Gondang, one of the musical tribe in Indonesia

When we hear the term "Batak music", whether that comes to mind? The term "Batak" with regard to something great nation that contains several tribes whose culture and language related, but also different. Nations including the Batak tribe of Batak Toba, Karo, Simalungun, Pakpak-Dairi, Mandiling, and Angkola. According to the custom in Indonesia, if we hear the word "Batak" we usually think about the culture of Toba Batak. Then, unless we are working in an atmosphere anthropologist or ethnomusicologist, the term "Batak music" is almost always equated with Toba Batak music.
If we think about the Batak music, whether it is arising in our minds? In large cities such as Medan, the answer is almost always associated with pop music like the Batak music vocal trio which usually can be heard at a wedding party, radio broadcast Batak music, Karaoke, etc. lapotuak.When pop music Batak offered on video cassettes usually in karaoke, it's almost always about the longing for the village, Lake Toba, and lifestyle are often considered to have been lost. In this kind of video, singers and dancers often wear traditional clothes dancing in front of the house tortor tradition, or the edge of Lake Toba. In this video, sometimes we catch a glimpse of the Toba Batak traditional music ensembles; Gondang Sabangunan and Gondang Hasapi. A glimpse of this vision, however is usually very short once and almost never allowed to hear these tools in the picture of Toba Batak culture is mediated and regulated by the media. Toba Batak traditional music group has become a symbol of culture being stripped by the context and original meaning. Because of the power of mass media in modern life, the Toba Batak people, especially youth who live in the city regard them as a symbol of musical tradition traditional Batak culture, but that symbol represents both maupum astetis live music scene which is usually sequestered in their daily lives .
Gondang

Musical tradition known as the Toba Batak society gondang. There are three meanings for the word "gondang": 1. One type of traditional music Toba Batak; 2. Composition found in this type of music TSB. (Eg composition titled Gondang First, Gondang Haroharo etc; and 3. Instrument "drum". There are two music ensembles gondang, namely Gondang Sabangunan who usually played outside the home are at home; and gondang Hasapi are usually played in the house.
Gondang Sabangunan consists of sarune Bolon (a kind of brass-"oboe), taganing (equipment consisted of five drums that are locked have a melodic role with sarune TSB), Gordang (a large drum rhythm that accentuates the rhythm), four gongs called ogung and hesek a percussion instrument (usually a bottle that was beaten with wooden sticks or metal) that helps rhythm.
Sarune Bolon is a double reed wind instrument (oboe) is similar to other tools that can be found in the Jaw, India, China, etc.. Sarune players use a technique called marsiulak Hosah (continuous breath back) and allow players to play long phrases without once stopping to take a deep breath. As mentioned above, equipment taganing is composed of five drums are locked and have the same melodic role with sarune. Gondang sabangunan scales arranged in a very unique way. Appliances tone locked in much the same way (but not exactly) with the scales starting from the first sequence until the fifth major diatonic scales found dimusik West: do, re, mi, fa, sol. These form the pentatonic scales are very unique, and as far as I know, can not be found elsewhere in the world. As found in the gamelan music of Java and Bali, the system scales used in music gondang a variation between each ensemble, this variation depends on the aesthetic sarune players and players taganing. Then there is considerable variation among regions kelompik that add diversity and cultural inheritance is very valuable.
Ogung composed of four gongs which each have a role in the rhythm structure. Gondang rhythm pattern called Doal, and in his conception cycles similar to those found dimusik gong gamelan from Java and Bali, but the rhythm Doal shorter cycles.Sebahagian large repertoire gondang sabangunan also played in the context of ensemble gondang Hasapi. This ensemble consists of Hasapi ende (a type of small guitar that has two straps which play the melody), Hasapi Doal (a type of small guitar that has two straps that playing rhythm patterns), garantung (a type of xylophone melody, take a small play a role in the ensemble gondang taganing Hasapi ), sulim (a type of flute made of bamboo paper which has a vibrating membrane, such as sulim dze from China), sarune etek (a kind of clarinet which take sarune Bolon role in this ensemble), and hesek (a type of percussion instrument that amplifies the rhythm, usually tools There is a bottle that hit with a spoon or knife).
Scales used in music gondang Hasapi almost the same as those used in gondang sabangunan, but more like a major diatonic scales used in the West. This is because the influence of the Christian church music.
ASPECTS OF HISTORY
Ensemble music using instruments made of bronze in Sumatra usually consist of equipment that had four to twelve small gongs, one or two large hanging gongs, two to nine drums, a brass, and gembreng penyari. A typical ensemble of this kind exist gondang sabangunan of Toba Batak. This ensemble is still used in religious ceremonies Parmalim. Gondang sabangunan have a crucial role in the religious ceremony. As in the note above, this ensemble consists of four main gong gong rhythm cycle is short, equipment is locked out of five drums, one sarune (brass / oboe), one big drum and a percussion instrument (usually a bottle) to strengthen the rhythm.
Sabangunan gondang music used in religious ceremonies for the prayers of human beings into the world above. When music is played, players and players sarune taganing considered a manifestation of Guru. This music is used to communicate with the world's top musicians and transformation apparently occurs to facilitate relations with the world above. This paradigm transformation in the Batak myth is very similar to that in Bali pointed to indirect evidence that a relationship exists between the cultures of ancient Toba Batak and Balinese culture. Though it can not be proven, there is the possibility of dealing with history, because both cultures are each associated at least as a limit out majapahit kingdom. Bersangkut with the concept of three-tiered cosmos is no concept of mediating factors; the cosmic tree or the tree of life. This mythical tree that connects the three worlds have a symbolic relationship with the Bodhi tree in Buddhism, Kayon in Balinese and Javanese wayang, and perhaps the concept is older than Buddhism and Hinduism. Batak music's role in the conception of tree-like role of the cosmos; music world also menguhubungkan respectively. Through music gondang permeable boundaries between the world, man's prayer can be up to debata, and blessings debata can be up to humans.
With the advent of Christianity to the Land of Batak, Batak culture staple is changed at all. Interaction with this new religion and values ​​of western culture tradition of Batak Toba shook to its roots. According to the Christian church gondang associated with trance music, the worship of ancestral spirits, and the Batak indigenous religion, is too dangerous to be allowed continue to be played again. In the early twentieth century Dutch colonial government Nommensen requested to prohibit the ceremony and music gondang anesthetic. The ban is survived nearly forty years until in 1938. It was a major blow to religious traditions and music gondang Toba Batak are strongly associated with the religion page.
MODERN CONDITIONS
Batak Migration to the cities began in 1910 but only after Indonesia became independent migration is a big plus in an 50-yr. Migration to cities has contributed to the interaction with other tribes in the cities of Indonesia whose population is mostly Muslim. In a multi-ethnic environment is a lot of people see a sense of identity hobo hobo who became stronger against other tribes. But many people hobo also in the process of uniting ourselves with the people of Indonesia to leave many aspects of language, culture, and tradition. On the other hand there are parts of the city of Batak people who become more aware of importance of community identity and trying to assert hobo hobo flavor and provides funds for memorial ceremonies and other celebrations in his village.
There Batak people who have become prosperous city that often finance the ceremony. They carry aesthetic cosmopolitan sometimes against aesthetic tradition. Identification with the values ​​of kemoderenan, advancement, education and prosperity is often expressed with an affinity for what is considered modern. For example now at the party or ceremony as if the music group playing keyboards poco-poco and appreciated more in demand than with the old music gondang have a very important role in traditional ceremonies. The modern wedding is no longer considered to be incomplete without a keyboard or a brass band music that played pop songs or pop hobo west, the opposite might be considered tacky gondang music ensembles by city people, the tendency to identify with modernity is not wrong.
We all have to live in the modern world and must face a global media and advertising, like it or not increasingly affect everyone's minds and tastes. We can not afford to live in the past and escape from the advances. However, there is a threat that in this generation we can eliminate the kind of musical tradition called gondang, who until recently was the manifestation of Toba Batak culture is very important both in the field of community and spiritual fields.
CONCLUSION
As a student of ethnomusicology (music lessons the area), I recently was introduced to music gondang Toba Batak in 1993 at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. I instantly fell in love with this music is beautiful and very unique. Complex melodies once played by Bolon and taganing sarune rhythms intertwine with gondang, ogung, and hesek in a hypnotic way, like my soul is called this music. It turned out that this music is fitting for this purpose. I was encouraged by two friends etnomusikologis hobo to learn this music is incredibly beautiful and rarely heard outside of North Sumatra.
Grief I witnessed the decline of music gondang. Hobo community is a proud and vibrant community that values ​​culture and identity. Then, I think is very confusing at this extraordinary legacy left behind. Why Balinese and Javanese musical tradition is still alive, although now on the verge of extinction gondang hobo. Does Balinese or Javanese culture is superior to hobo culture? I do not think so.
It takes steps to organize a program to study the tradition of hobo culture, the purpose of documentation, preservation, education, and promotion of the tradition of hobo culture. Joined in the research and documentation that has been done to seek against the erosion of cultural traditions that stand out at all, especially in the arts. I recommend attention to the art of music, because this my field, but keprhatinan me about all aspects of culture. Because the pressures of modernization, globalization, mass media, and the attractiveness of the western world and special cultural traditions of music gondang danger of being lost. Lost music gondang called many people already happened, of course, tragic.
Ceremony and a party that once served as a musical performance traditions of the less because people prefer a keyboard or a trio of vocal groups that better reflect the modernity and the distance of all the things called plebeian. Hobo pop music is of course also the identity of the Toba Batak ethnic tribes, there is usually country music and old pop ballads Americans who wear hobo language. The music there is no strong relationship with the hobo community, except occasionally as an example of culture in the process of change, but how tragic that this hobo pop music replaces gondang which is a precious heritage but underappreciated.
More and more players gondang died and the younger players are encouraged by the things aesthetic and economical way to play music that is more in demand. The possibility arises that the music will be lost sebahagian gondang large or all of them. It should not be overlooked. There is a big possibility that gondang will only survive in a religious context Parmalim who still use this music in its original context. They use the music of his ancestors to honor ancestors and to the prayers of TSB to Debata Mulajadi Nabolon.
How tragic if the hobo-shaped living heritage of this beautiful music, which had a very long history, valuable and very unique in the world, will become extinct. In our western world has long forgotten a lot of tradition, and there is a tendency to seek the sacred from other cultures, I met with sacred music and the extraordinary in North Sumatra, but this music will probably become extinct because the people who gave it birth is no longer enough perdul