From Wayang Kulit to Joget Gamelan, six-week heritage showcase set to light up TRX

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — Traditional performance arts from across Malaysia will take centre stage in the capital next week as PUSAKA and TRX launch Senjakala: Seni Kita by Pusaka, a six-weekend cultural series celebrating the country’s living heritage.

Presented by ART@TRX, the free public programme will run from June 19 to July 25 at TRX City Park and TRX MRT Plaza, featuring six traditional performance forms from different cultural communities across the country.

The series will open on June 19 and 20 with Gamelan and Joget Gamelan performances by Astrawayu at the Event Lawn in TRX City Park.

According to the organisers, the line-up will also include Indigenous Dances of Borneo, Johor’s Seni Reog tradition, the Mah Meri masked dance known as Mayin Jo’oh, a traditional Chinese music ensemble and Kelantan’s Wayang Kulit.

PUSAKA said the programme aims to bring traditional performances to urban audiences through a series of evening showcases performed by community custodians and practitioners.

The opening performances will spotlight Malay Gamelan, a court tradition associated with Pahang and Terengganu that was historically performed during royal occasions. The accompanying Joget Gamelan dance tradition once comprised 60 dances, although only 10 are known to survive today.

The remaining performances will be staged over subsequent weekends, beginning with Indigenous Dances of Borneo on June 27 and 28, followed by Seni Reog from Johor on July 3 and 4, Mayin Jo’oh: Mah Meri Masked Dance on July 10 and 11, a Chinese Music Ensemble on July 17 and 18, and Wayang Kulit Kelantan on July 24 and 25.

PUSAKA, a UNESCO-accredited cultural organisation, said the series is intended to strengthen appreciation of Malaysia’s traditional arts by creating opportunities for the public to engage directly with cultural practices that continue to be preserved by local communities.

The organisation has been involved in producing festivals and alternative performance platforms aimed at revitalising traditional performance arts and promoting greater understanding of Malaysian heritage, culture and literature.

ART@TRX, TRX’s public art and creative placemaking initiative, said the programme forms part of its efforts to bring artistic and cultural experiences into public spaces while supporting Malaysia’s creative ecosystem.

All performances are free to attend and will take place in the evening, in keeping with the meaning of senjakala, which refers to the hour of sunset.