ABSTRACT
The Indonesian province of West Sumatra, home of the Minangkabau ethnic group, lies halfway down the west coast of Sumatra. It consists of a mountainous interior and a low-lying coastal strip, where the capital, Padang, is situated. The province's population is about 3 million, but, as a result of emigration (merantau), many Minangkabau also live in other parts of Indonesia. Like most Indonesians, the Minangkabau are Muslims. Their language, Minangkabau, is closely related to Indonesian, the national language. The Minangkabau still practice traditional forms of verbal art, of which the most important are ceremonial speech-making, the singing of rhymed verses called pantun, and the singing of stories.
