{"id":4371,"date":"2014-07-13T22:42:51","date_gmt":"2014-07-13T14:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/?p=4371"},"modified":"2022-04-28T22:23:22","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T14:23:22","slug":"sabah-gong-making-kg-sumangkap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mysabah.com\/wordpress\/sabah-gong-making-kg-sumangkap\/","title":{"rendered":"Gong of Sabah and Gong Making in Kg. Sumangkap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gong is the most important idiophone in traditional music of Sabah indigenous people<\/strong> and found throughout Sabah state. Gong is usually made of brass or bronze, it produces muffled sounds of a deep tone, when its thick and broad rim was hit by a stick. As the backbone of most music ensembles, gong is played in almost every social event in Sabah.<\/p>\n

\"Kadazan
\nPic: Kadazan Papar girls playing gong in Harvest Festival<\/p>\n

When Sabahans want to dance, they beat the gong. When they want to celebrate wedding, they beat the gong. When someone dies, they also beat the gong. Gong is also played in other occasions such as animistic religion ceremonies, festivals and welcoming guests.<\/p>\n

\"Keep
\nGong is more than a musical instrument in old days without phones. Besides showing happiness and sadness, gong was also a communication tool to send signals to other villagers up to 5 miles away<\/strong>. The listeners can tell from the rhythm that if it’s a good or bad news. Slow rhythm means an invitation for having a drink. Fast rhythm indicates danger. When someone is dying the beats start slowly at first increase in speed and then on death resume a slow beat.<\/p>\n

\"Rungus
\nPic: Rungus boys beating gong in longhouse<\/p>\n

In the past, gong is highly valued and owning gong is a sign of wealth.<\/strong> Villagers would exchange livestock for a gong and gong is one of the common items in dowry. Gong is valued by its age and tone. People that time can recognise the unique sound from individual gong and even tell if a gong has flaw. Therefore, stealing of gong is rare, because owner (and other villagers) will locate his gong once the thief beats it.<\/p>\n

\"Dusun
\nPic: Dusun Tindal people from Kota Belud playing gong<\/p>\n

\"Murut
\nPic: Murut playing gong to welcome guests<\/p>\n

Gong is widely used by Kadazandusun, Murut and Bajau people in their traditional music.<\/strong> Each ethnic group has its own distinct musical forms such as the number of gong used, styles, tempos and tunings, and in combinations of other instruments such as drums to accentuate the main rhythms. A set of 5 to 12 gong is being played in most cases, sometimes it can go up to 36 gong.<\/p>\n

\"Sulu
\nPic: Sulu Sandakan dancing on the gong<\/p>\n

\"Land
\nPic: Use of gong in Betitik<\/em> music of Bajau<\/p>\n

\"VVIP
\nPic: Beating gong 1 or 7 times is a common way to launch an event by VVIP<\/p>\n

\"gong
\nPic: gong as a symbol of Kadazandusun culture on building of KDCA<\/a> Penampang<\/p>\n

“If you can’t sing, you can beat a gong.” – John H. Alman<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"layout
\nPic: structure of gong ensemble of Murut Timugon community (Source: Jacquline Pugh-Kitingan)<\/p>\n

There are many types of gongs, but in general gong can be divided into three main groups<\/strong>, namely, tawak<\/em>, chanang<\/em>, togung<\/em>. Some gongs have interesting motif on it. Individual gong also has a name which denotes its sound or rhythm it plays. These musical names vary in different tribes.<\/p>\n

\"Chanang
\nPic: Chanang Kimanis<\/em> gong, note it has two bosses<\/p>\n

You may play the following video to listen to the sound of gong:
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