Sumazau
Four dancers dancing the Sumazau in pairs accompanied by a traditional musical ensemble at the Monsopiad Cultural Village in Kuai Kandazon Village, Penampang District of Sabah. | |
| Native name | Sumazau |
|---|---|
| Etymology | Sazau (dance) in the Kadazan language |
| Genre | Traditional, folk |
| Instrument(s) | Gongs, drum, occasionally metallophone |
| Inventor | Kadazan people |
| Origin | Sabah, Malaysia |
| Sumazau |
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| Burma |
| Cambodia |
| Indonesia |
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| Laos |
| Malaysia |
| Philippines |
| Singapore |
| Thailand |
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| Vietnam |
The Sumazau is a traditional dance performed by the Kadazan-Dusun from Penampang and adjacent areas in the western coast and interior of Sabah, Malaysia throughout the Kaamatan festival. The dance involves male and female pairs who are dressed in traditional clothing. The rhythm of the dance is set by the beat of hanging gongs. It is performed by raising both arms to shoulder height and flapping them.
Both the federal and state governments have declared the dance, its music, and traditional clothing as a national heritage which includes the ritual processes and tools that are classified as the Kadazan tangible and intangible cultural heritage.