘background music’ of the dance. So, the dancers move to the rhythm of the sound, swinging their legs twice forward and twice back, singing along the jerks of the planks.
Lyrics of Short Lotah
When it's cut, such a waste being cut
Gracious goes the root of the tree
Please, let it be, let it be sir
Ha ha hi
Ha ha hi
Ha ha hi
Lotah de lang le
Gracious the roots of the wood
Lotah de lang le
Wishing to tie the yam
Lotah de lang le
Soft are the planks
Wishing to harvest the rice
The spirit of the rice
Lotah de lang le
Lotah de lang le
The of stump of the mountain a sacred mountain
Hai ya ya ye
Can be seen from a high cliff
Lotah de lang le
We are here to welcome
Hai ya ya ye
Our revered sir
Who just arrived
Lotah de lang le
Lotah de lang le
Tarian belotah functions as a heritage art of the nation.
Dancers wear daily clothes, not any special ones. However, for the purpose of performing at official events, they wear a baju Melayu with a sampin and tanjak, the headgear. Female dancers wear Kedah baju kurung with a batik sarung.
The items of the dance are a platform, paddy stalks, a nyiru (a flat woven bamboo plate-like item) and a mat. The floor of the platform is made of a palm tree stem, sawn or cut into planks, and tied with rattan, then secured to the floor. This platform accommodates 10-15 dancers.
To dance, one must step on the paddy stalks placed on the floor in a circle. The dancers rhyme intermittently saying "Lotah... Lotah... hei lah... le!" There are two types of belotah rhymes, the lotah panjang (the long rhyme) and the lotah pendek (the short rhyme). This merry shouting and jumping are exciting as the boys and girls tease each other.
Mohd Radzi bin Abdul Manaf.
He is the secretary of the belotah organization and often dances in Perak. A teacher and reference of the belotah arts in Perak, he is the lead of the dance shows.
Reference Source
i. Bahan Bacaan
a) Azam, Zaharul & Shuradi. (2013) Muzik Tradisi Tari
Rakyat Perak : Suatu Pendekatan Etnomuzikologi. Malaysian Music Journal.
Diambil Daripada
https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/index.php/MJM/article/view/647/424
Isi
Kandungan : Lotah atau Belotah merupakan sejenis tarian berserta nyanyian
beramai-ramai ini bersifat ritual magis yang memuja semangat padi. Tarian ini
dari segi konsepnya ada persamaan dengan tarian Sewang yang diamalkan dalam
kalangan orang-orang asli di perak. Tarian Lotah telah wujud pada awal kurun ke
19.
b) Keratan Akhbar (1979). Lotah- tarian tradisi yang telah
dibaharui. Diambil daripada
http://perakgateway.utp.edu.my/repo/347/1/1951_41.pdf
Isi Kandungan
: Lotah mula ditarikan di Kampun Tanjung Bidara dalam daerah Perak Tengah
kira-kira seratus tahun yang lalu. Apa yang menakjubkan tarian ini asalnya
hanya disertai oleh orang lelaki sahaja bagi menunjukkan kerja mengirik padi
ini tugas orang lelaki sahaja. Perubahan telah dilakukan dengan membawa masuk
gadis-gadis mengambil bahagian bagi bertujuan untuk pesta mencari jodoh.
ii. Tokoh (jika ada temu bual tokoh)
Mohd
Radzi bin Abdul Manaf
Location
State JKKN Contact Information
Encik Yufazli Yusof
Cultural Officer
Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara Perak
Kompleks JKKN Perak,
Lot 20561@20565 Jalan Caldwell,
Off Jalan Raja Di Hilir,
30350 Ipoh,
PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN
05-253 7001 / 05-254 1027
