Orang Ulu Kelabit – Music/ Traditional Musical Instruments

According to eBario (2010),

A traditional musical instrument is the sape’, a plucked lute instrument. It is carved from tree trunk in an elongated rectangular shape with a homogenous neck extending from one end of the body. Formerly, its three or four strings were made from finely split rattan, but today they are made of wire strings.

The Kelabit also play the pagang (tube zither), which is made from a length of bamboo tube closed at both ends by its natural bamboo nodes. The strings are finely cut strips from the surface of the bamboo tube itself, which are still attached to the tube at either end.

Kelabit bamboo tube zither. Retrieved from http://www.alamy.com/THUMBS/6/%7B0EDBBF9A-0108-4CFA-AAF3-25166B0FE503%7D/BGFA5Y.JPG

On special occasion such as Iraus or during visits by VIPs (Very Important Persons), the school children will form a bamboo band where all the musical instruments that are played are made from bamboo.

Performance by Kelabit tribe -Alena Murang – Sape Musical Instrument

Performance of songs and dance by the Kelabit ladies.

Kelabit long dance

Reference List:

farshad parsa. (2013, March 8). Performance by Kelabit Tribe of Borneo – Alena Murang – Sape Musical Instrument [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-5tZCC4KOk

calmaritima. (2013, January 6). Kelabit Highlands – Bario, Borneo, Malaysia. GoPro Full HD [1080] [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FpYJAm0e7w

Jane Ngo. (2008, May 13). Ramudu & Long Seridan maidens – Long Dance [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40XSYfP4R4

AfriPics. A Kelabit woman plays a traditional stringed bamboo instrument in the Bario Asal longhouse in Bario in Sarawak in Borneo [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.alamy.com/THUMBS/6/%7B0EDBBF9A-0108-4CFA-AAF3-25166B0FE503%7D/BGFA5Y.JPG

Orang Ulu – Kelabit

Information taken from Marudi’s Fort Hose (Baram District’s Museum)

The Kelabit inhabit the interior of mountain valleys on the upper reaches of the Baram river known as the Bario Highlands.

Bario Highlands. Retrieved from http://www.maswings.com.my/sarawak.html

The population of the Kelabit was estimated to be 5,059 with 18 longhouses in 1987. Today, most of the young and educated Kelabit have moved out of the highlands to work in the larger towns in Sarawak. The Kelabit live in an open-system longhouses where the community live with mutual help and harmony.

The Highland Kelabit are mainly wet padi planters, who produce the famous “Bario Rice”.

Bario wet paddy field. Retrieved from http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh223/wag6174/Bario-100.jpg

They also rear buffaloes and cattle for sale. In the traditional Kelabit social organisations, the nobles are known as Paran while the middle group are called Pupu or Upaupa. The third strata of social hierarchy are the auak lun ian oda ‘commoners’.

The Kelabit of the highlands also process salt from the natural licks which they used as a barter item in the past.

Kelabit Highlands Bario Salt 200G. Retrieved from http://www.borneonativestore.com/image/cache/data/Bario%20Salt_2-600×600.jpg

Salt making is only carried out during the non-farming season. Today, salt making for commerce has lost its importance.

The Kelabit are skilled in carvings on bamboo, wood and stone and ivory.

Kelabit ancient ceremonial ground found in 2005 in Ramudu, Sarawak. Kelabit people carve the stone to mark their important site for festive as well as their burial ground. Retrieved from http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qVfRW4_wNBc/SycQhabJjJI/AAAAAAAAAN4/Z1NCVv1nrdY/s400/Megalith+Part+I.jpg

They also make their own parangs and work utensils.

Kelabit parangs. Retrieved from http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15979&stc=1

Kelabit ladies are adept at bead work.

Kelabit art beadwork. Retrieved from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RjMpPjYOrLE/UHYiRbBP6VI/AAAAAAAAAs0/SPCZ5Cr5rWc/s1600/orang+ulu+craft.jpg

With the advent of Christianity, most of the ritualistic dances are no longer practised. However, traditional songs are still commonly sing by both men and women. Sekunuhor story telling is still a common oral tradition today.

The most unique aspect of Kelabit Culture are related to those of megalithic practices, greetings and the naming ceremony.

Video above: Megalithic and dragon jar cemetary visit, Long Peluan, Kelabit Highlands.

Video above: Name-changing irau or irau mekaa ngadan in Kelabit.

 

With the Kelabit Ladies. Picture by Alyssa Chin.

For more information, do read Land of FriendlyKelabits by Harlina Samson, TheStar Online.

Reference list:

MASwings. (2007). Bario [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.maswings.com.my/sarawak.html

Kalang, A. (2008). Paddy field [Image]. Anderson’s Picturific.  Retrieved from http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh223/wag6174/Bario-100.jpg

Borneo Native Store. Kelabit Highlands Bario Salt 200G [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.borneonativestore.com/image/cache/data/Bario%20Salt_2-600×600.jpg

Hadi, A. H. (2009).  Kelabit stone carving [Image]. acrossplanet. Retrieved from http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qVfRW4_wNBc/SycQhabJjJI/AAAAAAAAAN4/Z1NCVv1nrdY/s400/Megalith+Part+I.jpg

Ethnographic Arms & Armour Forum. (2006). Kelabit Parang [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15979&stc=1

Sarawak Tourism Board. (2012). Kelabit lady string beads [Image]. Retrieved from http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RjMpPjYOrLE/UHYiRbBP6VI/AAAAAAAAAs0/SPCZ5Cr5rWc/s1600/orang+ulu+craft.jpg

Kelabit. Retrieved from http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/nonChina/Malaysia/Kelabit.pdf

Monica Janowski. (2011, January 4). Name-changing irau 22 Dec 09, Kelabit Highlands [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbYuJ4ZVTI

Monica Janowski. (2011, January 4). Megalithic and dragon jar cemetery visit, Long Peluan, Kelabit HIghlands [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHmOfttfr-A

The Orang Ulu Tribe of Sarawak

Sarawak, one of the states in Malaysia, is a land of many races living in harmony with each despite the differences in culture, languages, food and many more.

The map of Sarawak. Retrieved from http://wkangelol.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html.

According to Journey Malaysia,

The orang ulu are made up of a few tribes namely the Kenyah, Kayan, Klemantan, Kelabit, the Lun Bawang, Penan as well as a few minor tribes in the interior. Orang Ulu, means the “up-river dwellers” mainly living in Central Borneo, which accounts for 5.5% of the population.

However, among these tribes, the three major tribes are the Kenyah, Kayan and Kelabit. A detail explanation on these tribes will be explain in the future posts.

Reference list:

Journey Malaysia. (2013). The Orang Ulu – Sarawak. Retrieved from http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MCUL_orangulu.htm