Salor zapin steps back into the spotlight

KOTA BHARU: Salor zapin, a dance from Kampung Salor in Kota Bharu, brings together elegant movements and songs sung in the Kelantanese dialect. Despite its distinct character, many Kelantanese are unfamiliar with the dance. After fading from view in the late 1990s, the revival of Salor zapin involved piecing together fragments from different individuals over nearly four years of research.

The dance is believed to have been influenced by Arab culture introduced by Islamic preachers and later flourished under community practitioners. The movements are restrained, reflecting values of modesty, discipline, and communal harmony. Salor zapin was rediscovered by Mohd Radzi Yusof, a cultural artiste with the Kelantan branch of the department for culture and arts (JKKN).

The revival has also provided younger dancers like Mohammad Hafiz Amirun Salleh with an unexpected learning experience. The dance's distinctive features include a lower, softer, and more controlled style compared to other zapin traditions and lyrics performed in the Kelantanese dialect that convey religious teachings, advice, and ideas about community life.