Bangsawan : A Social and Stylistic History of Popular Malay Opera

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 Tan Sooi Beng

This study demonstrates what happens when a government decides to take over a popular adaptive and developing art form and ossify it so as to fit in with the government's message. Tan, one of Malaysia's leading musicologists, describes the evolution of bangsawan, the most popular form of multi ethnic entertainment in Malaya before the arrival of cinema, and how it was, from the 1970s onwards, transformed into a 'traditional' Malay theatre. 261 pages with a bibliography, index, some black and white plates and musical scores. New Paperback. Reprint. First published in 1993. 

Weight: 0.7kg. Post free within Malaysia