Lack of exposure is the main reason behind the dwindling passion for our musical heritage among today’s generation, says Jackery Anak Hillary Chukan, a part-time gendang pampat teacher in Sarawak.

The gendang pampat is made of wood and animal skin, and is a nearly-forgotten traditional drum instrument of Sarawak’s Iban people.

Jackery, 51, who works at a bank in his hometown, says that people are so glued to their screens these days just trying to keep up with the modern world, that they tend to forget their roots.

Because of this, he felt the need to remind people of the gendang pampat, especially the younger generation. So he formed Kemada, a musical group in Sarawak in 2016.

Currently, Kemada has over 30 active members, and has performed at major cultural shows in the past few years. The group has even played at the Borneo Native Festival that was held recently in Kuala Lumpur.

Other events they participated in were the 2019 World Rainforest Music Festival in Kuching, and a festival in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

“Today, the group gets invited to events, locally and internationally. We were supposed to perform in Shenzhen, China, but unfortunately, it was cancelled due to the pandemic,” he says in an exclusive interview.

Jackery shares that Kemada was the first Iban group to showcase the gendang pampat on stage, adding that no one has actually done that although the gendang is still sometimes played by smaller communities in the state.

He says the reason why it wasn’t showcased before could stem from the traditional Iban belief that the instrument can only be used in ritual ceremonies and for special occasions like harvest festivals.

The instrument started to gain popularity when a video of Kemada playing it was uploaded to social media platforms some years ago.

Preserving the art of gendang pampat.

People have become more appreciative and are keen to pick up the percussion instrument.

“Many of them have shown interest, and they are enthusiastically exploring and learning the gendang pampat. More women, including both my sister and daughter, have also took up the instrument, which was traditionally only played by men,” Jackery says. “I am hopeful that the gendang pampat will one day ‘take over’ the electronic devices of the young generation.”

Children are leaning towards the traditional drum, too. The youngest member in Kemada, for instance, is only 11 years old. “It took him six months to learn the drumming techniques, but he’s shown remarkable dedication for his age,” Jackery says. He believes the most effective way to cultivate that love is to begin at a young age.

In hopes to garner even more interest, Jackery decided to combine the gendang with the sape – a traditional lute – accompanied by folk dances, usually the ngajat.

“I realise the gendang pampat actually makes a good pair with the sape, as it creates a very rhythmic melody,” he shares.

Jackery’s efforts to preserve the traditional musical instrument includes teaching others, by providing lessons to people who are interested to learn the gendang. He is now affectionately known to his students and friends as Cikgu Jackery.