Gabbang
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The Gabbang is a traditional xylophone with eight wooden keys. This beautiful instrument, a product of the Kadazandusun community of Kg. Bitoon Nunuk Ragang, Ranau, is carved from pakudita wood. The Gabbang is often part of a musical ensemble played during festivities such as weddings and the Harvest Festival of Sabah. |
Sompoton
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Sompoton is perhaps one of the better known instruments of Sabah. Traditionally
from Kampung Tikolod, Tambunan, it is now prevalent among the Kadazandusun and
Murut people. The
Sompoton is constructed from a dried gourd and eight bamboo pipes arranged in a
double-layered raft. A small lamella of polod palm (like a tiny bungkau or jaw's
harp) is inserted in the side of each sounding pipe near its based. The pipes are
fitted into a hole on one side of the gourd and sealed with bees wax. The lamellae lie inside the gourd and provide the sound of the completed instrument. The pipes are bound with thin strands of rattan. By blowing or sucking gourd's mouth, the player can produce a soft sweet harmonious sound. It can be played as a solo instrument or in groups to accompany dancing. |
 
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Buy Sompoton here.
Gong
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The Gong is undoubtedly the backbone of most traditional musical ensembles in Borneo. The unmistakable boom of the Gong is often heard resounding in the air during festivities, namely the Harvest Festival, weddings, birthdays, thanksgiving celebrations and welcomming celebrations. The number of instruments played together varies from community to community. During Gong beating session, one or two drums are also played to accentuate the main rhythms and accompanied by the lighter melodies of the kulintangan (smaller gong). |
In Sabah, Gongs are usually made locally by the Rungus community who reside in Kudat. These Gongs have a shallow rim and small boss. Such Gongs are made from galvanised iron sheets and skillfully knocked and shaped into the desired shaped. In the village of Sumangkap, Matunggong, it is a skill passed down from generation to generation. Gongs are found in all parts of the state and are highly valued. They are also used as bridewealth and during animistic religious ceremonies.
Drums
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Tongkungon
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The Tongkungon is a tube zither made entirely of large poring bamboo. A whole
section of bamboo is taken and four to eight strips of the skin carefully
undercut along the length of the bamboo between the nodes to form the string.
Small pieces of cane or wood are placed under the strings at each end to alter their lengths and pitches. The names of the strings and the sound intervals between their pitches correspond to the Gongs in the ensembles of their respective communities. People often play the Tongkungon alone for personal relaxation or entertainment. It is also used to accompany dancing and is popular among the Kadazandusun community of Sabah. |
Kiromboi
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Kiromboi are a hand held percussive instrument of the Bidayuh people of western Sarawak, in Borneo. They are made from two giant snail shells that are attached to the ends of a split bamboo stick so they lightly touch each other. A small stick is passed quickly between the snail shells so they rattle against each other producing a sound remarkably similar to that of the local frogs. This instrument is used to call rain when planting the rice paddies, as well as to call frogs after a large rainfall. Although not used anymore, they can occasionally still be found in some Bidayuh longhouses. |
Kulintangan
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Kulintangan is frequently included amongst coastal gong ensembles though it is also found
amongst interior natives like the Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazans and the Paitanic peoples
(both from the eastern Sabah) who have come into contract with the coastal natives.
These idiophones produce predominantly ritual Music: The Tatana Dusun of Kuala Penyu (Southwestern Sabah) employ kulintangan music, and sumayau (sumazau) dancing, as well as unaccompanied by ritual chanting in Moginum rites to welcome the spirits. The Lotud-Dusun of Tuaran (west coast of Sabah) use gong ensembles in the slow sedate mongigol dance for the seven-day Rumaha rites which honour the spirits of sacred skulls and the five-day Mangahau rites which honour possessed jars. TOGUNGGAK (Interior Dusuns) TOGUNGGU (Penampang Kadazan dusun) & TAGUNGGAK (Muruts). In older times before gongs were traded into Sabah, the togunggak was used to accompany dancing and in procession. It was and still is made of bamboo, which flourishes in most parts of Sabah. Bamboo is a great source of raw materials for Sabah’s musical instruments. The togunggak consists of a series of hollowed out bamboo tubes of varying sizes of the gongs. The music produced is a hollow and rhythmic tung, tung, tung sound of different pitches in each of the different sizes. The togunggak is played by a troupe of a dozen or so people in lieu of the gong ensemble. |
Jinggong
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The jinggong is the jaw harp of the Bidayuh people of Borneo. Originally used for courting, these instruments almost totally disappeared with only one instrument remaining in Sarawak in 1996. Fortunately a maker was still alive, and six new jinggong were commissioned, and given to the community, local museum and international collector (http://www.asza.com/r3hm.shtml). |
Ruding
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Ruding are jaw harps of the upriver peoples of Northern Borneo. The Kenyah and Kayan ruding are made from either palm stock or brass. These ruding are now extremely rare, as they are very thin and fragile and are no longer made. Ruding were used as a personal instrument and in some longhouses for courtship. |
Keluri, Keledi or Enkulurai
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The keluri or keledi, and the enkulurai are extremely rare bamboo free-reed mouth organs found in
northwestern Borneo. These instruments bear a remarkable resemblance to the hulusheng, but contain
6 pipes instead of five and the pipes do not pierce the bottom of the gourd.
The keluri or keledi is played by the Orang Ulu or 'upriver people' of the interior of Borneo, and the enkulurai is played by the Iban people who live in the lowlands close to the coast. Both these instruments are made with a made a gourd wind chamber from which extend six bamboo pipes containing a bamboo or occasionally metal free-reed. The only difference in the construction is that the longest pipe on the Iban instruments is twice the length of the Orang Ulu keluri. Some Iban instruments reach over 6 feet in length, while the average instrument is only two feet in length. Keluri were traditionally played for 'long dances' that were associated with the rituals around headhunting, but with the disappearance of headhunting in the region, these instruments are now seldom played or made. There are still a few elder players able to perform, but their music will likely disappear within a decade. |
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Bungkau or bungkao
 
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The bungkau is the jaw harp of the Kadazan and Dusun people of Northern Sabah, Malaysia, located
on the northeast coast of the island of Borneo. The bungkau is carved from polod palm stem,
and it is either shaved or peeled to obtain a two toned design. Often bungkau are fine
tuned with a piece of insect wax. Many bungkau have a bamboo tube as a container.
It is small and is held between the teeth. Its central lamella vibrates when the end of the instrument is hit. The sound is then resonated by the mouth to produce a wide spectrum of sounds. Bungkau can be heard quite often at festivals in Sabah (or in farewell and battle songs), and can be purchased at small traditional handicraft stores in Kota Kinabalu. |
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Sape The most typical of Sarawak musical instruments, the sape, pronounced "sa-peh", is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu community or "upriver people" of central Borneo. It is traditionally used by the Kenyahs, Kayans and Kelabit tribes. Carved from a bole of white wood which repels insects, the sape is a masterpiece of woodcarving. The carver, usually a musician, hollows out the body of the sape with similar tools used in boat-building to a length of about over a metre, and approximately 40cm wide. Initially, the guitar-like instrument measured less than a metre, and had only two rattan strings and three frets. Today, however, it is common to find sapes with three, four or even five strings. The strings - slender wires used in fishing rods - are held by movable wood frets, and are tightened or loosened with wooden pegs. The sape was once played solely during healing ceremonies within the rumah panjang (longhouses), but gradually became a social instrument that is used as a form of entertainment. The colourful jungle motifs that adorn the body of the sape mark this change in purpose. The music of sape is thematic, more often than not inspired by dreams. There are specific compositions for specific ceremonies and situations (marriages, births, harvest times, rain etc) which often differ from one sub-ethnic group to another. The traditional pieces, which have many variations, are usually passed down through the generations. Typically, the sape is played while sitting cross-legged on the floor, and is used to accompany dances; one for the men's longhouse dance, the other for the women's. Examples include the Ngajat (warriors dance) and Datun Julud. When played for a dance, two sapes tuned to different registers (low and high) are usually used. And though the sape is a solo instrument, it is occasionally supported by other musical instruments such as the jatung ulang (wooden xylophone) and keluai (mouth organ). |
 
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Selengut
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 The Selengut is a nose flute used by the Kayan (indigeneous peoples) of Sarawak. Nose flutes in Sarawak were traditionally played by both men and women, as part of the courtship process, and also at funerals to appease the spirits of those that have passed. This instrument is thicker and shorter than neighbouring Kejamin instruments, but has the same sweet sound, and is capable of two octaves. Also known as Selingup, Selingut, or Keringut. See also Kadazan Dusuns Turali (Nose Flute) |
Lutong
 The lutong is a tube zither of the Kenyah and Kayan people of Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is a quiet instrument used by women to accompany singing, and occasionally to lead a longdance. It is made from a section of bamboo with the strings pulled up from the peel, stretched taut by small sticks, and held in place by a braided piece of rattan at either end. There are usually only four strings that extend the length of the tube. |
Gerudeng
 The gerudeng is the jaw harp of the Iban people of Sarawak, Malaysia, located in the northwest of the island of Borneo, and of Kalimantan, the Indonesian province the takes up two thirds of the island of Borneo. Gerudeng are no longer played in Sarawak, and it is unlikely that they are actively played in Kalimantan. Most gerudeng are made from palm stalk, but one aluminum example was found. Gerudeng are tension harps, activated by sharp tugs on the string, and the only tension harps found on the island of Borneo. Gerudeng were courting instruments, but as most Iban have been converted to Christianity, all the traditional courting rituals have been eradicated. |
Suling
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Sundatang
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Turali
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References/links:
www.asza.com
www.sabahtravelguide.com