Malay gamelan

Malay gamelan (Malay: gamelan Melayu), also known as Joget Gamelan, is a traditional court musical ensemble and dance tradition of the Malay world, particularly associated with the royal courts of Pahang and Terengganu in present-day Malaysia. It forms part of the wider gamelan family of maritime Southeast Asia but developed a distinct repertoire, performance practice and choreographic tradition within the cultural environment of the Malay courts.

The tradition traces its origins to the court culture of the Johor–Riau and Riau–Lingga sultanates and was introduced to Pahang during the early nineteenth century through dynastic connections between Malay ruling houses. Under the patronage of the Pahang and later Terengganu courts, Malay gamelan evolved into a highly refined court art characterised by a relatively small ensemble of metallophones, gongs, drums and xylophones, accompanied by a repertoire of stylised dances collectively known as Joget Gamelan.