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ALAT MUZIK SOMPOTON
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Introduction and history
Sompoton is one of the unique and famous traditional musical instruments among the Kadazan-Dusun ethnic group in Sabah. It belongs to the aerophone category, which produces sound by blowing air. Sompoton is similar to the Bagpipe musical instrument, but in a form and way of playing that suits the local tradition. It is made of bamboo and gourd, which is the main resonator to produce a special harmonic sound.
Based on local history, the origin of Sompoton is believed to come from Tikolod Village in Tambunan district and its residents are said to have special skills in producing this musical instrument. However, this traditional musical instrument is now getting more and more attention among traditional musicians and can be found anywhere, especially in the west coast areas of Sabah.
The Sompoton structure consists of 8 Sumbililing sticks (small bamboo), of which 4 sticks refer to the 'Long Raft' with three different length sizes, and the other 4 are 'Short Raft', which have the same size. These long rafts and short rafts are arranged around the Kurobu (dried water gourd). Each reed is pierced with holes to control tone, and one of them serves as the main air channel. Air is blown in through the mouth into a water gourd that is dried and then channelled to the small reeds to produce sound. The sound produced by Sompoton is melodious with a rhythm that is often associated with festive atmosphere, religious rituals, and social events.
Traditionally, Sompoton is played during traditional ceremonies and celebrations, such as harvest festival celebrations, which are crucial in Kadazan-Dusun culture. This musical instrument not only serves as entertainment but also as a symbol of respect for the universe and the spirits of their ancestors. Although its use is synonymous with traditional ceremonies, Sompoton is now increasingly finding a place in modern and contemporary music performances to promote Sabah's traditional musical heritage.
The Sompoton basically functions as the main musical instrument in various traditional ceremonies and traditional celebrations, especially during the celebration of the Kaamatan festival, which is an annual festival of the Kadazan-Dusun ethnic group to celebrate the harvest season. In this context, Sompoton plays the role of fueling a happy and festive atmosphere, as well as providing musical accompaniment to traditional dances and performances. Now, Sompoton is also used in contemporary art performances with various modern music genres, such as jazz and fusion, which makes it relevant in today's music world.
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1. Sumbiling (Bamboo Stem)
Sompoton has 8 bamboo sticks. They are divided into two rafts: long rafts (three types of different length sizes) and short rafts (the same length size). Each bamboo stick is pierced to produce different tones and sounds and become an air-blowing chamber.
2. Korobu (dried water gourd)
The contents of the water gourd will be removed until the inside is empty and the skin is dried. This Kurobu serves as a wind chamber when the musician inhales or exhales air through the mouth cavity.
3. Rattan (finely shredded)
Used to tie the bamboo raft.
4. Polod (palm tree bark)
It is used for the buoy that is attached to the edge of the bottom part of a bamboo raft to be combined with the water gourd.
5. Sopilut (wax/bee glue)
Used as a connector and adhesive sticker so that the bamboo sticks to the water gourds.
1. Usually, the musician holds the Sompoton in a vertical position and the bamboo pipes will point towards the right.
2. The fingers of the left hand will press or hold the hole at the end of the raft pipe that is plugged into the pumpkin. Three fingers, namely the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger from the right hand, will be used to cover the shorter bamboo hole to regulate the tone produced.
3. The bamboo pipes will be labeled according to the tone called Sodi, which follows the position on the raft or the finger that plays it.
4. The long raft consists of four pipes: the two longest equal-length pipes are known as Lombohon, which is a low-pitched deep sound; the second short pipe is known as Monongkol, which is the support pole; and the third short pipe is known as Suruk, which is in the back of Sompoton's neck.
5. Meanwhile, the short raft (same length), which is behind the right side of the long raft, will be pressed or held using the three right fingers: Baranat (ring finger), Randawi (middle/ghost finger), and Tutuduk (index finger).
6. After that, the Korobu (dried water gourd) will be blown as it functions as a wind chamber when the musician inhales and exhales air through his mouth cavity.
7. Thus, this combination of blowing and finger pressure will produce the desired sound according to the song the musician plays.
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Reference Source
Dainal, E. (2020). Binaan Modul Pengajaran-Pembelajaran Sompoton Sandad (Alat Muzik Tradisional Masyarakat Kadazandusun, Sabah). Jurnal Kinabalu. https://doi.org/10.51200/ejk.v0i0.1124
Hamdan, S., Rahman, M. R., Said, K. a. M., Abidin, A. S. Z., & Musib, A. F. (2022). Sompoton: Sabah bamboo mouth organ. BioResources, 17(3), 5335–5348. https://doi.org/10.15376/biores.17.3.5335-5348
Pugh-Kitingan, J. (2017). Sources, sounds and meanings of Turali (Noseflute) music in Dusunic cultures of Sabah. Malaysian Journal of Music, 6(2), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.37134/mjm.vol6.2.1.2017
Pugh-Kitingan, J. (2012). Kadazan Dusun. Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia.
Location
State JKKN Contact Information
Puan Nurshahrinna Syahrial
Cultural Officer
Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Sabah
Kompleks JKKN Sabah,
Jalan Tasik off KM4 Jalan Penampang,
88200 Kota Kinabalu
SABAH
088-205070
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