The Dondang Sayang and Ronggeng is a social song and dance custom practiced by the Malays. The former is a form of vocal entertainment said to originate from Malacca, evidenced by the use of the violin as the centrepiece – the Violin introduced from the Portuguese; while the latter is a Malay social dance tradition thought to be from Java. However, the two are often associated with each other because the same musical instruments are involved.

Where can you find the Dondang Sayang performed these days? Usually at Malay weddings, yg writes:

dondang sayang is a traditional malay form of entertainment which involves a repartee of witty verses in a lighthearted and sometimes humorous style. to the peranakans, dondang sayang is referred to as ‘musical debating’. it involves the singing of pantun or four line verses set to music. the chief musician is the violonist, providing the counter melody to the vocal melody.

when it first started, there was no music accompaniment. then came the malay musical instruments – the rebab, rebana and tenawak. it was the portuguese in melaka who added the violin and accordion.

The Ronggeng is a social dance without body contact, and can be danced between people of the same sexes. To read more about them, and even see a picture of our MM dancing the Ronggeng, check out yg’s post here.