Location: Curug Cibareubeuy, West Java
Sound: Celempung varation
The rhythmic foundation of a thriving movement of
revitalized Sundanese bamboo music in West Java, the celempung is an instrument
that nearly defies classification. A hollow bamboo tube with two to three
differently pitched “strings” of the bamboo’s skin raised off of one side using
small bridges, the instrument is played as both a zither, by hitting the
strings with a simple stick called tarengteng, and as a drum, by hitting one
end of the tube with the hand.
It’s fascinating
to pick apart the multiple rhythmic roles the celempung simultaneously plays –
the two higher pitched strings play a rhythmic pattern mimicking the ketuk of
Sundanese gamelan, while the lower bass string is played less frequently,
mimicking the role and sound of a gong. The construction is worth noting –
while the two higher strings make a short, dry sound, the lower string has a
sustained boom enabled by an ingenious addition – a bamboo flap attached to the
string, under which is a small hole in the body of the celempung. When the
string is hit, the flap vibrates as well, and this sound/energy is transmitted
through the length of the tube through the small hole, allowing for an
impressively loud resonance.
By tapping the open end of the instrument, the resonance
of the bass note can be controlled in something of a “wah-wah” effect. In
addition to being used to manipulate the sound of the bass string, the open end
of the instrument is hit in an improvisatory rhythmic style seemingly
influenced by the Sundanese kendang drum.
In this sample of typical Sundanese musical ingenuity,
the instrument maker Pak Rosid has modified his celempung with a novel addition
- three more lengths of bamboo, with one end of each covered with the rubber
from a motorbike tire’s inner tube.
With this modification, coupled with a simple shaker made
of wood and clashing metal disks, Pak Rosid is able to extend the sound of the
celempung to something like a one man band – wordlessly humming and singing
traditional Sundanese melodies along with his celempung, he singlehandedly
sketches the sound of a full ensemble.
Note: In doing research for this post, I was able to find
practically no information on Sundanese celempung on the internet (there is an
identically named Javanese zither, which makes things even harder), so the
details here are based largely off my own observations and intuition. If any
real experts have any more substantial information on the history,
construction, and music of celempung, or any corrections, please let me know…
Context: About an hour’s walk into the jungle near Ciater
(a rural area north of Bandung), curious hikers cross a small stream to come
upon a mysterious sight: a well-maintained complex of irrigated gardens and
sturdy bamboo and wooden huts nestled in the surrounding greenery. If the
hikers are lucky, they might meet the man who singlehandedly built it all: Pak
Rosid, a small, grinning, delight of a man who spends much of his days at this
site as caretaker and spiritual guardian of Curug Cibareubeuy, the thundering
waterfall nearby.
After doling out hot drinks made from palm sugar tapped
from the trees overhead, Pak Rosid will often invite you to sit down for a
welcoming performance: bringing out his large celempung, he sits down and
humbly shares a Sundanese tune or two. On a recent hike to Pak Rosid’s camp, I
was lucky enough to talk with him and record his simple, endearing music.
Making his intentions clear, Pak Rosid explained that he
was not a professional nor did he really consider himself a musician – he
merely played music for guests to break the awkwardness of first meetings and
to cheer up hikers after a muddy slog through the forest. Nonetheless, the
ingenuity of his homemade instrument and his candid, endearing personality made
his simple, barebones performance something to be treasured.
No comments:
Post a Comment