AA31003 ETHNNOMUSICOLOGY

TOPIC 5: STUDIES OF
VOCAL MUSIC

Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan

Professor of Ethnomusicology
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
 WHAT IS VOCAL MUSIC?
 Vocal music is music which uses the human
voice.
 Most of the world’s music is vocal music.
 Vocal music may use words or be wordless.
 It may be solo, or group music
 It may be accompanied by musical
instruments or unaccompanied, according to
genre, context and culture.
 There are many different kinds of vocal music
in the world.
1. CHANTS
 Ritual chants, eg. mogondi’ of
Kadazandusun bobolian; Gregorian chants
of the Roman Catholic church; Muslim call
to prayer;

 Magic chants, eg. gamu of the Huli;

 Epic Chants (Non-ritual Epics), eg. the

Darangen of the Iranun of Sabah, and the
Maranao of Mindanao;
CHANTS (cont.)
Characteristics:
 Words usually in a strict set poetic form
 Recitations on 2, 3 or 5 notes
 Vocal style varies from soft muttering to loud
chanting; may be embellished with melodic
ornaments and melismata
 Disappearing tradition
Example:
Magawau chant to the rice spirit traditionally
chanted in the padi field when weeding the young
crop by bobohian (female ritual specialists), from
Tambunan, Sabah.
CHANTS (cont.)
Bobolian from Tambunan chant mogondi’
 Rinait – Magawau
(during weeding season)
2. SONGS
A wide variety of non-ritual vocal music including:
lullabies, love songs, drinking songs, battle songs,
pop songs, Christian hymns (not ritualized chanting)
Characteristics:
 Sung with a clear melody
 Words usually fall into poetry
 Many different styles
 Enduring tradition of continuity
Example:
Sinding of the Kadazandusun of Tambunan
Traditional sinding
 Modern sinding
“Oi Gidi” by the late Datuk John Gaisah of Kg.
Sunsuron, Tambunan
3. SPECIAL NON-RITUAL POETIC
GENRES
 Older “classical” vocal music
 Poetic text with older words and forms
 May be solo or group music
Examples:
 Kandagoi of the Kadazandusun from Tambunan
 Bayuk of the Iranun of Tempasuk
 Edsair of the Iranun, and syair of the Brunei
4. EXTEMPORANEOUS
CALL-AND-RESPONSE GENRES
 Words created spontaneously, and often fall into
pantun forms;
 Some have originated from messages called
across the countryside; eg. Kadazandusun
sudawil;
 Some may have instrumental accompaniment; eg.
west coast Bajau isun-isun / Iranun pamiula;
 Some may resemble verse debates between men
and women and may accompany circular dancing,
eg. kallang of the west coast Bajau runsai;
andayayong of the Kadazandusun from
Tambunan
Sudawil from Kg. Nambayan
CALL-AND-RESPONSE GENRES
(cont.)
Iranun pamiula (Bajau isun-isun)
by En. Payas Dalah
of Kg. Payas-Payas,
Kota Belud
CALL-AND-RESPONSE GENRES (cont.)
Bajau runsai, Kg. Menunggui, Kota Belud
CALL-AND-RESPONSE GENRES (cont.)
Andayayang, Kg. Kirokot, Tambunan
5. STORIES

1. Myths and oral history; eg. Kadazandusun

susuyan.
2. Narrative tales and fairy stories;
eg. Kadazandusun tangon or tanong.
Characteristics:
 May be chanted like epics, recited melodically or
told in a speaking voice;
 Usually prose forms that can contain poetic
episodes.
6. RECITATIONS
1. Genealogies, eg. tarsila / sarsila of the Iranun;
2. Legal declamations, eg. damba bi of the Huli;
3. Some ritual prayers
Characteristics:
 Can be recited in a normal speaking voice, or in
heightened speech, or in chanted form.
 Words fall into poetic phrases.
7. SPECIAL COMMUNICATION
GENRES

1. Death wailing, eg. Huli o and kiabudugu

Kadazandusun mogigiad.
1. Call to prayer from the mosque.
2. Yodelling, eg. Huli u and iwa.
8. OTHER VOCAL MUSIC
WHAT KINDS OF VOCAL MUSIC DO YOU KNOW
OF IN YOUR CULTURE?

Which ones are ritual genres?

Which ones are non-ritual genres?
Which ones are disappearing?
Which ones are continuing?
Which ones can be developed as traditional music
for future generations?
THANK YOU