BIDAYUH “AGUNG ESSEMBLES”
BIDAYUH “AGUNG ESSEMBLES”
- Sarawak Bidayuh Musical Instruments
Bidayuh ethnics are one of the indigenous groups found in Sarawak. The name "Bidayuh" means 'inhabitants of land'. Originally from the western part of Borneo, the collective name Land Dayak was first used during the period of Rajah James Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak.
They constitute one of the main indigenous groups in Sarawak & West Kalimantan and live in towns and villages around Kuching and Samarahan in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, while in West Kalimantan they are mainly concentrated in the northern Sanggau Regency. In Sarawak, most of Bidayuh population are found within 40 km of the geographical area known as Greater Kuching, within the Kuching and Samarahan division. They are the second largest Dayak ethnic group in Sarawak after the Iban.
Bidayuh ethnic are also have their own unique musical instruments. It’s musical heritage consisting of various types of agung ensembles - ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended or held, bossed/knobbed gongs which act as drone without any accompanying melodic instrument.
A complete set of Bidayuh’s musical instrument would consists of brass gongs (oguong, kitaak, canang, and kirutang) and a pair of tom-tom called pidabat. The full set is rarely played except on big festivals like the annual Gawai Sowa. Even when welcoming important visitors like ministers, they very rarely play full set. There are two reasons for this—it is difficult to assemble a complete set as not likely any individual owns one, and no visitor is as great as the rice spirit to render him the complete set.
In a complete set, there would be two oguongs, two kitaaks, two canangs, a kirutang, and two pidabats. All except pidabat are brass gongs. Oguongs, kitaaks, and canangs are hung from cross-beams of the Gawai House, a hall specially built for gawai festivals. Oguong is the widest of the gongs, and always played in pairs. Only one man is required to strike these two gongs. He strikes one after the other with a stick. The end of the stick is wrapped round and round with soft materials like rubber or cloth. This is partly to make the sound more agreeable and partly to protect the gongs from direct hit.
Kitaak is another big gong with a much deeper sound. Like oguong, kitaak is played in pairs but require two men to strike them. The sound produced could be heard from miles away. So in the old days, a kitaak is also used to relay messages as well as to call for assemblies just as bells do today. To call for men to assemble, a kitaak would be a dozen times better than a bell. Its note is being changed by grasping and releasing its boss with the left hand while the right hand makes four to six quick beats with a stick.
Then there are the smaller gongs, the pair of canangs. Only one man is required to strike the pair which are held in place by hanging them quite firmly. Unlike oguong and kitaak, canangs are struck with a bare ended stick one after the other. These smaller gongs produced very high notes. Kirutang is the smallest of the Bidayuh gongs. When played, it is not hung but placed on the floor and struck with a bare ended piece of stick too.
The music starts with the kirutang followed by the two canangs five to ten seconds later. Due to its much smaller size, the sound of kirutang, though high pitch, is drowned by its bigger sisters. A pidabat is a tom-tom made from a hollow log with both ends covered tightly with goat’s or deer’s skin, securely fasten with rattans. Asaid, a pair is needed—each beaten by a man.
hey sit cross-legged opposite to each other with the pidabats upon their knees. One end of each pidabat is struck with a small stick held in the right hand. The other end is struck with the wrist and open palm of their left.
Up to this days, these musical instrument are still played every time there is a ceremony conducted within. These musical instrument is the pride of every Bidayuh community and to the people of Sarawak on which is known for its multi-racial and religious tolerances.
