Seudati 2 : AV Intro IV.2

A/V Intro IV.2: Audiovisual Example 2 in Introduction to Part IV of book: Margaret Kartomi, ‘Musical Journeys in Sumatra’, Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012. Seudati is the main Acehnese dance performed in standing position, including concentric square and circular formations. It is accompanied only by the solo singing of the aneuk syahé (’child of poetry’) and the dancers’ group response singing and body percussion (peh badan). Lead vocalists improvise texts about daily living, politics and sex. The dancers beat their bodies in rhythmic episodes of interlocking sounds made by beating their chests (actually on the lower ribs), thigh slapping, finger snapping and hand clapping while they move in choreographed steps. This performance was recorded at the PKA-IV Festival (Fourth Pekan Kesenian Aceh) in Banda Aceh. Names of performers unknown. Copyright 2004 Iwan Dzulvan Amir.