Traditional dances of Sabah


Najjua Zulkefli

CLOTHES, food, dances and language make the people. And in Sabah, there around 32 ethnic groups. Here are some of them.

Experts believe that in ancient times, the Sabah indigenous communities, especially the Kadazandusun Murut, did not have the knowledge on how to dye their costumes. Black makes up most of their clothing. They believe the colour gives them some sort of protection against evil spirits.

Colour eventually came from the Filipinos’ influence, who were more advanced in terms of textile. The Filipino descendants like the Bajau may have learnt how to dye clothes from the Spanish, the colonial masters of the Philippines from 1521 to 1898. – October 25, 2017.


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