‘Neither too difficult nor too easy’

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Aaron has gained numerous awards and recognitions for his talent and skills in the traditional art of sape-playing.

To play a sape, however, one must have strong spirit and deep interest as learning this art and all its technicalities requires lots of patience, says Kenyah artist

IT is never too young or too old to pursue one’s passion or dream, as demonstrated clearly by Aaron Alan Robert.

At age 20 now, this Kenyah lad from Long Moh Lepo’ Jegan Ka Daya in Telang Usan District in Baram has already garnered numerous awards and recognitions for his sape-playing, making him amongst the prominent members of the Orang Ulu community today.

The youth said he was first amazed by the sape upon hearing the soothing melodies that it produced.

“Sape is a traditional heritage of the Orang Ulu community, specifically the Kenyahs, which needs to be passed down to the younger generation so that it would never go extinct.

“The onus continues to be upon us to ensure that modernisation would not win over this cultural identity of ours,” Aaron told thesundaypost in Miri recently.

The Kenyah has been playing the sape since he was nine, still in early primary school age.

“My first sape was one that almost got thrown away by my grandfather Lian Seling, because it was worn out by age and had sustained severe damage caused by termites.

“I asked him not to discard it; instead, I asked him to fix it so that I would be able to learn how to play it,” he reminisced.

By the age of 14, Aaron made his on-stage sape performance debut.

“It was in 2015, during a special visit by former chief secretary to the government, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, at IPG (Teachers Education Institute) Miri,” he recalled.

The lute of the Orang Ulus

The sape is one of the most identifiable traditional musical instruments in Sarawak, and it is associated with the Orang Ulu community. It is said that trees that produce densely-grained wood such as the ‘jelutong’ (Dyera costulata), ‘meranti’ (shorea) or ‘jati’ (teak), also produce the best sape.

Hewn from a single trunk, this traditional lute of the Orang Ulu has a hollowed-out body, which resembles a ‘sampan’ (small boat) – interestingly, certain tools used in boat-building are also used to fashion out a sape. Originally, the strings were made from thin rattan strips, but as time progresses, they are now the same as those used for guitars.

With regard to sape-playing, Aaron looked up to his grandfather who had taught him a lot.

File photo shows Aaron and his grandfather Lian Seling (right) in a duet performance during the MBOR attempt at RTM Miri Auditorium back in 2019.

“Our family later moved from Pujut to Taman Jelita in Miri, close to my Uncle Lian Balan’s house.

“He’s also a good sape player.

“Both (Lian Seling and Lian Balang) have been ‘instrumental’ in nurturing my interest in this art,” chuckled Aaron, giggling over the intended pun.

In 2016, Aaron emerged the first runner-up of a sape-playing competition held in connection with the ‘Pesta Rakit’ (Raft Festival) in Lio Mato, Baram.

After that, he won the ‘Sape King’ competition held in connection with a Gawai Dayak Bazaar, and placed second in another event conducted by the Welfare Department of Sarawak the following year.

Later on, he was named a ‘Sape Icon’ at the ‘Sape Movement Festival 2018.

Aaron regards him being a part of the team attempting the ‘Longest Non-Stop Sape Performance’ feat for the Malaysia Book of Records, as ‘amongst my proudest moments’.

In 2019, Aaron joined the attempt to enter the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) through a sape performance set to run non-stop for 50 hours.

Aaron in a duet session with fellow sape player Andrea Mujan during the MBOR 2019 attempt.

The feat involved 54 sape performers, the majority of whom were from the Baram and Belaga areas, and they also included internationally-acclaimed sape maestro Mathew Ngau Jau and the first batch of 20 players under the Warisan Sape Telang Usan programme initiated by Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB).

Aaron in a performance with wheelchair-bound sape player Stephen Kayang, as part of the non-stop 50-hour sape-playing feat for the record book.

They played together for 50 hours, in between solo and group performances, in a continuous musical relay that kicked off at 9.30am on Feb 15, and concluded at noon on Feb 17.

A shot, taken in 2019, shows Aaron performing at the inaugural Miri International Tourism Photography Conference.

Organised by the SEB in partnership with Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), the event was aired live over some of RTM’s channels, showcasing different traditional and new sape tunes played by veteran and young players

This bid made it into the MBOR, categorised as the ‘Longest Non-Stop Sape Performance’.

‘Positive and very encouraging’

Asked about the development of sape, especially in terms of acceptance amongst the younger generation of today, Aaron said it had been ‘positive and very encouraging’.

Aaron and several fellow artists now run the ‘Sape Movement’ in Miri.

“Today, we can see many young people are capable of playing the sape.

“Although I do see that many of them seem to prefer to play the contemporary tunes, they have gradually begun to study the traditional way of playing of it; to me, this is fine and it is a positive development.”

According to the young Kenyah, sape-playing is ‘neither too difficult nor too easy’.

Aaron and his sape during a guest performance for a showcase at Coco Cabana in Miri.

“To play it, one must have a strong spirit and deep interest in this art, because learning how to play sape and all its technicalities requires a tremendous amount of patience.

“However, many of our established sape players have broken down the techniques into the basic bits that are more understandable to those who are new to this.

“I believe that our beloved sape player, the late Saufi Aiman ​​Yahya, inspired many through this contemporary medium of teaching and learning the way of playing this instrument,” said Aaron.

He also expressed his mission of reviving the art of playing sape and promoting it around the world.

“Towards this end, me and my fellow sape players are always ready to share our knowledge, skills and talents among those interested in this art, especially the younger generation, so that this heritage would always have a place in the people’s hearts, and also that there’d always be someone to inherit it after all our veteran sape players are no longer around,” he added.

Currently, Aaron and a few fellow sape players in Miri run the ‘Sape Movement’, which offers members of the public in Miri the chance to learn how to play the sape.

Persatuan Anak Seni Sape Kuching (Pusak) chairperson Danison Manium regarded Aaron as ‘amongst the most brilliant sape players of today’.

“Aaron is now a sape icon, as well as that of the ‘Kanjet’ – a traditional dance of the Orang Ulu community,” said Danison.

Just like the Sape Movement in Miri, Pusak offers the teaching of sape-playing to those interested in Kuching.

Those wishing to learn more about sape-playing can go to https://sapemovement.wixsite.com/website; visit its centre on Lot 8649, Level 1 – Pusat Bandar PHS 4 in Permyjaya New Township in Miri; or contact 012-850 9340 (WhatsApp).

The Sape Movement is also on Facebook.

Those in Kuching can seek Pusak via its social media platforms, namely their Facebook, Instagram and Youtube channel.

Alternatively, send emails to [email protected].