Brunei, the Abode of Peace, Shares its Island, Borneo, with Malaysia and Indonesia. The population is over 400,000, with most of the inhabitants speaking Melayu Brunei. English and Chinese are spoken to a lesser extent. The official religion is Islam with the Sultan as the head of their religion. This is a conservative nation following predominantly Malay culture. Four periods had a hand in influencing the culture in Brunei: Animism, Hinduism, Islam and the West.
The music in Brunei consists of many different types of native folk music as well as dance. Islam has a strong influence on these dances, keeping them relatively restricted. Some examples include:
Folk Music:
• Adai-adai = while fishing, the fisher people would sing this song in a group.
• Benari or Joget Baji Putih = performed by three men and three women during different festivals.
Kedayan Music:
• Aduk-aduk = Performed by the Kedayan people at the end of harvest season and during other holidays. This is a ceremonial dance where dancers dress in traditional warrior attire.
Malay Music:
• Jipin or Zapin = Accompanied by native instruments, six men and women will perform this dance at festivals and special feasts.
• Alus Jua Dindang = A song which is part of traditional wedding music whereby the groom declares his devotion to the bride, whom he has never met before.
Indonesia, a republic with an elected president and legislator, has a population of over 238 million people. The local rules have slowly been saturated with foreign culture, political models and religious views. There are noticeable religious, linguistic and ethnic groups of which the Javanese are the most prevalent. Most of the population in Indonesia are Muslim and have a long history of rebelling against the ever-resilient colonialism. Austronesian-speaking people are the main ancestors of most Indonesians resulting in 742 different languages and dialects and about 300 noted ethnicities. The language which is officially taught in schools is a form of Malay and spoken by nearly every Indonesian. The culture in Indonesia has been influenced by sources such as: Indian, Arabic, Chinese and Europe.
The music in Indonesia is a display of cultural diversity, ranging from the traditional type of music all the way to the other spectrum of contemporary music.
Malaysia is a federal constitutional Monarchy with a population of over 27.5 million. Its economy has traditionally been kept afloat by the sale of natural recourses but has been able to expand into other sectors, namely: science, medical tourism, commerce and tourism. Multiple ethnicities and cultures influence the culture of Malaysia as well as its politics. As in Brunei, the state religion is Islam, but a secular constitution protects freedom of religion. With striking resemblance to Indonesia, Malays, who make up 50.4 percent of the population, are Muslim, and they practice Malay customs. The official language is Bahasa Malaysia. What is interesting about citizenship is that a child whom is born in Malaysia is not granted citizenship automatically, however, if a child is born to two Malaysian parents outside of Malaysia, automatic citizenship is granted.
Music in Malaysia reflects the differences in many ethnic groups, including: Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Dayak, Kadazandusun and Eurasians. The music is categorised into classical, folk, syncretic, popular and contemporary art music.
With so much in common and so much diversity, these three areas have such rich culture and unique living to enjoy.