Conclusion

In conclusion, the evolution of bangsawan was clearly linked to changes that took place at the societal level. Bangsawan had transformed from serving the traditional purposes of spiritual appeasement and thanksgiving for bountiful harvests to an informal and casual commercial theatre for the urbanites and finally, to a formal platform for political contestations. This was taking place in parallel with the modernization and industrialization of Singapore society, which was pluralizing the racial and ethnic make-up of the population. The cultural assimilation of the bangsawan with other art forms was a clear manifestation of the synergistic relationship between the popular culture and society. Furthermore, the rise of bangsawan also brought about radical societal change in the social status of females in the conservative Asian context. In addition, the innovative and adaptability of bangsawan to other novelties ensured its popularity amongst the masses during the early twentieth century. However, bangsawan began to decline around post war period and finally, died a natural death as a popular culture of Singapore when artificial intervention from the Malay Intelligentsia stifled its innovation. Hence, looking back upon the trajectory of bangsawan as a popular culture, one could identify with the micro-history that was taking place in Singapore.