MUSICAL AND DANCING HERITAGE

                                                                      IBAN

Iban people are also talented musicians and dancers. During the main festivals of Gawai Dayak (Harvest), Gawai Kenyalang (Hornbill) and Gawai Antu (Festival of the Dead), the people will bring out their traditional instruments and celebrate but playing and dancing. Some of the Iban dances such as ngajat  are pretty amazing when you see them live.

The Ibans perform a unique dance called the ngajat. This type of dance is the most popular in Sarawak and Borneo island itself. There are many types of 

dances, including;

1. Ngajat Induk
2. Ngajat Bebunoh
3. Ngajat Lesong
4. Ngajat Semain
5. Ngajat Berayah
6. Ngajat Ngemai Antu Pala

For the Iban people, ngajat is the dance to celebrate the Gawai festival, as well as celebrating the war victory. Dancers will wear traditional clothing such as ‘mesh’, ‘gagung’ or dress the bird. They also wore hats decorated with bird feathers. Gagung is a bold and loud clothes made from animal skin like leather bears , but not sewn up the left and right.Each rhythm is played in accordance with the ritual. For Ari Gawai Sandau, Rayah drums  played for the guest of honor and celebrate Gawai to ber’Rayah’ while carrying the skull of  an enemy.

Another type of dance is that dancers will hold a wooden shield in his left hand and a sword in his right hand and danced like a face with the enemy by swinging his body to the left and right. Accompaniment of the song sounded like devices large and small gongs, drums , tawak, bebendai ,engkurumong and sape , a stringed instrument like a guitar.

Both Iban men and women enjoy styles of  ngajat is a dance which involves a

lot of precise body turning movements. The ngajat which men usually perform is aggressive and depicts a man going to war, or a bird flying (as a respect to the Iban god of war, Burung Kenyalang or Hornbill bird). The  ngajat which women perform is of soft, graceful movements with very precise body turns. Each ngajat is accompanied by the taboh or the body.

In general, better known as the Ngajat but many do not recognize the pattern or type of music in this. Engkerurai is one of the types of musical instruments rarely seen at this point, both in public performances or displayed in print materials. Its existence also seems not widely known. Engkerurai is a kind of musical instrument classified as aerofon tone because the sound produced by blowing mouth. In terms of materials, musical instruments, many uses of bamboo and a gourd. While in terms of songs or repertoire, it mimics many sounds and action of the natural environment. Likewise, engkerurai never presented with other musical instruments.  These musical performances are more alone or solo. Engkerurai presentation more visible in the community who inhabit the Sri Aman Division, where there is many Iban community lives there.

BIDAYUH 

Here are some of the Bidayuh dance that commonly seen by the people today. This type of dance is held when they celebrated great occasions, especially during Gawai festival.

Pesa (Sword Dance)

Pesa or sword dance or Kutau was a very popular art of self-defense among the bachelors during harvset festivals or any social gatherings in the kupuo or villages. The dance is performed to show one’s strength and skills before an audience.The pesa starts with a dancer dancing with his sword pausing as a challenger. After a few minutes of dancing, he pauses for a

 challenge. At this point, his opponent begins to dance with his sword in his hand, pretending to defend himself. When both dancers are in the second round, they then start challenging each other, applying all the available tactics and styles to prove who is the  champion. The pesa is often performed to the accompaniment of bidumbak.

Totokng

Totokng is dance performed to welcome the returning warriors from a headhunting expedition and to receive the newly acquired heads to the longhouse. The purpose of the dance is to appease the spirits of the newly acquired heads so that they will protect the village. It is also used to strengthen the spirit simangi of the villagers when facing their enemies. At the same time, while dancing around the offering tray containing cooked food, the dancers will also chant and pray for a happy, healthier and prosperous life for the villagers.Apart from being a warrior dance, totokng is also performed during the harvest festivals to welcome the souls of padi from the hut and paddy stubble in the padi fields to their respective homes.The dance is also performed to welcome distinguished visitors to the villages. The musical instruments used in the dance are gongs, drums and the wooden instrument, gulintang.