Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

Idiosyncratic Aspects of Malaysian Music:

The Roles of the Kompang in Malay Society
By
MOHD HASSAN ABDULLAH
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia

The Background

The musical culture of Malaysia is very much influenced by foreign elements,

especially Hindu culture from India, Islamic culture from Arab countries, and later on
from the Western world. It is believed that there already existed various types of
native musical culture, especially for ritualistic purposes, by the time the natives came
into contact with Indian and Muslim traders. Furthermore, such musical culture,
untouched by Hindu, Islam and Western elements, can be identified based on the
existing performances such as in rhythms for mantras and incantations in animistic
belief (Mohd Ghouse, 1992: 1).

Undoubtedly, the Indian influence on the musical culture of Malaysia has been very
great. Indian musical culture greatly dominated the musical forms of the Malay
Archipelago with the setting up of Indianised empires including Funan (1-627 A.D)
on the Mekong delta, Thailand; the Langkasuka empire in Kedah, Malaysia; the Sri
Vijaya empire (650-1377 A.D) in South Sumatra; and the Majapahit empire
(1293–1470 A.D) in Java, Indonesia. Over a thousand years under these four
successive empires, the native people adapted to the Indianised musical culture and it
became part of their lives.

The coming of Islam into the Malay Archipelago in the 13th Century changed and
added to the variety of musical forms in Malaysia. The frame drum and various types
of chorus singing praising Prophet Muhammad and Allah, the Islamic God, are
among the elements of Arabian musical culture absorbed and adapted into the musical
culture of Malaysia. The group singing praising God and Prophet Muhammad is in
the form of various choruses accompanied by frame drum ensembles such as hadrah,
rodat, kompang, dabus and dikir rebana.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

Apart from Hindu and Islamic elements, musical forms in Malaysia have also been
influenced by neighbouring countries, especially Thailand and Indonesia. In the
Northern part of the Malay Peninsula, the Malay and the Siamese had long diplomatic
contact for over five hundred years, during which time the Siamese empire (1403-
1909) dominated the Northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. As a result, the Malay
people who settled there also adapted to Thai culture and music. Certain musical
forms such as Wayang Siam1, Makyong2 and Menora3 were adapted from the Siamese
musical forms and widely performed in the Northern region of Peninsular Malaysia.
Some of the musical instruments used in the Wayang Siam are similar to the Siamese
instruments used in the Nang Talung shadow theatre such as geduk (barrel drum),
gedombak (hourglass drum) and serunai (double-reed oboe).

The influence of Indonesian musical culture enhanced the richness of the Malay
musical forms. The Javanese, Minangkabaus, Achenese, Bugis and Sumatran
peoples, who migrated into the Southern part of Peninsular Malaysia, brought with
them several types of musical form. The Javanese introduced musical forms
including the kuda kepang , gamelan , and wayang purwa6 (Ibid: 3).
4 5
The
Minangkabaus, who migrated to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, especially the
state of Negeri Sembilan, brought with them the ensemble of gong-chimes called
caklempong (Ang, 1998: 50).

Western colonization had a big impact on Malaysian musical culture. Every

colonial power introduced their own culture and music to the native people. The
notable Portuguese contribution to the musical culture of Malaysia is that of
introducing the violin and guitar to the region. The uses of these two instruments as

1
Shadow puppet theatre mainly performed in the Northern part of Peninsular Malaysia.
2
Traditional theatre accompanied by percussive instruments and a rebab (spike-fiddle) acted mostly by
women.
3
Like makyong but accompanied by more percussive instruments and a serunai (double-reed oboe),
and in which men play all the important characters.
4
This dance drama is performed as accompaniment to a rich and exotic rendition of traditional music
played with indigenous instruments such as gongs, tambourines and angklungs (made of bamboo-tube).
5
An ensemble consists of many percussive instruments including gong chimes and double headed
drums to accompany a graceful classical dance. For more detail, see Ahmad Omar (1984)
6
Javanese shadow play accompanied by a gamelan ensemble based on the Mahabharata epic.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

well as other instruments in the keroncong7 ensemble are evidence of the Portuguese
influence.

By the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries, the British had popularized
other western musical instruments such as the piano, trumpet, saxophone, clarinet and
others in Malaysia. The instruments were mainly used in musical forms newly
introduced to Malaysia, such as the orchestra, brass band, combo and some mixed
forms with Malay traditional instruments in the bangsawan theatre (Tan, 1993: 8-16).
The use of western musical instruments in Malaysia became more popular with the
setting up of radio stations in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in 1930, and recording
companies and film studios in the 1930s (Matusky and Tan, 1997: 442).

When examining the historical events of Malaysian culture, the evolution of musical
instruments and musical activities, which have contributed to Malaysian musical
culture, can best be described according to two different perspectives, which can be
termed adaptation and idiosyncratic (Nik Mustapha, 1998: 23). In the adaptation
perspective, the original music or musical instruments from outside the country were
adapted, changed and developed based on the local culture, especially in the aspects
of vocal arrangement, mode, playing techniques, name, construction, ornamentation
and decoration. The music or musical instruments hold some of their originality but
have gradually changed some of their elements to suit the local culture. In the
idiosyncratic perspective, the music or musical instruments still preserve their
originality, including mode, construction, tuning, playing techniques and even their
name. The local people still use the same types of instruments and play the same
music as it was originally written. If there are any changes, these only amount to
minor changes in the musical elements or the name of the instrument (ibid.). The
kompang is one of the musical instruments widely used in performance in the
Southwest coastal region of Peninsular Malaysia, and which falls into both categories.

The Kompang

7
Traditional songs accompanied by a band consist of a few instruments including guitar, ukelele, cello,
double bass, violin and percussion.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

Historical study has discovered that the kompang type (frame drum) of instrument is
believed to have originated from the Arab world. Arab merchants brought the
instrument to the Malay Archipelago during the expansion of the Islamic faith in the
13th Century. It was used in performance on many occasions during the Majapahit
Empire (1293-1470) in Java. Social contact among the peoples in the Malay
Archipelago, and the migration of Javanese, Bugis and Sumatran people to the
Southwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, brought the instrument to the region.

The instrument is a single headed hand beaten drum with a shallow round frame. The
frame, which is called the baluh, is made of a hard wood such as jackfruit wood. The
head (belulang) of the kompang is made from goatskin hide tacked to the wooden
frame. The shallow round frame of a typical kompang is about three inches deep. The
thickness of the baluh is about _ inch. The open end of the baluh, called the lip or
bibir, has a diameter of 12 inches. Some kompangs are entwined with a nylon string
at the bibir to prevent the baluh from cracking or breaking. Some kompangs are
carved on the outside of the frame with various patterns to make them look beautiful
and artistic.

Belulang
Baluh

Red Lace

Bibir
Metal
tacks

Figure 1: Structure of a Kompang

In Malaysia, the kompang exists in many different sizes. The size of the kompang is
measured according to the diameter of the skinhead, which ranges from 6 to 15
inches. Normally, the 12 inch and 13 inch kompangs are very popular and widely
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

used by villagers in many performances. Before a kompang can be played, the

skinhead has to be tightened to produce a nice and desirable sound. A small rattan of
about the same diameter as the baluh is inserted inside the kompang between the
baluh and the belulang. This small rattan is called the sedak. The purpose of using
the sedak is to make the skinhead tight so that it produces a penetrating sound. The
sedak must be removed before the kompang is stored. This is to prevent damage to
the belulang and helps the belulang to last longer.

Performing Techniques

Traditionally, the kompang is always performed in groups either when sitting, with
legs crossed, or when standing or walking in procession, depending on the occasion.
The instrument is held with the left hand and beaten with the right hand. There are
two main timbres played on the kompang, which are bum and pak. Timbre bum is
produced when the player beats the kompang at the edge of the skinhead with closed
fingers. Timbre pak will be produced when the hit is with the palm at the middle of
the skinhead. Timbre bum sounds softer and lower than timbre pak. If the kompang
is used to accompany a song, all the players sing together while playing the kompang.
The rhythms performed in the kompang ensemble are composed of at least three
different parts that will produce interlocking rhythm patterns.

There are three categories of repertoire in the kompang ensemble, namely rhythmic
ensemble without a vocal part, to accompany the zikir, and to accompany Malay song.
The zikir is choral singing of Arabic texts praising Prophet Muhammad. The zikir
repertoires are take from a religious book called the Kitab Berzanji. Many of the
Malay songs performed by kompang troupes are adapted from Malay folksongs.
Some of the songs are taken from old Malay films from the 1950s.

The Roles of the Kompang in Malay Society

The kompang performance is an important part of the traditional Malay wedding

ceremony, especially in the Southwest of Peninsular Malaysia. The activities and
rituals practiced during the traditional Malay wedding ceremony come from diverse
cultural traditions, in which elements from indigenous, Hindu and Islam traditions are
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

blended together. The Malay people practiced Hinduism before Islam spread into the
Malay Archipelago. When Islam became the dominant religion in the region, the
Malay practiced the Islamic way of life, but still retained some of the Hindu culture in
their life, including the wedding ceremony. There are several stages and activities
that take place in a Malay wedding. The stages begin with the investigation about the
bride by the groom’s family, called merisik; the engagement, called bertunang; and
the wedding day itself. The actual wedding ceremony normally takes place over a full
day including the night before the wedding day, called malam berinai. The kompang
performances normally take place during the malam berinai and in the procession
during the actual ceremony.

The main activities in the malam berinai start with the actual religious solemnization
of the marriage conducted by the religious officer called the Imam or Tok Kadi. This
activity is called the akad nikah, which is the official agreement of a wedding in
Islam. After the akad nikah, the bride and groom officially becomes a married couple.
This activity is followed by the berinai ceremonial, in which the couple sits on a
decorated dais. Family members from both sides alternately apply henna to the hands
of the couple. At the same time, the kompang troupe performs many joyful songs to
entertain the couple, guests and cooks who are preparing the food for the ceremony on
the following day. The kompang players sit on the floor with legs crossed and play
the kompang to accompany their songs. This activity sometime lasts until late at
night or early the next morning. Normally the songs sung at this time are taken from
kitab berzanji8 and old Malay songs.

The kompang troupe also performs during the wedding procession on the actual
wedding day. The ceremonial activities during the actual day begin with the
bridegroom walking slowly in procession towards the bride’s house for a distance of
about a hundred to two hundred metres. The party, led by womenfolk and
accompanied by bearers of the decorative flowers called bunga mangga, consists of
family members and friends of the bridegroom. The kompang troupe walks in
procession and performs various songs until the bridegroom enter the bride’s house.
In some places, another kompang troupe will continue to perform their music whilst

8
A book which contains religious text in Arabic praising Prophet Muhammad.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

the wedding couple sit on a decorated platform and are blessed by their families and
friends.

The kompang ensemble also performed widely during the traditional Malay
circumcision ceremony, especially before the 1970s. All Malay boys will have to
have a circumcision once in their lifetime. The ceremony, called bersunat or
berkhatan, normally takes place when the boys are between five and ten years old.
During the circumcision ceremony, a boy or a group of boys who will be circumcised
are taken in procession through the village before the circumcision is done. A group
of kompang players are invited to perform their music during the procession. The
kompang troupe performs various songs to add joy to the ceremony.

Kompang music is also performed during the celebration of childbirth. Normally,

seven days after a birth of a child into a family, a ceremony called bercukur rambut
(hair cutting) is performed by the parent with the purpose of thanking God for the
childbirth. In this ceremony, the baby’s hair is cut, led by a religious person and
followed by some of the guests. The baby is carried by the father in his arms and he
slowly walks round a circle of guests while the guests sing the selawat9. At this time,
the father proudly shows his baby to the guests. The kompang players will perform
their music to accompany the zikir after the selawat is done. All the songs performed
during this ceremony normally contain words praising Prophet Muhammad.

Kompang music is also performed in many religious functions including Maulud Nabi
(birthday of Prophet Muhammad), Khatam Quran10, zikir and berzanji. In the
maulud nabi celebration, a procession consisting of many groups of Muslim people
walks along the road in the village or town while they sing the selawat11. The troupe
beat the kompang to accompany the selawat along the procession. This procession
will take about one to two hours depending on the length of the road. Sometime the
kompang troupe continues playing after the procession until the crowd has gone.

9
Religious texts in Arabic praise the Prophet Muhammad.
10
The completion of the whole of the Holy Quran learning.
11
Another type of religious chanting in Arabic texts praising Prophet Muhammad.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

Khatam Quran is conducted by parents when their teenager have completed their
study of the whole Holy Quran. The ceremony begin with the pupil sitting on a
specially decorated platform and reading a few verses of the Holy Quran in front of
their teacher and parents. When satisfied with the Holy Quran reading by the pupil,
the teacher prays to God for a blessing. After the prayer, the kompang troupe beat
their instruments in the sitting position to accompany the zikir. This is followed by a
feast for the guests before the ceremony ends. The kompang ensemble also performs
to accompany the zikir and other religious songs on many occasions including the
celebration of Awal Muharram12,

From the 1960s and early 1970s, kompang playing among the Malay people has
become more popular. It has spread out not only to the villages but also to the town
areas. The kompang is now played not only at weddings and religious occasions but
also at many new events. This does not mean that the kompang has lost its religious
and other traditional functions, but the instrument has actually gained more functions
than before. Among the new functions of the kompang are to welcome a very
important person, during sports days and during football matches to raise the level of
excitement among supporters and players.

On certain occasions, such as the opening ceremony of a new building, a speech day,
a celebration, a university convocation and so on, the kompang is used to welcome
the very important person to the occasion. The VIP, such as the Sultan (king), a
minister, a political figures or a high official, is a special guest who will open the
ceremony. The kompang troupe play the music to accompany the VIP as soon as he
or she exits their car and processes to their seat in the building or to a special place to
be seated. Just as in the wedding procession mentioned above, the kompang players
carry on playing until the special guest reaches their seat. This is to show respect to
the VIP and adds extra dignity to the ceremony.

On 31st August every year, Malaysia celebrates its National Day. On this day, many
departments, clubs, cultural groups, and non-government organizations send their
representatives to take part in the National Day procession. Kompang troupes are

12
First day of the beginning of the Islamic calendar year.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

involved in this procession as well as marching bands and other music ensembles.
This occasion starts at early morning in the capital city and many other cities in the
states. The kompang troupe play their instruments continuously until the procession
come to its end.

The implementation of the new music curriculum for secondary schools by the
Ministry of Education of Malaysia gave a good impact to the popularity of kompang
playing. The new music curriculum for secondary schools was established in 1996,
with only twenty secondary schools all over Malaysia chosen to offer the subject of
music. Malaysian traditional music is one of the important elements included in this
new curriculum. As well as a few other Malaysian traditional musical instruments,
the kompang was introduced as early as form one. Students who choose music as one
of their elective subjects are exposed to the playing techniques, basic rhythms and
songs that are sung with kompang accompaniment. In 2001, the Ministry of
Education expanded the implementation of the new music curriculum. More
secondary schools throughout Malaysia now offer music as one of the elective
subjects. With the expansion of the new music curriculum, more and more students
will have the opportunity to play the kompang, which will make the instrument more
popular than ever before.
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

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About the author

Mohd Hassan Abdullah was educated at Kuala Terengganu Teachers Training

College, Kuala Lumpur Specialist Teachers Training College, Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania, USA, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, USA and Universiti
Putra Malaysia. Since 1997, he has been a lecturer at the Music Department of
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia, where he teaches Malaysian music and
technology for music education. Driven by deep interest in the Malay traditional
music, currently he is conducting field research of the kompang ensemble in West
 Paper presented at the UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia, Hong Kong, 2004

coast of peninsular Malaysia for his Doctorate degree under the supervision of Dr.
Goffredo Plastino at University of Newcastle, UK. Mohd also performs on various
instruments and ensembles of Malaysian Traditional Music. He is a member of the
Pop Orchestra, Ministry of Education, Malaysia, and has played with the Southern
Illinois Symphony Orchestra.