| Description |
The Sompoton is Sabah’s native musical instruments of the Kadazandusun. The instrument’s name closely derives from the word Miampot, which means in unison by blowing or sucking the mouthpiece. This mouth organ is the most fascinating of the Sabah native musical instruments. Sompoton consists of eight pieces of bamboo pipe inserted into a dried gourd, which are arranged in two layers of raft-like configuration. Seven of the bamboo pipes are named according to local terminology and they are lombohon, monongkol, suruk, baranat, randawi, tuntuduk and tinangga. One of the pipes has no sound, but merely balances the bundle. By blowing or sucking the gourd’s mouth, the player can produced a soft sweet harmonious sound. A small lamella of polod palm (like tiny bungkau) is inserted in the side of each sounding pipe near its base. The pipes are fitted into a hole on one side of the gourd and sealed with bees wax. The lamellae lie inside the gourd and provide the sound of the completed instrument. The pipes are bound with thin strands of rattan. While playing a sompoton, the player covers and uncovers the ends of three of the four shortest pipes with three fingers of his right hand and three small openings cut in the base of the front shortest pipe and front and back pipes of the longer raft with fingers of the left hand. The sompoton can be played as a solo instrument for personal entertainment or in groups to accompany dancing. It is popular among the Kadazandusun. |
