TAGUNGGAK , SUNDATANG DAN TONGKUNGON

TAGUNGGAK

Taggunggak is a set of traditional musical instrument made from large bamboo culms.  It was called tagunggak (or bamboo gongs) amongst the Murut, togunggak amongst the Dusun/Kadazan or ‘togunggu’ in Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia.    One set comprises from six (togunggu’) to thirty (tagunggak) pieces, depending on the ethnic group. The music resembles that of the set of gongs of the particular group, with each idiophone tuned according to the corresponding gong part it plays. The Tagunggak is played by a group of musician to accompany dancing or processions at the ethnic group festival occasions.  

Sundatang

Pengenalan

Diperbuat dari kayu bernama tembailing atau kayu nangka. Ia mempunyai dua atau tiga tali loyang diperbuat dari akar polon.

Fungsi

Di Tambunan ianya dimainkan untuk mengiring tarian sundatang magarang. Ianya dimainkan juga untuk hiburan persendirian dimainkan secara solo tanpa diiringi oleh suara.

Cara Bermain

Ia dimainkan dengan memetik tali loyang dan nada tali-talinya dibetulkan dengan memutarkan skru kayu telinga di atas alat ini.

The Sundatang is originally a 2 stringed instrument crafted from a solid block of wood and it is used for ceremonial celebration by the ethnic people of Sabah in East Malaysia. This instrument is a close cousin of the Sape of Sarawak and the Kutiyapi of the Pilipino people. I redesigned it to be 3 stringed instrument with frets and proper bridge, holding the strings in tune with good and sustained acoustic sound qualities. 

Tongkungon

TONGKUNGON

Bamboo really is a grass, the biggest grass in the world – technically speaking it belongs to the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Some of its members are giants, forming by far the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos are defined as plants that have segmented, typically hollow, woody stems that sprout from underground rhizomes. Bamboos flower at intervals of up to 10 years, after which the plant may die. 

Bamboos grow mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and South America. There are around 91 genera and more than 1000 species of bamboos known in the world, and the Forestry Research Centre in Sepilok has recorded a total of 36 species for Sabah.

The bamboo species in Borneo have been in the region long enough to be indigenous, although some species may have been imported from other countries over the past three thousand years, such as Gigantochloa balui. However, proper evidence is lacking.

The local people in Borneo have made wide usage of bamboos, a very versatile, as well as abundant and fast growing source of food, medicine, building material, and raw material for all sorts of daily implements, from cooking containers to ceremonial knives.

Local Bamboo Names
Some of the bamboos found in Sabah, with their local names: K = Kadazan (Penampang area); D = Dusun (generic if no area defined); R = Rungus; M = Murut

Uga’ding (K); Rugading (D)
Schizostachyum brachycladum

This is “Yellow Bamboo”, mostly found around and in cemeteries, and nowadays in landscaping. Its culm is a bright light yellow with attractive green striations, giving it a very elegant look. I have found that in Tambunan people make suki (cups) during weddings for serving rice wine. Unfortunately the suki do not last, the bamboo curls and splits when drying up, and its colour becomes an uninteresting grey-brown.

Poing (K); Poring (D)
Gigantochloa levis, 15 to 30 meters high, culm diameter up to 20 cm   

Called ‘poring’ in most Dusun isoglots, this is the biggest and strongest bamboo in Sabah; it is used in buildings, from temporary stilts (in pondok), to permanent flooring and walling (Kadazan Penampang usage) and even roof tiling (Tamparuli). Instruments are made from poing, such as the tongkungon (zither / chordophone) and the togunggu’ (an idiophone, known as tagunggak amongst the Murut and togunggak amongst the Dusun), and many more daily implements – there are no limits to its usage. The shoots (sokok) are collected as food.

This bamboo has a particularity: it is not attacked by any bore-worm, and even in the open deteriorates very slowly. Floors and walls, as well as other implements made from this particular bamboo might last, without further treatment, up to thirty years.  
Tamahang (K); Tamalang (D); Rugading Tamalang Silou (D – the yellow variant)
Bambusa vulagris, up to 15 meters high, culm diameter up to 6 cm

Usually to be found along rivers, tamahang can be confused with poing, but it is smaller and its sokok (shoots) is very bitter. Tamahang is used in the constructions of fences that will last about three to six months.

Note: there are certain times when this bamboo (and also other species) cannot be cut: if cut before full moon, bore-worms attack the wood and lay their eggs. The hatching larvae will quickly deteriorate the bamboo. If cut after the full moon (after the bore-worms have laid their eggs), the bamboo lasts longer. 

Bahui (K); Balui (D Moyog); Malui (D); Rugading Balui (D – if yellow)
Gigantochloa balui, 15 to 18 meters high, culm diameter up to 10 cm, thick wall

A green, sometimes yellow, thick-walled bamboo with no particular usage, but may be used to make a straw to drink tapai (siopon), and a sharp knife/spear to kill pigs. Can be confused with rugading but its walls are much thicker.

Humbising (K); Sumbiling (D)
Schizostachyum lima, up to 12 meters

A thin bamboo that is also referred to as ‘sumbiling’. The Kadazan and Dusun used to make a certain type of ‘knife’ to kill pigs, and a sumbiling spear kills better than others because of natural poisons in the bamboo; it can be used to make instruments such as the sompoton (an aerophone), the turali (‘nose-flute’, an aerophone) and the suling (an end-blown flute). It may also be used to make straws to drink tapai (siopon).

Wulu (K); Tulu (D); Rugading Tulu (D – if yellow)
Schizostachyum brachycladum, up to 13 meters high, culm diameter up to 6cm

A bamboo that an untrained eye easily confuses with poring or even rugading in its yellow form but it is much lighter. Often used as a ‘cooking pot’ for glutinous rice, to make water containers and baskets.

Tombotuon / Tombutuong (D)
Schiyostachzum blumei, up to 5 meters high, culm 2 cm

Bamboo with spiny branches, and middle branches can branch again; seldom used but finds its application as a ‘straw’ to drink rice wine. It can be confused with sumbiling and tulu rugading but tombotuon has thicker walls.

Wadan (D)
Dinochloa trichogona – Borneo climbing/scrambling bamboo; D scabrida; D sublaevigata

Sap (wadan) is used as an eye drop; no further information (27/03/07).

Tongkungon (D)
Bambusa blumeana, up to 22 meters high, culm diameter up to 20 cm

Famous for its shoots, which are sweeter than those of poring. As the name indicates, this bamboo is used to make the tongkungon, a bamboo zither and also the tagunggak (the bamboo gongs), two types of indigenous instruments. However, poring (Gigantochloa levis), which is more readily available is also used.