MALAY MUSIC AND DANCE FROM THE COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS AND CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Abstract

In the Indian Ocean Territories of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island live the oldest established Malay-Muslim communities within the Commonwealth of Australia. This project examines the history and practice of Malay music traditions through a pioneering ethnomusicological study of music and dance, examining these traditions as key factors in preserving and strengthening unique cultural identities. It also considers how Malay music culture was transplanted to these islands from the nineteenth century onwards. Planned research outputs include the first scholarly articles on these topics, public performances and lectures, a conference and a documentary film investigating the soci..

Related publications (2)

Strings across the ocean: practices, traditions, and histories of the Cocos Malay biola in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean

David Irving

2020-05-07

The biola (violin) is an emblematic musical instrument of the Cocos Malay community, who have been based on the Cocos (Keeling) Is..

The World of Cocos Malay Music and Dance: A Documentary Film on Performing Arts in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

David Irving, Jenny McCallum

2020-01-01

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands, located halfway between Perth and Sri Lanka and part of Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories, are hom..