Gondang Batak, One of the world's rarest Musical Instruments

Gondang Batak - We Love Batak

Indonesia - One of the exciting agenda in the event of Lake Toba Festival ( FDT ) in 2013 in Samosir regency , North Sumatra , Lake Toba 's World Drum Festival . The festival is held in the Beta Hill , Tuktuk Siadong Village , District Ambarita , Samosir regency , which is coordinated Rizaldi Siagian.

The participants of these activities not only domestically , but also from abroad . Participants in the country of which the musicians drum pargonsi or melody that is in the region of Lake Toba ; Belek drum of Lombok ; Kuntulan of Banyuwangi ; Dol from Bengkulu , West Sumatra Gandang Tasa ; Balawan of Bali , and Made Wiyanta of Bali .

Participants from abroad of which Saingwaing of Myanmar ; Badema of Africa ; Taiko from Japan, Michael of Dalas America ; Jamal and Bridge Ensemble , and Poolvalur Sriji .
Rizaldi Siagian on the sidelines of the activities mentioned , studying ethnomusicology in the expression of a tradition of musical culture is engineering and construction play a musical instrument in presenting function or produce a musical .

He said , in the tradition of playing a drum , the instrument generally serves as an accompaniment melody or song being played by other instruments or vocals through various forms and rhythmic patterns are created . However , there is also a drum whose function is to play the melody ( bring the song ) in a musical composition . This is called the drum as the drum chime ( drum carrier melody ). " According to the experts , so far this type of drum tradition only in three places , one in Uganda ( East Africa ) with the name entenga , while two more are in Southeast Asia , namely in Myanmar with hsaing Waing name , and in Indonesia , exactly in the middle of the Batak people who live on the banks of Lake Toba , "said Rizaldi.

Interestingly , further Rizaldi , in the region of Lake Toba and the many variants of each are maintained by five sub - ethnic Batak ( Toba , Simelungun , Pakpak / Dairi , Karo , and Mandailing ). Drum chime contained in Toba called taganing ; in Simelungun called gondrang sipitu - pitu ; Pakpak / Dairi called Si siba merkata drums ; ovaries in Karo called drum and drum children , and in Mandailing called Gordang sideline and Gordang five.

He revealed , in the history of the tradition , the drums chime in East Africa have experienced extinction , and according to The New Grove Dictionary Music and Musician , new revitalized in 1993 ago . In Batak land , especially in the latter half of the twentieth century , the existence of taganing once regarded as " unlawful tradition " so as not to appear acceptable to the church , while the sideline in Mandailing Gordang tradition had disappeared from public activity because it is considered " unclean" as well.

Tradition Gordang five , because its function for ceremonies related to the original beliefs and spiritual leader status ( which is often accused of quack ) , when it is not used anymore by Mandailing community.

On the basis of the uniqueness and importance of this tradition , said Rizaldi , in the context of contemporary life and the phenomenon of globalization , the idea to organize the Lake Toba 's World Drum Festival makes sense and is highly feasible in the region of Lake Toba.

In this way the expected program of cultural tourism development in the Lake Toba region could also become an important contribution to the preservation of world heritage drum tradition that plays the melody .
" We hope in the future of the Lake Toba region could be a ' home ' for the traditions of the drum world , as well as a place to share experiences maestro musical culture that is very important in the context of globalization, " please Rizald.

source: kompas.com