The Transformation of the Dideng Oral Tradition of Rantau Pandan into Jambi Malay Opera

Abstract

Dideng is a folk theatre tradition from Rantau Pandan Village that is currently facing the risk of decline due to limitations in its regeneration process. Despite this condition, Dideng oral narrative art contains rich theatrical, gestural, and musical potentials that can be further developed within contemporary performance contexts. This study aims to transform the artistic potential of Dideng into a Jambi Malay opera prototype as an effort of cultural revitalization. This research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytic method within a Research and Development (R&D) framework. Data were collected through interviews, observation, documentation, and literature review involving practitioners, cultural experts, and the creative team.The result of this applied research is a Jambi Malay opera prototype entitled Elegi Puti Dayang Ayu. The transformation process demonstrates how the episodic structure of oral storytelling is reconfigured into a linear dramaturgical form to achieve causal coherence suitable for modern stage performance. The narrative is centered on the breakdown of the uncle–nephew relationship (avunculate), which provides a culturally grounded basis for the emergence of tragedy within Malay social structure. The opera text is constructed through the conversion of a drama script into a poetic libretto, integrating dideng, pantun, and seloko as elements of indigenous dramaturgy. The atmosphere is shaped within a tragic framework, emphasizing emotional depth through monologue and musical expression.This study contributes to the discourse on intangible cultural heritage revitalization by demonstrating that the transformation of oral tradition into contemporary performance is not merely adaptive, but involves a negotiation between cultural continuity and aesthetic innovation.