ORANG UlU musician Peter Paris wants to revive the Lun Bawang tradition of playing the Tapi, a long-forgotten musical instrument of the community.
According to Peter, two years ago, former Sarawak Lun Bawang Association (PLBS) president, the late Meechang Tuei, had reminded him of this musical instrument belonging to their tribe after watching Peter play the Sape, a traditional Kayan-Kenyah string instrument.
Meechang had also shared with Peter photos of the Tapi from a book he wrote on the cultures and traditions of the Lun Bawang.
“I still remember what Meechang told me — that we Lun Bawangs have our own musical instrument called Tapi. So from that day on, I tried to look for this instrument,” Peter recalled.
Rediscovery journey
It was the start of a rediscover the Tapi journey for Peter, who aims to reintroduce and revive the instrument with the motto, “Ide te latin, ide te terayen (who else can we rely on if not our own tribe).”
“For many years, I have been playing the Sape, which has been adopted as the Sarawakian lute. I never realised my tribe has its own lute until a Lun Bawang asked why I was playing the Sape and not the Tapi,” he said.
Peter still remembers how his heart was racing as he made his way to Miri to have a look at the Tapi for the first time.
Peter with the traditional Lun Bawang string instrument.
“The owner, a Sape master, was happy to lend the Tapi to me. I then began to learn about the instrument from the Lun Bawang elders,” he said, recalling the time he was first handed the two-string instrument by his Kelabit friend Hezekiah Asim.
“I still remember his words — this Tapi has now returned to its real owner,” Peter added.
In 2018, he travelled to his late mother’s village, Long Midang in Kalimantan, Indonesia, to take a look at the family lute.
“I remember it was all black from being hung near the kitchen stove but I managed to restore it.
“I have been using that Tapi to perform ever since. As it’s my grandfather’s legacy, I consider it my mission to preserve the instrument,” Peter said.
Two states, one kin
According to him, Lun Bawang refers to his tribe in Sarawak while Lundayeh refers to their fellow tribes in Sabah, Brunei, and Kalimantan.
The origin, language, cultures, and customs are the same. So the Tapi can be said to be a musical instrument of the Lun Bawang or the Lundayeh tribe.
Peter described the Tapi as a Lun Bawang-Lundayeh two-string lute with a wooden body about four feet long and three inches wide.
While pointing out that there is a difference between the Tapi in Sarawak and East Kalimantan, he also noted the existence of two Tapi masterpieces — one each in the two regions.
“This does indicate that the search for the original Tapi is complete and the journey to reintroduce and revive the instrument goes on.”
Anatomy of a Tapi.
Peter said he and his cousin Feridi Dawat, who he considers his protégé, will continue to preserve the Tapi by doing research, besides talking to Lun Bawang elders, to learn more about the instrument.
“We’re blessed to still have uncles who know about the instrument. Their explanations are enlightening and their hopes of reviving the Tapi have lifted my spirit to keep up the effort. They’ve even given us their blessings to produce more Tapi tunes.”
A Tapi by Sigar Padan, marked with the name of the instrument, to avoid confusing it with the Sape.
Based on their research, Peter and Feridi have started to produce their own Tapi, hoping to share them with traditional music lovers through sales and demonstrations on special occasions.
Peter has also started delving deeper into Tapi rhythms and melodies.
At a Sape community gathering in Kuching in 2018, he was introduced to Unimas music lecturer Dr Connie Lim, who has researched traditional Lun Bawang musical instruments and she shared the results, including that of the Tapi with Peter.
With the help of a fellow musician Samuel Maja, Peter explored Tapi rhythms and melodies recorded in Dr Lim’s research.
“With Samuel’s creativity, we were able to produce our first Tapi tune titled ‘Menenggang (Hornbills)’,” he added.
First public appearance
Peter’s first public Tapi performance was with the Keep Green Movement (KGM) band in conjunction with the Kuching Waterfront Night Live 2018.
Peter (left) performs with Feridi who plays the Pek Bu, a Lun Bawang bamboo zither.
That year, he also played the Tapi alongside his Sape sifu Eugene Padan Kuek, in the World Harvest Music Festival at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching — his first on a world stage.
The revival journey did not end there as Peter took every opportunity to showcase the Tapi in line with his life-long mission.
“My first performance on the Tapi outside Kuching was at the Miri Sape Movement Sunset Concert.
“In early 2019, I managed to showcase the Tapi outside Sarawak when invited to play both Tapi and Sape at Sukau Lodge in Sandakan, Sabah,” he said.
Peter is determined to revive the long-forgotten musical instrument of the Lun Bawang.
Peter’s dream to introduce the traditional sound of the Tapi, especially to the Lun Bawang and Lundayeh communities in Lawas, the birthplace of the instrument, came true last year.
At that time, he was invited to perform at the Mountain Melody event in Long Semadoh by his cousin Jerry Sigar.
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so I took a flight to Miri, then a ride on a four-wheel-drive vehicle to Long Semadoh in Lawas in response to the call to reintroduce and revive the Tapi,” he related.
During his trip to Long Semadoh, Peter was spotted by Sabah Lundayeh Cultural Association president Datuk Pengiran Lalung, who invited him over to perform at their event in Sipitang, Sabah.
Then in June 2019, for the first time, the Tapi was showcased on the main stage of Irau Aco Lun Bawang Sarawak. Highlighted during the cultural night event, the instrument was played as background music throughout the festival.
Peter (left) with Sigar Padan, an elder and Tapi maker from Long Tuma, Lawas.
“What made it more special was I wasn’t alone on the main stage but accompanied by a troupe of traditional Lun Bawang dancers, led by my cousin Serlin Sakai,” Peter said.
“Hezekiah’s stage appearance with me was also an important moment. He’s the one who supported me from the very start to reintroduce and revive the Tapi.
“Our performance that night was a big boost for the Tapi among the Lun Bawang. Hopefully, it doesn’t end here but signifies the start of the struggle to bring the Tapi to the world.”
Peter hopes to see the Tapi making a comeback alongside other traditional musical instruments.
“My dream is that many will own, study and play the Tapi to ensure the instrument’s continuity. I believe if the late Meechang were still around, he would make sure this hope and dream are fulfilled. That’s the main motivation. Thank you, guru (teacher) Meechang. Salute,” he said.
On his upcoming album, Peter said it is a culmination of his work to reintroduce and revive the instrument, featuring traditional Lun Bawang and Lundayeh tunes, original compositions, and other traditional instruments.
“It’s the story of my reunion with the two-string lute of my own tribe and family,” he added.