Dayaks play 'senggayung' according to tradition<\/p>\n
By Erma S. Ranik<\/p>\n
PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Fruit harvest time is much
\nawaited by Dayak Jalai people. For the Dayak people living in the
\nbigger part of Jelai Hulu subdistrict in Ketapang regency, the
\nfruit harvest season is not only the time to enjoy the fruit, but
\nalso to play senggayung, one of their traditional and ritual
\nmusic genres.<\/p>\n
To Dayak Jalai people, music is not just a form of
\nentertainment. It also plays a very important role in their
\ntraditional rituals. The well-known Dayak Jalai music is Gamal
\n(gamelan or traditional orchestra) and kanjan). This music used
\nto be played during a traditional ritual of re-burial of deceased
\nparents. Gamal and Kanjan is played on gong and gamelan
\ninstruments.<\/p>\n
Unlike gamal and kanjan, senggayung played on a simpler
\ninstrument. To create senggayung is not very difficult. You just
\ngo to the forest and choose two pieces of fresh bamboo having
\nsufficiently long joints. One piece should be mature bamboo and
\nthe other younger.<\/p>\n
The length of each bamboo piece should be two joints. Half of
\na joint is removed from each piece and the two pieces are
\nmutually \"knocked\" to a regular rhythm. The senggayung music is
\nthere to be heard.<\/p>\n
Seemingly, this music is not very difficult to play, but it
\nis. The problem is that not every Dayak Jalai person is allowed
\nto play this music. There are traditional rules.<\/p>\n
The time to play senggayung music in Jalai tradition is the
\nfruit harvest season. All fruit trees planted in the garden and
\nin the pedahasan (traditional orchard) must yield fruit. If any
\ntree does not yield fruit, then senggayung may not be played.
\nIt's not surprising that senggayung music is only played once
\nevery three to five years.<\/p>\n
The prohibition to play Senggayung music at will stems from
\nthe legend of the birth of the music itself. Senggayung,
\naccording to Dayak Dalai legend, is not normal music but music
\nbelonging to the spirit.<\/p>\n
The local belief has it that people could play senggayung
\nafter a male spirit named Bujang Tengkuang fell in love with a
\nwoman named Sibunsu. This woman was then brought to the spiritual
\nrealm. In this spirit realm Sibunsu saw a great number of fruit
\ntrees. She also witnessed the spirits playing senggayung at
\nharvest time.<\/p>\n
Though already having two children, Sibunsu didn't feel at
\nhome there. She escaped back to earth together with her daughter,
\nbringing with her fruit seeds from the spirits' realm, which she
\nplanted.<\/p>\n
Years later, at harvest time, Sibunsu's daughter played
\nsenggayung. This activity was strictly prohibited. The result was
\nthat Sibunsu and the people of her village suffered from various
\nkinds of diseases. Out of mercy, the former husband of Sibunsu
\nasked his son to go down to earth to cure Sibunsu and the people
\nof her village. He also sent a message proclaiming that the
\npeople were permitted to play senggayung, provided they first
\nasked permission of the spirits who are owners of this music.<\/p>\n
Ritual<\/p>\n
It is not surprising that the playing of senggayung should be
\npreceded by a ritual. Here lies the role of a damung (head of
\ncustom). He must know whether all fruits in the pedahasan have
\nripened. If so, the damung will initiate the traditional ritual
\nas a sign for the consent of playing senggayung.<\/p>\n
According to Jinar, head of Jalai's Studio, senggayung should
\nbe played by three people. In the Jalai dialect the three persons
\nare called Anak Jaulaq, Pengait and Pindai. Anak Jaulaq plays the
\nmelody, Pengait bass, and Pindai drum, Jinar explained. Therefore
\nthe players must be capable of combining the knocks of their
\nsenggayung into a harmonious rhythm.<\/p>\n
The musical ritual of senggayung has specific kinds of rhythm.
\nAccording to Jinar there are 33 kinds. Therefore a senggayung
\nplayer can be considered expert if he can master all of the
\nrhythms. \"If such is achieved, many will come to learn\", said
\nJinar.<\/p>\n
Senggayung, in the eyes of Benjamin Eframin, an ethno-
\nmusician, has specific characteristics.<\/p>\n
\"The tone interval is half lost\", he explained. This loss,
\naccording to Benjamin, is found between the tone of la and sol.
\nThis, according to him, is not only found in senggayung music but
\nalso in almost all Dayak musical pieces.<\/p>\n
According to this ethno-musician who is a graduate of the
\nIndonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta, not all people can
\ncomprehend it, \"let alone if there are dozens of kinds of
\nrhythm\", he added. If not seriously interested in it, he says
\nnobody could master senggayung\". The same concern was also
\nexpressed by Jinar. \"Now only old people can master the whole
\nsenggayung rhythm\", he complained.<\/p>\n
Worried<\/p>\n
Therefore Jinar is somewhat worried that the coming Dayak
\nDalai generation will be fully unfamiliar with senggayung rhythm.
\nMoreover, with the introduction of VCD to villages, youngsters
\nprefer to sing karaoke to learning senggayung\", he complained.<\/p>\n
For Benjamin, the introduction of outer culture to Jalai
\npeople is unavoidable. \"But it can't be an excuse for being
\nreluctant to learn senggayung,\" he pointed out.<\/p>\n
He said the younger generation has been hindered from playing
\nsenggayung by the mechanism of the music itself. \"It is difficult
\nenough to teach the entire senggayung rhythm if the music is only
\nplayed during fruit harvest season,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But according to Bidau, a traditional damung from Tanjung,
\nthis rule is inflexible. \"If we don't follow the tradition, who
\nelse will do it?\" Badu asked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dayaks-play-senggayung-according-to-tradition-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}