Tiger Tales

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A…

...traditional musician

Mathew Ngau Jau, a traditional Orang Ulu musician and performer from Sarawak, has a chat with Steve Thomas

PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE THOMAS

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO AS A TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN?
My group is Lan E’ Tuyang (meaning “true friend” in a local dialect). We perform our Orang Ulu (Upriver People) music along with traditional dances at festivals and shows around the world.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A MUSICIAN?
I come from a small Orang Ulu longhouse on the Baram River in the interior of Sarawak. Every longhouse has a sape (a stringed instrument from the lute family), so we all grew up playing them. There was no formal training. We just decided to introduce our traditional music to others around the world.

WHAT DO YOUR PERFORMANCES INVOLVE?
For the most part, we perform in pairs, although at times we can have four people playing music together. Usually that means we play a sape and a bass, and at times we use traditional bamboo xylophones. We dress in our native warrior costumes, and I often perform the “warrior dance”, which was used long ago when our warriors returned from successful forays.

HOW UNIQUE ARE YOU AS A PERFORMER IN SARAWAK?
In Sarawak there are many different native tribes. Even the Orang Ulu are made up of many distinct tribes, all with their own traditions and music. There are many groups of performers, maybe even one from every village. We are a fairly new group, but have been lucky enough to be able to travel with our music.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CULTURAL ELEMENT?
The main reason we perform is to showcase our unique culture, not only to people around the world, but also to our own young people. We actively teach our music in the longhouses, to help preserve our traditions.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
We’re lucky to be able to tour the world. In Europe and elsewhere, the response is great. People have never heard anything like it. When I dress up and we perform, I feel proud to be representing our people and showcasing our culture.

Lan E’ Tuyang performs in July at the Rainforest World Music festival in Kuching. www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com