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Sarawak Traditional Music Instrument: Sape

CONNIE LIM KEH NIE is a lecturer in the Music Program, Department of Performing Arts and Production Technology, Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

NARAWI HAJI RASHIDI is the Music Director and the Head of Heritage Resource Center in the Sarawak Cultural Village.

SAUFI AIMAN YAHYA is actively doing musical performances, especially the sape in public.

DBP (First Edition, 2020)
247 pages including Bibliography and Index

RM60.00

Out of stock

Sarawak Traditional Music Instrument: Sape analyze and disseminate information on the origins of the sape, its role in traditions, weddings, festivals, and daily life, as well as how a sape is made, playing techniques and finally the evolution of the sape until today. This book is filled with various photos of the sape making process, the design of traditional and contemporary sape, the motifs used, and the musical notation of the sape repertoire. This book also introduces the sape repertoire and the sape players and makers who have made their names globally and are locally well-known.

Sape is a plucked string instrument originating in Borneo and traditionally played by the Orang Ulu communities. The Orang Ulu (upriver people) consist of many tribes, especially the Kenyah, Kayan, Kelabit and Penan as well as others. Most of these them live in the interior, such as in the districts of Kapit, Bintulu, Miri, Limbang, Sarawak and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Currently, the sape is known all over the world and it is also used as a cultural icon to represent the state of Sarawak in Malaysia’s national tourism promotional media. Among the sape players who have successfully brought the sape to the international arena are the late Tusau Padan, Uchau Bilung, Mathew Ngav Jau, Jerry Kamit and Leslie Eli.

List of Photographs
List of Diagrams
List of Musical Transcriptions
Preface
Acknowledgement

CHAPTER 1: SAPE AS A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
The History of the Sape in the Oral Tradition
Historical Development of the Sape
The Anatomy of the Sape

CHAPTER 2: THE ROLE OF THE SAPE
Comforting the Soul and Strengthening the Spirit
The Custom and Tradition of the Sape
Taboos and Customs of the Kayan Tribe
The Role of the Sape
The Sape in Festivals
The Sape in the Kayan Festivals Today

CHAPTER 3: THE MAKING OF THE SAPE
The Wood Selection Process
The Equipment to Make Sape in the Traditional Way
The Wood Cutting Process
The Process of Making and Shaping Sape
The Process of Piercing the Sound Holes
The Process of Refining and Smoothening the Body
The Process of Drilling Holes for the Tuning Pegs
The Process of Making the Traditional Tuning Pegs
The Process of Drawing and Carving Motifs
Installing the Pitch Frets

CHAPTER 4: MOTIF AND DESIGN OF THE SAPE
Visual Symbol on the Sape
Traditional Colours

CHAPTER 5: SAPE TUNING METHOD
The Tuning of a Sape
The Placement of Frets on a Sape
Ways of Playing a Sape

CHAPTER 6: SAPE REPERTOIRE
Sape Anyi Selong
Chut Tuyang
Sape Leto
Londok
Sape Urau
Titiek Titiek Kenai Ujan
Det Diet Tapung Ulat Kitan
Dotun Julud
Leleng

CHAPTER 7: THE SAPE PLAYER IN SARAWAK
Tusau Padan (1933 — 1996)
Uchau Bilong (1938 — 2009)
Dungau Tegong (1945 — 2016)
Mathew Ngau Jau (1953)
Ukong Mering
Henry Anyie Ajeng
Davidson Chong @ Irsyad Akmal @ Boboy

CHAPTER 8: INNOVATION AND CONTINUANCE OF THE SAPE
Innovation in Sape Making
Contemporary Sape Maker
Contemporary Sape Player
Malaysian Traditional Orchestra and Sape
Chinese Traditional Ensemble and Sape
Sape and Globalization
The Sape Movement in 21st Century
Sentiment

Writer’s Biography
Bibliography
Index

Weight0.7 kg
Dimensions24.7 × 18.4 × 1.4 cm
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  1. Kawah Buku (store manager)

    “…offers a comprehensive view and explanation about this prominent musical instrument played among many groups in the Malaysia state of Sarawak, with commentary on the history and organology of the instrument, its role in Sarawak culture, its construction and design as well as musical transcriptions of some of the typical pieces played on the sape and the famous players, past and present, who played and still play this instrument. The vivid photos found throughout the Chapters provide excellent illustrations that supplement the commentary. This work is a major contribution to the ethnomusicology of Malaysia, and takes its place as a major work in the documentation of specific Sarawak music cultures that comprise the many ethnic groups that make up the country of Malaysia.” — Patricia Matusky, Graduate Studies Program, National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA)

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  2. Kawah Buku (store manager)

    “A great effort in introducing the traditional musical instruments of Sarawak which is the sape to the people in Malaysia. This book is easy to understand and itis comprehensive as a guide as well as a reference book to the fellow students, amateur player and professional in excelling the traditional music industry in Malaysia.” — Mohd. Yazid Zakaria, Conductor of Orchestra Traditional Malaysia, Istana Negara

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  3. Kawah Buku (store manager)

    “An informative book for the traditional sape player, contemporary sape player as well as sape lover.” — Jerry Kamit, Contemporary Sape Player

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  4. Kawah Buku (store manager)

    “Sape is a string musical instrument which is played by the Orang Ulu community especially the Kenyah, Kayan and Kelabit as well as other ethnic groups. The literature compilation of sape, sape repertoire which comes with the music transcription in western music notation is a great contribution in preserving and documenting the traditional music of Orang Ulu Comunity in Sarawak. It is hoped that this effort could be continued in sustaining the heritage of sape as well as to preserve the culture of Orang Ulu.” — Jane Lian Labang, General Manager, Sarawak Culture Village

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