Today’s A Journey through Aesthetic Realms will be presented in Bahasa Melayu, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Greetings, graceful viewers, and welcome to A Journey through Aesthetic Realms on Supreme Master Television. Today, we will travel to a tropical paradise, the Sultanate of Brunei, to meet members of the Traditional Arts Organization of the Bisaya Tribe, and have the opportunity to appreciate their traditional music and dances.

Good afternoon! We thank Supreme Master TV for coming to our village. Thank you for coming here. And, I am Awang Limbun bin Yaba, the deputy chairman of the Traditional Arts Organization of the Bisaya Tribe.

Among the seven ethnic groups in Brunei, Bisayas live along the northwestern coast. Indigenous Bisayas are also found in the Sabah and Sarawak states of Malaysia. According to a Bornean Bisaya legend, when the Sultan of Brunei first saw the land of Bisaya, he exclaimed, “Bisai-yah!” which means “How beautiful!” Thus the residents of this blessed land were named. As followers of the Muslim faith, Christianity, or their own indigenous religions, Bisayas are a harmonious and confident people.

Bisaya tribe is our own tribe. In the olden days, we believed and obeyed whatever were the decrees of our kings. We believe in ourselves. So the olden rulers also believed in us.

Bisayas came to Borneo Island several thousand years ago. They are well known for their expertise in growing rice, yam, sago, banana, coconut, ginger, pepper, amongst other plants. During the annual thanksgiving harvest celebration, the cheerful men and women in ethnic costumes sing and dance to their folk music. Let’s listen now to a song played with traditional instruments, entitled “Gendang Perang.”

This music is presented mainly during Gulang as well as Temaruk celebrations. Also when we have Well-being Prayer celebrations.

Traditional music is also played on other festive occasions, such as during a wedding ceremony or when welcoming very important people. At the enchanting beats of gongs, everyone, young and old alike, would start to dance. Next, let’s enjoy an elegant traditional Bisayan dance performed to welcome guests, called “Alai Perang.”

Accompanied by soothing music, the graceful Bisayan dance is truly an expression of inner joy! Our host, Mr. Limbun bin Yaba now explains how his wonderful team was formed.

We formed this workshop on June 24 (2007). We recruited 47 trainees ranging from the age of 7 to 19. There are 25 committee members, including the chairman, deputy chairman, secretary, treasurer, and several trainers.

We set up this workshop to ensure that the new generations remember the heritage from our ancestors since ancient time, from our ancestors to our grandchildren, to remember and inherit our traditional heritage.

The Bisayas are said to be excellent gong musicians. Traditional Bisayan instruments consist of large and small gongs as single instruments or a suite such as the kulintangan. In addition, drums are used to control timing and beats.

We know that these musical instruments have already existed from our ancestors of our Bisaya tribe.

This is called dombak. This dombak must be first played when the performance starts, because without it we cannot play other drum instruments. This has to be played first like our drum. This is bebandil or canang. This is small taritik, and this is bandil. The small bandil or taritik is assisted by a big taritik, so that the tone is clearer.

This is called small gong, it is played after the canang or bebandil is played. This is the big gong which is the third, so when the small one is played, the big one will make sounds according to the rhythm of the small gong. This is called peningkul. Peningkul will be following the sound of the big gong. When all instruments are played, kulintangan will then be played.

Under the general playing sequence, varying tunes and arrangements give rise to diverse musical pieces, which are named according to their drum rhythms.

We have already taught them five drum rhythms, one of which is perang rhythm, and secondly is sayau rhythm. The third is raja beradu rhythm, the fourth is peribayu rhythm, and the fifth is imang-imang rhythm. One type of drum which we are teaching is patih rhythm.

Next, the team of gifted young artists plays another folk song entitled “Gendang Sayau.”

My name is Narizal. I am 8 years old. I live in Bebuloh Village. I like to play kulintangan. Two years already I have been playing.

My name is Haidina. I am 12 years old. I have been learning this dance for three years. I learn this dance because it is my own tradition.

The enthusiastic response of young trainees is a great inspiration for Mr. Limbun bin Yaba, who is committed to preserving his people’s folk traditions.

This is the costume of the Bisaya tribe that I am wearing now. So when there are wedding receptions, festival celebrations and feasts, we have to put on this traditional costume.

There are also dances that we teach. Among them are first, the ngasok dance, second, the handkerchief dance, and the fan dance as the fourth which we mentioned just now. The third is the ansayau dance, and the fifth is the alai perang dance.

Gendang imang is played when entertaining guests. The rhythmic music is used to accompany a welcoming dance: imang-imang.

The widely appreciated musical and dance traditions of Bisaya open a window through which the world can get a hospitable glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of Brunei. Before concluding our show, our kind host expresses his heartfelt wish.

Our hope is for this traditional culture of the Bisaya tribe in Bebuloh Village to continue to exist and possibly extend to other regions as well.

We from the workshop of Bisaya tribe would like to thank Supreme Master Television for coming to Bebuloh Village.

Our sincere thankfulness, Mr. Limbun bin Yaba and the amazing young members of the Traditional Arts Organization of the Bisaya Tribe, for your cordiality in sharing your exquisite traditional music and dances. May the unique beauty of your treasured heritage continue to enrich the Bisaya tribe and a flourishing world for eons to come.

Gentle viewers, thank you for your presence on today’s episode of A Journey through Aesthetic Realms. Up next on Supreme Master Television is Vegetarianism: The Noble Way of Living, after Noteworthy News. Blessed be your joyful spirit in Heaven’s infinite grace.