Saluang Darek

From Sri Hastanto's Collection

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Bagurau is one of the most attractive performing arts in West Sumatra. It is a kind of vocal music accompanied by a single instrument, the Saluang Darek, performed on any occasion and used for many purposes, especially for fund raising. The singer (s) will compose the texts of his or her song immediately according to requirement from one of the audience.

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Reasons for selection

Saluang Darek is an instrument like a flute but without a reed or anything to produce sound. It is merely a bamboo tube about 90 cm in length with several holes in its side to produce pitches. The musicians produce the sound by blowing the edge of the tube. This kind of flute is very popular in West Sumatra for many different genres of performing arts. The most popular one is in genre of Bagurau.

Area where performed

West Sumatra

Essential elements of the performing art

Music

Detailed explanation

Saluang is a wind instrument similar to a flute made of bamboo. This instrument is very popular in West Sumatra. Unlike an ordinary flute that has a reed or special part of one edge that can produce the sound, Saluang does not have this kind of part. It is merely a bamboo tube, about 3 cm in diameter and 90 cm long. The musicians produce the sound by blowing one edge from an angle so the wind from the musician's mouth will hit the other edge of the bamboo. There are several tone holes that produce tuning system similar to diatonic system. Darek means inland, so that Saluang Darek is Saluang that derives from inland area.

This instrument is often used in Bagurau, one of the most popular performing arts that involves all people, the artists as well as the audience. Bagurau is merely song performance accompanied by the Saluang Darek that is called Dendang. The melody of the song and Saluang are tied precisely. One of the audience may ask the singer to describe or announce a certain subject by paying the committee who holds the performance. The singer then composes the required subject immediately in a poetic form and it is sung. When another person in the audience feels that the song is addressed to him or her, he will spontaneously ask the singer to answer the first person by paying more than what had been paid by the former. Although the Dendang is used for discussions or a quarrel between one of the audience to another, there is never any physical fighting.

When the discussion through the Dendang becomes hotter and hotter, the money pours very fast. That is why this kind of performing art is often used for fund raising. The artists that consist of one or two singers and one Saluang player will be paid according to their agreement with the committee who holds the performance.

Publication and textual documentation

N/A

Audio documentation

very limited (for example purposes only)

Visual documentation

very limited (for example purposes only)

Institution/organisation involved in preservation and promotion

1. Directorate for the Arts, Directorate General for Culture, Department of National Education.
2. Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia (Indonesia Collage of the Arts)Padang Panjang West Sumatra.

Data provider

Dr. Sri Hastanto
Director for the Arts
Directorate for the Arts, Directorate General for Culture, Department of National Education
Address: Gedung E Lantai-9 Komplek Depdikbud, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia