The ''mirwās'' or ''marwas'' ( ar, مرواس), plural ''marāwīs'' ( ar, مراويس) is a small double-sided, high-pithced
hand drum A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater.
Types
The following descriptions allude to traditional versions of the drums. Modern synthetic versions are a ...
originally from the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. It is a popular instrument in the
Arab States of the Persian Gulf
The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...
, used in ''
sawt'' and ''
fijiri
''Fidjeri'' (Arabic: الفجيري; sometimes spelled ''fijri'' or ''fidjeri'') is the specific repertoire of vocal music sung by the pearl divers of Eastern Arabia's coastal Gulf states, especially Bahrain and Kuwait. A lead singer is backed up ...
'' music. It is also common in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
and
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
.
Hadhrami migrants from
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
took the instrument to
Muslim Southeast Asia (especially
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
), where it is used in ''
Zapin
, image = Zapin.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = Schoolchildren performing Zapin in Batu Pahat, Johor.
, genre =
, signature =
, instruments = Gambus, Gendang, Marawis, Rebana
, inventor ...
'' and ''
Gambus'' musical genres. A similar drum of this area is the ''
Gendang
Kendang or Gendang ( jv, ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦝꦁ, translit=Kendhang, su, ᮊᮨᮔ᮪ᮓᮀ, translit=Kendang, ban, ᬓᬾᬦ᭄ᬤᬂ, translit=Kendang, Tausug/Bajau Maranao: ''Gandang'', Bugis: ''Gendrang'' and Makassar: ''Gandrang'' or ''Ganra ...
''.
The Marwas drums used to accompany ''
Gambus'' music in ''
Lampung
Lampung (Lampung: ), officially the Province of Lampung ( id, Provinsi Lampung) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. It has a short border with the province of Bengkulu to the northwest, and a ...
'', ''
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
'' often consist of four sizes with two skins of a diameter between 12-20 centimetres. The skins are commonly made from goatskin and formerly black monkey skin and are laced with leather or plastic to a jackfruit-wood cylindrical body of around 8 to 10 centimetres in height.
See also
*
Qanbus
*
Zapin
, image = Zapin.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = Schoolchildren performing Zapin in Batu Pahat, Johor.
, genre =
, signature =
, instruments = Gambus, Gendang, Marawis, Rebana
, inventor ...
References
Double-skinned (double-headed) drums- Oman Centre for Traditional Music
- The British-Yemeni Society
* Charles Capwell,
Contemporary Manifestations of Yemeni-Derived Song and Dance in Indonesia, ''
Yearbook for Traditional Music
The ''Yearbook for Traditional Music'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on folk music and dance. It is published by the International Council for Traditional Music, once a year in December. The editor-in-chief is Kati Szego. T ...
'', Vol. 27, (1995), pp. 76–89
Marwas - Musical instruments of Malaysia
External links
Youtube video - mirwas played
{{Traditional musical instruments of Malaysia
Hand drums
Arabic musical instruments
Kuwaiti music
Omani musical instruments
Yemeni musical instruments
Bruneian musical instruments
Indonesian musical instruments
Malaysian musical instruments
Bahraini musical instruments