An Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia

An Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia By Chong Pek Lin and Anne Anthony Lajinga Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus Made possible with funding from The ISME-Gibson International Award which was awarded to Ms. Chong in July 2006 Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia i © Joint copyright of Chong Pek Lin and Anne Anthony Lajinga Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Batu Lintang,2011 Cover design: copyright Egmal B. Hj. Adin All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the authors Published by: Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus Jalan College, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia Tel: +60 82 245301 www.ipbl.edu.my Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia ii Foreword from the Director Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to this team of researchers and writers. It is indeed an honour for ITE Batu Lintang Campus to have lecturers who are able to go beyond the scope of their areas of specialization and formal duties by forming a team to bring together both music and language to enrich educational resources. Their endeavour to share the fruits of their project is indeed a noble cause where education is concerned. I believe that all music educators and young learners will now have extra reference close at hand by the time this book reaches schools and institutes of teacher education around the country. It is an invaluable addition to our knowledge of the rich musical culture of East Malaysia. I hope that teachers will be able to utilise this book across the curriculum as the content contains various areas focusing on musical art, language, culture and values. This book provides a platform for this team to share their work creatively, allowing music and language to merge wonderfully. In addition, the project supports the aims and objectives of our institution. The administration and all the staff of ITE Batu Lintang Campus are very grateful to the team for having combined their efforts, creativity and skills for the benefit of all. Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia iii Foreword from the President (2010-2012) International Society for Music Education I am delighted to have this opportunity on behalf of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) to share our excitement about the publication of this new book. Its contents represents two of the key principles of our ISME work, namely the need to support and celebrate the cultural diversity of the world's musics and also to work towards providing access to these musics by people outside the immediate home community. This new volume represents the outcome of sustained applied research in East Malaysia into the nature of example indigenous vocal musics. It also demonstrates how a shared vision can be realised in concrete form when a team of people are passionate and enthusiastic, and sustained by an underlying moral imperative to educate others in the joys of local musics. We are all enriched by their actions and I commend this book to you. In realising this music together, we shrink the world and share one of the greatest assets of our humanity – our music. Professor Graham F Welch, PhD President, ISME (International Society for Music Education) http://www.isme.org Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia iv Preface A wide range of instrumental and vocal music traditions flourish in our country, especially in ethnically diverse East Malaysia. The introduction of indigenous repertoire in the schools is encouraged but implementation is hampered by the dearth of research and publication in this area. When Pek Lin received the generous grant through the ISME-Gibson award, she decided (after consultation with ISME past president Gary McPherson) to embark on a project to give schoolchildren the opportunity to play traditional musical instruments and to sing authentic folksongs, focusing, for depth on the East Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. With the help of a team of students and lecturers from the Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus the main part of the project was successfully carried out from 2007-2009. Our initial focus was on building model traditional instrumental ensembles from three different ethnic groups in Sarawak, the Iban, Kenyah and Bidayuh. This included training sessions with ethnic musicians in town as well as in remote longhouses. It was an eye-opening and thoroughly rewarding experience for the urban-bred students involved. We also documented songs from two communities with a vast repertoire of songs, the Kenyah of Sarawak and the Kadazandusun of Sabah. The instruments and repertoire were then introduced to schoolchildren and teachers through a series of workshops. This book represents the completion of the third stage of the project. It features songs documented from upriver Kenyah villages of Sarawak, such as Long Moh (Baram district) and Uma Sambop (Belaga district). With the collaboration of Anne, we also investigated songs from the Kadazandusun community in Sabah. Instrumental ensembles of three different communities in Sarawak, the Kenyah, Iban and Bidayuh were investigated. As the scope is very wide, only a few selected instruments will be described here. However, we hope to include repertoire from most of the villages we covered during our field trips in a video-CD planned for the next and final stage of this project. The project presents a significant step towards incorporating local traditions in music education in Malaysia. Participants in our workshops, including teachers and schoolchildren of different ethnicities in both rural and urban areas, enthusiastically Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia v learnt to sing and play the repertoire presented. Meanwhile, some of the communities whose music we were studying displayed a renewed interest in reviving dying traditions. The repertoire documented should interest music educators around the world. The Kenyah and Kadazandusun songs are useful to Kodály classes as they are mostly pentatonic, rhythmic and often accompanied by dance movements. In addition some feature two-part harmony. The instrumental ensembles present attractive alternatives to Orff instruments and common percussion instruments. It has been a privilege for us to work with so many talented singers and musicians and to be given the opportunity to share this rich repertoire with music educators and students in Malaysia and around the world. Chong Pek Lin Anne Anthony Lajinga Acknowledgements We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Kaong Ulu, Nanga Delok, Uma Sambop and Uma Badang who hosted our project-team’s stay and graciously shared their songs, dances and instrumental repertoire with us. We are also indebted to Ulau Lupa and Baun Bilung of Long Moh, and Helen Paya of Uma Sambop, for hosting Pek Lin’s stay on further trips during which they taught her other songs and patiently interpreted them. For the Kadazandusun songs, we are very grateful to RTM Sabah, Ambrose Mudi, Justin Lusah, Cosmas Chin, Madam Pa’ak Yodot and Madam Rose Tah Kodom for sharing their songs and knowledge of Kadazandusun music with us, and to the students and friends who helped with the translations. This project would not have been possible without the advice and support of ISME and the unstinting support of the director, colleagues and students of ITE Batu Lintang. We are also indebted to various colleagues for their input on cultural details pertaining to specific communities, and to Darren Chin Wen Min for editing the final draft. A special word of thanks to the team-members of BEMEC (Borneo ethnic music Club) who worked tirelessly as facilitators for the workshops, and to the ITE Batu Lintang choir for the hours of practice behind the many stage-performances of the songs. Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia vi Contents Topic Page Foreword from the Director, Institute of Teacher iii Education Batu Lintang Campus Foreword from the President, International Society iv for Music Education Preface v Contents vii Linguistic Map of Borneo ix Introduction to East Malaysia and the 1 communities featured in this book I Selected Instrumental Ensembles of Sarawak Kenyah Instrumental Ensemble 4 Sape: Description and examples of repertoire 5 Jatung Utang: Description and examples of 9 repertoire Lutong: Description 11 Bidayuh Peruncong Ensemble 13 Description and Traditional rhythms Iban Engkerumong Ensemble 17 Description and Traditional rhythms II Kenyah Songs: Introduction 20 Title of Song Source village / Singer pg. Scale/Mode Songs associated with instrumental repertoire 21 1 Chut Tunyang Long Moh 21 do-pentatonic 2 Det Diet Uma Sambop 23 do-pentatonic 3a Pui Ngeleput Belaga & Baram 24 so-pentatonic 3b Sai Ulai Long Moh 25 so-tetratonic Belian Dado’ (Kenyah Long-dance songs) 27 4 Ilun Kuai (traditional Long Moh 28 so-pentatonic harmony) 5 Kuai Maping Uma Sambop 31 do-pentatonic 6 Na’at ne telu Uma Sambop 33 do-pentatonic 7 Lane (Baram version) Widely sung in the Baram 34 do-pentatonic 8 Lane (Belaga version) Uma Sambop 36 do-pentatonic Introduction to Selected

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