Sape Music of Malaysia

Highlights:

• Meet with a professional sape performer, maker, and teacher, Mathew Ngau Jau.

• Share in local knowledge and stories of the indigenous ethnic group from Long Semiyang.

• Hear the sweet melodies of traditional pieces that are passed down through the generations.

• Create a meaningful connection with locals while building local pride and confidence.

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What to Expect:

One of the most commonly seen musical instruments in Sarawak, the sape, is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu community or “upriver people” of central Borneo. The sape was once played solely during healing ceremonies within the rumah panjang (longhouses), but gradually became a social instrument that is used as a form of entertainment. The colourful jungle motifs that adorn the body of the sape mark this change in purpose. On this day tour in Sarawak, guests will meet with Mathew Ngau Jau from the Kenyah Ngorek community, an indigenous ethnic group from Long Semiyang. A professional sape performer, maker and teacher, and one of the few community-recognised authorities on the instrument, Mathew welcomes guests to his home to showcase the making of sape and how it is played.