Talempong is a traditional music of the
Minangkabau people of
Western Sumatra,
Indonesia. The talempong produce a static texture consisting of interlocking rhythms.
A talempong a small kettle
gong which gives its name to an ensemble of four or five talempong as well as other gongs and
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s. The term can refer to the instrument, the ensemble, or the genre of music. Talempong is in the form of a
circle with a
diameter of 15 to 17.5 centimeters, with a hollow hole at the bottom while at the top there is a roundabout with a diameter of five centimeters as a place to be hit. Talempong has a different tone. The sound is produced from a pair of wood hammered on its surface.
In 2019 and 2021, The Talempong Unggan and The Talempong Pakcik were recognized as
National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia by the
Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.
On December 15, 2021,
UNESCO officially recognized
Gamelan which includes a musical instrument of Talempong as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and encouraged the Indonesian people and the Indonesian government to safeguard, transmit, promote performances and to encourage the craftsmanship of the instruments.
Cultural contexts
Talempong is usually used to accompany dance or welcoming performances, such as the typical
Tari Piring,
Tari Pasambahan, Tari Alang, Tari Suntiang Pangulu and Tari Gelombang. Talempong is usually performed with an accordion accompaniment, a type of organ supported and played with the right hand played by the player. In addition to the accordion, instruments such as
saluang,
gandang, serunai and other traditional Minangkabau instruments are also commonly played with talempong.
Talempong can be used to play a wide variety of music traditional and modern. Talempong have been used in some experimental
gamelan pieces composed at
Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia Surakarta, which has West Sumatran instructors and students.
Outside Indonesia
In Malaysia, the talempong was brought to
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
,
Peninsular Malaysia, in the 14th century by
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
from nearby West Sumatra. Here, talempong is also known as ''caklempong''.
[Abd Samad Idris, 1970]
The ''caklempong'' is present in the different configurations of the ''
Nobat'', a ceremonial traditional orchestra that is among the
Regalia of Malaysia. Performances by the ''Nobat'' are limited to royal occasions, the ensemble playing an important role in the
Installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong The installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is a ceremony that formally marks the beginning of the reign of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Malaysian head of state.
Since 1957, the rite has been a part of Malaysian history, with 13 such ceremoni ...
.
Gallery
File: Talempong diatonis 2.jpg, Gong of Talempong
File: Musicians playing talempong pacik.jpg, Talempong Pacik
File: Talempong.jpg, Playing talempong
File: Talempong Pacik.jpg, Playing talempong pacik together
File:Playing Talempong Pacik.webm, Talempong Pacik for Ceremonial activity in West Sumatra
See also
*
Gamelan - gong chime music of
Java,
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
, southern
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
*
Kulintang - a single row kettle gong instrument of the southern
Philippines, northern
Borneo,
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
.
*
Bonang - kettle gong instrument of
JavaHistory of Caklempong
Sources
*Roth, A. R. ''New Compositions for Javanese Gamelan''. University of Durham, Doctoral Thesis, 1986
Notes
{{Minangkabau
Gong and chime music
Indonesian styles of music
Malaysian styles of music
Percussion ensembles
Gongs
Indonesian musical instruments
Malaysian musical instruments