Florence keeps family’s Sape tradition alive
MIRI: Florence Devong Terence, 21, carries a musical legacy in her heart, one that resonates with the soulful strings of the Sape. It’s not just an instrument to her; it’s a treasured heirloom of the Kayan community and a bridge to her cherished childhood memories. As a young girl, Florence’s eyes would light up watching […]
Asian Games Museum in China to put sape, other Malaysian crafts on display
KUCHING: Sape or sampe, the traditional lute of the Orang Ulu community of Sarawak, has been chosen to be featured at the Asian Games Museum in Hangzhou, China, among other cultural crafts from Malaysia. Proton Edar Sdn Bhd (Proton) deputy director of Marketing and Network Support Steven Zhou Qi said the national automotive company is […]
The intricate art of making Sape
Sape is easily the most recognisable musical instrument of Sarawak and it is often associated with the sounds of the rainforest. Sape luthier Ezra Tekola reveals the process of making the lute, which he describes as challenging, but also therapeutic. Keeping tradition alive The distinct sounds of the sape are all too familiar to Sarawakians. […]
My sape journey and its lessons
MY journey of learning how to play the sape, the ubiquitous traditional stringed lute of Borneo, is a metaphor in the search for one’s roots. Like the leaves of the trees, which will never go far but will eventually fall to the ground at the base of the tree where the roots are, you […]
A new twist to the sape
In Sarawak, the sape is a traditional instrument of the Kenyah, Kayan, Kelabit, Penan and other ethnic tribes of the Orang Ulu community. According to legend, the sape came about through a dream of a Kenyah man, who went into the forest to look for medicinal herbs for his sick wife after several shamans failed […]
Sape artiste bags award
KUCHING: The Covid-19 pandemic may have stopped us from travelling around the world, but it certainly didn’t stop sape artiste Alena Murang from bagging an award from Argentina recently. The 31-year-old of Kelabit and English-Italian parentage won an award for the ‘Best Styling’ category at the Buenos Aires Music Video Festival for her ‘Midang Midang’ […]
Uniting via a ‘sape’ event
By Nurhauni Lee Abdullah SIBU: ‘The Art of Sape’ (TAOS) is back for its third edition at Sibu Heritage Centre (SHC), Jalan Wong Nai Siong-Jalan Central. Organised by Kelab Sape Dayak Sibu (KSDS), this year’s event themed ‘With Sape, We Unite’ would run from 9am to 5pm on Dec 21. According to KSDS chairman, Anthony […]
Highlighting the importance of cultural heritage
Alena is no stranger to me. I first saw her as a little teenager performing in song and music at a home party in Kuching with other proteges of Sarawak‘s most renowned sape player, Matthew Ngau Jau. In the olden days, only the men played the sape but the taboo was already being broken then. […]
Taos 3.0 to take place on Dec 21
SIBU: Kelab Sape Dayak Sibu (KSDS) will host The Art of Sape (Taos) 3.0 on December 21 at the Sibu Heritage Centre (SHC), Central/Wong Nai Siong Road from 9am to 5pm. Its chairman Anthony Abong said Taos 3.0, previously known as the Sape Show and Exhibition, has entered its third edition this year. “Last year, […]
