Tale about the blend of Batak, Malay ethnic music

Tale about the blend of Batak, Malay ethnic music

By Apriadi Gunawan

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Thousands of people were attending the
Batak wedding ceremony at Wisma Nejer in Medan.

Highlighted by pop music group Sopo Nauli, the party turned
"chaotic" as the crowd danced to the melodious tunes. Some
danced, others hummed, all followed the rhythm of the music.

Lively and vibrant, the people became ecstatic when Solo Nauli
played such songs as Kuch Kuch Hota He, Poco-poco, Selayang
Pandang and Unang Tinngal Hon. Through a combination that blended
unique elements of traditional and modern music, the group gave a
splendid rendering of the songs. Though the music itself was
lively and melodious, the typical characteristics of Batak music
were still dominant.

Marsius Sihotang, 48, the leader of the group, said the blend
between the traditional and the modern was not unusual, and
commonly practiced by other Batak music groups. The purpose of
blending the two elements was to stave off boredom among music
lovers. "By so doing we can survive because many people like this
kind of music," Marsius said.

He said that such a blend, merely intended for amusement, was
not at all against the philosophy of Batak music and was never
construed as taboo. The Batak people call this mixture of
traditional and modern music Uning-uningan.

Generally speaking, Marsius said, all music in Batak society,
particularly when played by an ensemble, has the same concept and
purpose. Like Uning-uningan, both Gondang Hasapi and Gondang
Sabangunan are used for traditional and religious ceremonies, the
difference between the two only lying in the nature of the
ceremony; one involving a large crowd normally uses Gondang
Sabangunan while for smaller events it is Gondang Hasapi.

More often than not, Gondang is now intended solely for joyous
events such as wedding ceremonies, to enliven the atmosphere and
please the audience.

A surprising number of Batak people can play the instruments
used in making this music. These instruments include the small
serunai (a wind instrument with a reed), gerantung (a kind of
stringed instrument) and the traditional flute used in Uning-
uningan, and the instruments used in Gondang Sabangunan or
Gondang Hasapi, such as the taganing, big serunai and gong.

"They play the instruments by ear, without learning any
musical theory" Marsius said.

"The Batak people develop their musical talent out of a strong
desire. They practice a lot, never minding the errors at first,"
he said.

And, he said, there are a handful of people, particularly in
the Tarutung area, able to play musical instruments really well
because of their contact with Western culture during colonial
times.

As Muhammad Takri, a lecturer in ethnomusicology at the y
University of South Sumatra, put it: "Generally speaking, the
Malay and Batak ethnic music derives from the same cultural
origin and has undergone the same historical development as
well."

He added that cultural influences from Hinduism, Buddhism and
Islam were still dominant in these two ethnic groups, and this
all happened because the two cultures intermingled through trade,
religious missions and colonization.

Backing up Marsius' claim that most Batak people learn to play
music by ear, Muhammad pointed to himself as an example. "I play
these instruments naturally."

Though he never received a formal education in music, by the
age of 15 he was already skillful with the flute. As a shepherd
in Samosir and with very little schooling, he spent most of his
time playing his flute, eventually becoming a maestro. His
prowess propelled him to join the Dos Roha Opera, where he stayed
from 1969 to 1981. Unsatisfied with the meager income, he quit
and became a pedicab driver.

Out of sheer luck, in 1985 received an offer from the rector
of the University of South Sumatra to teach wind instruments in
the Department of Ethnomusicology. He jumped at the opportunity.

Since then he has been teaching at the university and has been
accorded the title of extraordinary lecturer. His skills, not
only with the flute but also with other instruments such as the
sarunai, taganing and grantung are impressive. His talent has
taken him around the world, including to Amsterdam, Japan, the
United States, Australia, Germany and Argentina.

Apart from playing musical instruments, the Batak people are
also known as gifted singers. Big names like Victor Hutabarat and
Charles Hutagalung testify to this acclaim. According to Marsius,
most Batak people pick up singing naturally.