KOTA KINABALU: Pensioner Sani Daud is at his happiest when he is playing his favourite musical instrument — a set of eight small gongs called kulintangan.
These are played together with larger gongs and produced fast-paced melodious tunes known as cerocop. And the tunes also accompany the traditional liliput dance of the Bisaya community largely found in the southwest Beaufort district.
The 70-year-old, who learned to play the kulintangan and gongs 60 years ago, is filled with a sense of satisfaction knowing that his love for the traditional music has been passed down to his children and grandchildren.
Play on: A group performing with their musical instruments at the Pesta Bergandang at the Tamu ground in Beaufort recently. As his five sons — Abdul Rajis, 43; Mohd Hasbullah, 42; Mazni, 37; Jamlin and Saripuddin, 30 — were growing up, he taught them to play the musical instruments and saw their skills bloomed. When his sons had their own families, they, too, taught their children.
And now, Sani and his family have formed their own traditional music group, calling themselves Lajau Bersatu.The group also includes his grandson Mohd Aznin and two of his nephews.
They most recently performed at the Pesta Bergandang in Beaufort town on Sunday. The event featuring some 40 traditional musical groups was launched by Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.
Having learnt to play the instruments, Sani said his grandchildren began incorporating kulintangan and gongs into modern music genres such as rock and ballads.
“It’s a bit odd to hear the gongs and kulintangan in the favourite music of my grandchildren but I am used to it by now,” said Sani.
He said the younger members of his extended family would regularly come and gather at his house at Kampung Lajau in Beaufort for jamming sessions, producing their unique fusion music.
“I am just glad they are playing the instruments so that there will always be someone in the family who will carry on the skills, so that the music will always be kept alive.”
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