KENINGAU: The strains of a seldom heard traditional musical instrument captivated the crowds who turned up for Sabah’s month-long Kaamatan or Harvest Festival.
They listened transfixed as 130 secondary students played the bungkau or a bamboo jaw harp producing sounds similar to the indigenous Australians’ didgeridoo.
These students of SMK Gunsanad II played the instrument for an hour during yesterday’s launch of the festival.
Talented kids: Students of SMK Gunsanad II playing the bungkau during the launch of the Kaamatan festival yesterday. They are hoping their musical feat will make it into the Malaysia Book of Records.
Spectators at the Keningau community centre where the festivities were held were also treated to the beatings of the tanggungak, a bamboo musical instrument that produces sounds similar to gongs.
The performers were 130 members of the Murut community, who played their “Angkukui” song.
The Kaamatan Festival this year also took on a special note as traditional priestesses and elders from four ethnic communities in Keningau – Murut, Kadazandusun, Kwijau and Gana – performed the magavau or “appeasing the padi spirit” ceremony.
Among those who witnessed the ceremony was Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan who launched the festivities.
Pairin read out the speech of Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.
In his speech, Musa said Kaamatan was no longer restricted to Sabah but was now a national celebration.
Musa also said the celebrations was evidence of the Government’s commitment in ensuring the development of all Sabah’s ethnic communities.
(Source : The Star, Sunday 2 May, 2010)
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