Around 15 members of the Scandinavian Society of Malaysia (SSM) made their way to the handicraft center of an aborigine village, Bumbun, in Carey Island, Selangor on 26 November 2011. Located around one hour from Kuala Lumpur, the village homes a large group of Orang Asli (aborigines) there.
Present and part of the organising team was Membership Secretary Lone Sigvardt. The representative on behalf of Bumbun Village was a volunteer, Maznah.
While waiting for the performances to begin, the guests had a good look at some of the sculptures and wood carven pieces that were on display at the center. Many were of images of animals and others were masks.
The show started at 11:20 when men and women of the Mahmeri clan in the village were all dressed up to entertain guests with their tribal dance performance. Wearing costumes made out of tree barks and palm leaves, the performers ignored the scorching heat and put on a great show for the guests to enjoy.
The dance was performed according to the rhythm and sounds of a live band where instruments used consisted of a Tambo (traditional percussion), Tuntung (Bamboo), a gong and violin.
After the first round of an authentic Mahmeri rhythmic dance, some members of SSM joined in and danced around following the steps shown by the performers. Since the steps were easy to follow, soon even the children participated without being too conscious of themselves or if they are getting the steps right. It was all about having fun.
After the performances were over, the whole group walked on to nearby wood carving huts to see more crafted pieces, both finished and unfinished as well as to learn how it was done.
At around 13:00 the group dispersed and headed to a nearby, popular seafood restaurant for lunch.
