JOURNAL / READ JOURNAL
Sounds of Khatulistiwa : Enchanting Traditional Musical Instruments Across the Archipelago
Not only is Indonesia well known for its diverse cuisine and beautiful destinations, it is also known for its unique array of traditional instruments that originated and played in different regions of the country. Indonesia is home to several various ethnic groups, each of which has its own unique charm. As Indonesian traditional regional music has powerful rhythms and harmonies, one such heritage is the obsession with traditional musical instruments used across the archipelago. Check out some of the country's most unique traditional musical instruments that have gained worldwide attention and are still growing.
Kolintang (North Sulawesi)
The Minahasa Tribe (a tribe in North Sulawesi Province) uses the wooden Kolintang as a common musical instrument. When struck, this instrument can make both high and low sounds that last for a good amount of time. Kolintang is manufactured from a wood kind that is very light but rather dense, and the wood fibers are organized such that they form parallel lines. The following wood species are used to manufacture Kolintang: Egg wood (Alstonia sp), Wenuang wood (Octomeles Sumatrana Miq), Cempaka wood (Elmerrillia Tsiampaca), and Waru wood (Hibiscus Tiliaceus). The Minahasa people's traditional practices and religious convictions are closely related to the use of kolintang. In conjunction with the worship of the ancestral spirits, the Minahasa tribe frequently uses this musical instrument in ritual rites. Indonesia's Ministry of Education and Culture designated the kolintang musical instrument as an intangible cultural asset of Indonesia in 2013.
Angklung (West Java)
The Sundanese people of West Java are noted for their bamboo musical instrument, known as the angklung. It is constructed of bamboo slats that have been strategically placed in order to make a distinctive and melodic sound when shaken or vibrated. Because one angklung symbolizes one musical scale, numerous individuals must play angklung in order to create a beautiful tone. Because of its distinctiveness and the beauty of its voice, angklung is loved not only by Indonesians but also by many international tourists. A large number of them traveled to Indonesia in an effort to learn how to play angklung instruments. It makes sense that angklung is now listed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.
Sasando (East Nusa Tenggara)
East Nusa Tenggara's (NTT) Rote Island is home to the stringed Sasando. Picking is used to play this instrument. The natives of Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), play an instrument known as the sasando or sasandu, which in Rote means vibrate or sound. Sasando is frequently performed at times of pleasure or sorrow. to soothe the grieving family and go along with the music, poetry, and traditional dances. The form of the sasando sets it apart from other stringed musical instruments. Sasando is primarily a long tube constructed of a unique type of bamboo. Attaching the strings and adjusting their tightness should be done at the bottom and top of the bamboo. A senda (buffer), where the strings are stretched, is typically provided in the center of the bamboo. A distinct sound is produced in each string by changing the scale with this senda. A braided palm leaf object known as a "haik" serves as the container for resonance. Sasando, a sculpture made of palm palms and leaves, perfectly captures the lush vegetation of Rote Island. Using both hands and selecting the acra in opposing directions, one plays sasando. While the left hand plays the melody or bass, the right hand performs the function of the accord. Today, development and preservation of the Sasando instrument continues.
Gamelan (Central Java)
The gamelan, also known as gamelang or gamelin, is an indigenous orchestra found on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. It is mostly made up of several types of gongs and other ensembles of tuned metal instruments that are played with mallets. The bonang's knobbed-center, kettle-shaped gongs are put flat, while other gongs are either hanging vertically or are flat-placed. The bonang, the xylophone (gambang kayu), and several metallophones are examples of percussion-melodic instruments. A set of tuned metal plates are suspended over a resonance trough or mounted on resonance tubes to create a metallophone. No two gamelans are tuned exactly the same; rather, each instrument is tuned to complement the ensemble for which it is meant, instead of to an outside standard of pitch.
The Minahasa Tribe (a tribe in North Sulawesi Province) uses the wooden Kolintang as a common musical instrument. When struck, this instrument can make both high and low sounds that last for a good amount of time. Kolintang is manufactured from a wood kind that is very light but rather dense, and the wood fibers are organized such that they form parallel lines. The following wood species are used to manufacture Kolintang: Egg wood (Alstonia sp), Wenuang wood (Octomeles Sumatrana Miq), Cempaka wood (Elmerrillia Tsiampaca), and Waru wood (Hibiscus Tiliaceus). The Minahasa people's traditional practices and religious convictions are closely related to the use of kolintang. In conjunction with the worship of the ancestral spirits, the Minahasa tribe frequently uses this musical instrument in ritual rites. Indonesia's Ministry of Education and Culture designated the kolintang musical instrument as an intangible cultural asset of Indonesia in 2013.
Angklung (West Java)
The Sundanese people of West Java are noted for their bamboo musical instrument, known as the angklung. It is constructed of bamboo slats that have been strategically placed in order to make a distinctive and melodic sound when shaken or vibrated. Because one angklung symbolizes one musical scale, numerous individuals must play angklung in order to create a beautiful tone. Because of its distinctiveness and the beauty of its voice, angklung is loved not only by Indonesians but also by many international tourists. A large number of them traveled to Indonesia in an effort to learn how to play angklung instruments. It makes sense that angklung is now listed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.
Sasando (East Nusa Tenggara)
East Nusa Tenggara's (NTT) Rote Island is home to the stringed Sasando. Picking is used to play this instrument. The natives of Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), play an instrument known as the sasando or sasandu, which in Rote means vibrate or sound. Sasando is frequently performed at times of pleasure or sorrow. to soothe the grieving family and go along with the music, poetry, and traditional dances. The form of the sasando sets it apart from other stringed musical instruments. Sasando is primarily a long tube constructed of a unique type of bamboo. Attaching the strings and adjusting their tightness should be done at the bottom and top of the bamboo. A senda (buffer), where the strings are stretched, is typically provided in the center of the bamboo. A distinct sound is produced in each string by changing the scale with this senda. A braided palm leaf object known as a "haik" serves as the container for resonance. Sasando, a sculpture made of palm palms and leaves, perfectly captures the lush vegetation of Rote Island. Using both hands and selecting the acra in opposing directions, one plays sasando. While the left hand plays the melody or bass, the right hand performs the function of the accord. Today, development and preservation of the Sasando instrument continues.
Gamelan (Central Java)
The gamelan, also known as gamelang or gamelin, is an indigenous orchestra found on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. It is mostly made up of several types of gongs and other ensembles of tuned metal instruments that are played with mallets. The bonang's knobbed-center, kettle-shaped gongs are put flat, while other gongs are either hanging vertically or are flat-placed. The bonang, the xylophone (gambang kayu), and several metallophones are examples of percussion-melodic instruments. A set of tuned metal plates are suspended over a resonance trough or mounted on resonance tubes to create a metallophone. No two gamelans are tuned exactly the same; rather, each instrument is tuned to complement the ensemble for which it is meant, instead of to an outside standard of pitch.