Madeeh, is a name which means relative or brotherhood. The band’s name came about as all of the band members are related and from the same longhouse, Annah Ra’ih. It’s made up of 6 males and 1 female. Though they have been playing together for a long time, the band was only formed in May, 2009.
Pratuokng, as a lead instrument, is played by 4 people, 2 players on the Gaduok (percussion), and 1 playing the Sritakng (xylophone).
Abas "Nyamba Takar" Ringap - Pratuokng, Sritakng aka Grandmaster
Arthur Borman "Bai Kas" Kanying - Pratuokng aka Band Leader
Artwell Felix "Art" Edmund Jawa - Pratuokng aka Audio Technician
Sylvester "Rhambo" Pogue - Pratuokng aka Instrument Engineer
Gardon "Sama' Mary" Piah - Sabakng aka Master of Melody and Percussion I
Pola "Puak" Nan - Gaduok aka Master of Percussion II
Cynthia "Sinn" Neng - Sritakng aka Music Theory Consultant
Abas Ringap, born 1933, is regarded as the mentor for the survival of the traditional instruments. He is capable in playing, making and teaching all of the 3 types of instrument. His knowledge about plant species in the forest makes him a wise man in choosing the right species of bamboo, wood and rattan to be used for making the instruments. As his story tells, he started learning and playing the instruments since he was about 12 years old.
Bidayuh terms: Pratuokng = Bamboo tube zither
Sritakng = Xylophone
Sabakng = Mother drum
Gaduok = Baby drum
Pratuokng is a zither instrument made entirely from the body of a bamboo tube. The bamboo, called Patukng, is a species of bamboo that grows mainly in the highland or mountain area. It is considered the best species for making the instrument as it is a material of such tensile strength, big size, longer nodes in between, and the right thickness, chosen mainly from the midsection of the plant.
Traditionally, it has 5 strings that run parallel on its tubular sound box. Each string are made by splitting out a thin strip of bamboo from the tube surface, leaving it attached at both ends, and inserting a bridge-stick at each end to lift the string from the surface. Slide-able bridges are also inserted beneath the strings to produce a scale. On the side of the instrument, a piece of long, wide (6cm-7cm) and thin layer of the bamboo tube surface is strip out, leaving the inner layer still attached. The inner layer is then cut out, still leaving it attached at both ends, and inserting a bridge-stick at each end to lift the wide inner strip. Once the 5cm-6cm wide strip is being bridge-lifted, it creates a thin and long hole, mainly for the resonance. The wide inner strip is made as the bass and played either by tapping/slapping, while the strings are played by striking and plucking.
As there is no written history about the instrument, the older generation orally explain that it has always been around for a very long time, since bamboo grows in abundance around the longhouse. It was created and played as a pastime and entertainment, though at first, the making was quite crude. Gradually, it was refined and became an instrument to play traditional music to accompany traditional dances and folksongs, especially during ceremonies and festivals such as the Harvest Festival (Gawai). As it is considered a lead instrument, it can be played solo and when playing in an ensemble, few players would be playing the Pratuokng, accompanied by other players with other instruments, such as Gaduok (percussion) and Sritakng (xylophone).
The upper Padawan region is situated about 65km from Sarawak’s state capital, Kuching. The surrounding region consists of many villages and longhouses, mainly lived by the Bidayuh ethnic group. Annah Ra’ih longhouse is one of the longhouses that still retain the traditional music, dance and folksong.
Pratuokng, as a lead instrument, is played by 4 people, 2 players on the Gaduok (percussion), and 1 playing the Sritakng (xylophone).
Abas "Nyamba Takar" Ringap - Pratuokng, Sritakng aka Grandmaster
Arthur Borman "Bai Kas" Kanying - Pratuokng aka Band Leader
Artwell Felix "Art" Edmund Jawa - Pratuokng aka Audio Technician
Sylvester "Rhambo" Pogue - Pratuokng aka Instrument Engineer
Gardon "Sama' Mary" Piah - Sabakng aka Master of Melody and Percussion I
Pola "Puak" Nan - Gaduok aka Master of Percussion II
Cynthia "Sinn" Neng - Sritakng aka Music Theory Consultant
Abas Ringap, born 1933, is regarded as the mentor for the survival of the traditional instruments. He is capable in playing, making and teaching all of the 3 types of instrument. His knowledge about plant species in the forest makes him a wise man in choosing the right species of bamboo, wood and rattan to be used for making the instruments. As his story tells, he started learning and playing the instruments since he was about 12 years old.
Bidayuh terms: Pratuokng = Bamboo tube zither
Sritakng = Xylophone
Sabakng = Mother drum
Gaduok = Baby drum
Pratuokng is a zither instrument made entirely from the body of a bamboo tube. The bamboo, called Patukng, is a species of bamboo that grows mainly in the highland or mountain area. It is considered the best species for making the instrument as it is a material of such tensile strength, big size, longer nodes in between, and the right thickness, chosen mainly from the midsection of the plant.
Traditionally, it has 5 strings that run parallel on its tubular sound box. Each string are made by splitting out a thin strip of bamboo from the tube surface, leaving it attached at both ends, and inserting a bridge-stick at each end to lift the string from the surface. Slide-able bridges are also inserted beneath the strings to produce a scale. On the side of the instrument, a piece of long, wide (6cm-7cm) and thin layer of the bamboo tube surface is strip out, leaving the inner layer still attached. The inner layer is then cut out, still leaving it attached at both ends, and inserting a bridge-stick at each end to lift the wide inner strip. Once the 5cm-6cm wide strip is being bridge-lifted, it creates a thin and long hole, mainly for the resonance. The wide inner strip is made as the bass and played either by tapping/slapping, while the strings are played by striking and plucking.
As there is no written history about the instrument, the older generation orally explain that it has always been around for a very long time, since bamboo grows in abundance around the longhouse. It was created and played as a pastime and entertainment, though at first, the making was quite crude. Gradually, it was refined and became an instrument to play traditional music to accompany traditional dances and folksongs, especially during ceremonies and festivals such as the Harvest Festival (Gawai). As it is considered a lead instrument, it can be played solo and when playing in an ensemble, few players would be playing the Pratuokng, accompanied by other players with other instruments, such as Gaduok (percussion) and Sritakng (xylophone).
The upper Padawan region is situated about 65km from Sarawak’s state capital, Kuching. The surrounding region consists of many villages and longhouses, mainly lived by the Bidayuh ethnic group. Annah Ra’ih longhouse is one of the longhouses that still retain the traditional music, dance and folksong.