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It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Dorothy Hicks on Thursday July 6
Dorothy was predeceased by the love of her life Leroy Eldon (Roy) Hicks
She leaves behind her son Dennis (Cheryl) Hicks and her daughters Laraine East
She was the cherished grandmother of 9 grandchildren
GG of 15 grandchildren and 9 ggg grandchildren
A visitation will be held on Wednesday July 12
2023 at 1 PM with the service to follow at 2 PM at the Innisfil Funeral Home
donations can be made to the Kidney Foundation
Arrangements entrusted to Innisfil Funeral Home
Pak Chahor took the time to explain the use of his gendang set and a suitcase of masks that are used for a traditional Jikey performance
Pak Chahor Saad emerged from his room and invited us to sit with him on the floor
On the walls were framed photos and certificates of his past Jikey achievements and performances
was a welcoming presence in his modest home in Langkawi
Jikey is a folk theatre performed by the locals
and Jikau – depending on the region in which it is performed
is now fast moving into the “extinct” zone
The other has more Persian and Arab influences
'Now is the time to get started on an archiving and teaching programme to preserve and ensure Jikey does not die,' says Izzat
during a visit to Pak Chahor's home in Langkawi
Coming along for this visit was cultural activist Muhammad Izzat Md Isa
who wrote the book on the history of Jikey – Jikey Teater Warisan Langkawi published by Universiti Utara Malaysia
He describes Jikey as “performing arts by the rakyat
Jikey does not have the courtly aura of Mak Yong or Bangsawan but it does draw some artistic elements from Mak Yong
a Malay traditional performance - from Kedah - involving acting
was declared by Unesco as part of humanity's intangible cultural heritage
live traditional music and a very inclusive Malaysian opening sequence
The five roles in the opening sequence are that of Tuan Keling
One must emphasise that the term “Keling” used in this context
It is simply to connote that “Tuan Keling” represented an Indian trader from the historical Kalinga kingdom of Eastern India
which stores the veteran artiste’s handmade wooden masks and other paraphernalia used in a Jikey performance
Stereotypes indeed but true of the period in which it was performed
“I have been performing Jikey from the age of 12,” said Pak Chahor
can claim seventh generation Mahsuri genealogy
Perlis and participated in a festival in Kuala Lumpur
I have been invited to be a coach at the state level and I have supported the cultural association
AKRAB Kedah in staging ‘Jikey Naga Berapi’ at a local university,” he added
Inside were handmade wooden masks and other paraphernalia used in a traditional Jikey performance
he also brought up his old wooden gendang and gave us a mini recital of the “Raja” part in Jikey
He recalled that Jikey was very popular in Kedah in the 1960s
At that time in Langkawi there were more than 10 Jikey troupes on the island
There are a few theories about how Jikey began; one being that it was simply entertainment put together for weddings
Another revolves around how some traders from India
were forced to entertain to collect money to pay for their release
The Jikey repertoire comprises improvised dialogue
slapstick comedy inspired by local legends
Jikey music consists of both instrumental music and singing
Pak Jusoh is seen playing his wooden gendang and singing the part of a Jikey routine in his home in Langkawi
A complete theatrical orchestra for Jikey includes the rebana (with no jingles) in large
medium and small sizes; a tambourine; a hanging
a Jikey traditional theatre from Langkawi was supposed to be held at PJPAC in Petaling Jaya
It was postponed because the headliner artiste Pak Jusoh Chin had an asthma attack
with an objective to preserve Jikey traditional theatre
he was sitting by the door of his bare living room
also started performing Jikey at the age of 12
“I have always played the role of the Princess even though I started with the role of Awang,“ he said
he took out his wooden gendang and started singing and playing the part of the Princess
Pak Jusoh’s stage name is Tok Cho and in 2022
he was featured in a Walkabout Asia micro-documentary on a Jikey performance at Air Hangat
Today there is no longer any “troupe” and sadly
these last living elders (Tok Bibon and Tok Chan) who hold a strong base of knowledge and experience of Jikey do not have the energy to perform any longer
“Now is the time to get started on an archiving and teaching programme to preserve and ensure Jikey does not die
All we need are some funds and the will of the authorities to help us do this,” said Izzat
If Langkawi is to become a platform where arts and culture can start to thrive
then perhaps this is where it should and can begin because Jikey is a performing arts by the people
“It would be nice to offer our international and indeed national tourists an avenue and opportunity to enjoy something like this – an authentic Langkawi-origin cultural performance,” said a Langkawi-based hotel manager
efforts have been made to mobilise interested parties and begin the process of creating a training programme to educate young people about the various styles of Jikey
The plan is to get them mentored by “Adigurus” like Pak Chahor or Pak Jusoh
“Who is going to continue the Jikey legacy once I am gone?” asked Pak Chahor
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